Missouri Mike Kehoe announced Wednesday that he has appointed Judge Joseph L. Hensley, of Webb City/Joplin, as a judge for the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District. He will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Don E. Burrell Jr.
Hensley is currently the Division 1 Circuit Judge of the 29th Judicial Circuit in Jasper County.
A 1991 graduate of Webb City High School, Hensley attended the University of Missouri-Columbia and graduated with honors in 1995. He received his juris doctor from the University of Missouri School of Law in 1998. He immediately began practicing law, handling general civil litigation, family law, and appeals, with an emphasis in juvenile and adoption law.
In 2002, he opened The Hensley Law Firm, which became Hensley & Nicholas in 2007. In November of 2014, he won election as the Associate Circuit Judge in Division 5. In 2024, he was elected to fill the Division 1 Circuit Bench position. Throughout his judgeship, he has received numerous awards and prestigious appointments. He and his wife, Dina, have two children, Ella and Joseph.
