Of Counsel
Office: (816) 382-1382
jtorrence@mwcattorneys.com
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After 23 years on the bench as a Circuit Judge in the 16th Circuit Court of Jackson County, Judge Torrence joined the firm in the summer of 2024. Judge Torrence was a seasoned A-V rated trial lawyer for 20 years before being appointed to the bench by Governor Bob Holden in 2001. John tried approximately forty jury trials to a verdict as first chair in various state and federal courts before taking the bench. These cases included representation of both plaintiffs and defendants in civil and criminal cases. During his 23 years as a trial judge, Judge Torrence presided over hundreds of jury trials ranging from various personal injury claims to complex class action, products liability, and medical malpractice cases.
In addition to being active in community affairs, John successfully completed mediation training at the University of Missouri School of Law in 2010 and was one of a handful of judges in the State of Missouri who obtained a certificate as an ASTAR Science and Technology Fellow in 2009. Judge Torrence was also elected by his fellow Circuit Judges across the State of Missouri and served as President of the Missouri Circuit Judges Association in 2013 and 2014. In 2016, Legal Aid of Western Missouri honored Judge Torrence with the H. Michael Coburn Community Service Award in recognition of his contribution to the safety and protection of children in Jackson County, Missouri. John was unanimously elected by his colleagues in the 16th Circuit to serve as their Presiding Judge in 2017 and 2018.
Judge Torrence graduated cum laude from St. Louis University with a B.A in History in 1979 and obtained his J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law in 1982. Following six years as an attorney in the Public Defender’s Office in Kansas City, John was engaged in general trial practice before taking the bench in 2001.
Judge Torrence returns to general trial practice and will also be available for work as a mediator, arbitrator, and special master.