Jefferson City – The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations announced in December the selection of fourteen administrative law judges to serve within the Division of Workers’ Compensation.  The administrative law judges are responsible for adjudicating and resolving disputes relating to workers’ compensation injuries.   

Administrative Law Judges

Suzette Carlisle, St. Louis, is a legal advisor for the Division of Workers’ Compensation.  Carlisle holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a juris doctorate from the St. Louis University.  Carlisle has over seven years experience in workers’ compensation cases.

Karen Fisher, Saginaw, serves as a legal advisor for the Division of Workers’ Compensation in Joplin.  Fisher earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia.  Fisher has 15 years experience in workers’ compensation cases. 

Grant C. Gorman, St. Charles, is an associate prosecuting attorney with the St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.  Gorman holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.  Gorman has over 12 years experience practicing law, seven of which included participation in workers’ compensation hearings.

Ronald F. Harris, Jefferson City, serves as a legal advisor for the Division of Workers’ Compensation.  Harris earned an associate’s degree in accounting from State Fair Community College in Sedalia, a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri - Kansas City.  Harris has over 17 years experience in workers’ compensation cases.

Kathleen M. Hart, St. Louis, currently serves as a legal advisor for the Division of Workers’ Compensation in St. Louis.  Hart holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a juris doctorate from St. Louis University.  Hart has over 15 years of experience in workers’ compensation cases.

John K. Ottenad, Manchester, is an associate attorney with Lemp & Anthony in St. Louis.  Ottenad earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science and a juris doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis.  Ottenad has ten years experience practicing in workers’ compensation cases and spent four years defending the Second Injury Fund while working with the Missouri Attorney General’s office. 

Lawrence C. Kasten, Cape Girardeau, is legal advisor for the Division of Workers’ Compensation.  Kasten earned a bachelor’s degree in history and speech communications from the University of Alabama and a juris doctorate from the Samford University in Alabama.  Kasten has over 15 years of experience in workers’ compensation cases.

Victorine R. Mahon, Jefferson City, is an assistant attorney general with the Office of Attorney General.  Mahon holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Wichita State University and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia.  Mahon served as Chief Legal Advisor for the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission for over 14 years.  During this time, Mahon reviewed and drafted workers’ compensation awards.

Robert B. Miner, St. Joseph, is shareholder/director of Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, P.C. in St. Joseph.  Miner holds a bachelor’s degree and juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia.  Miner has practiced law for over thirty years and has extensive experience in workers’ compensation cases.

Gary L. Robbins, Jackson, is a legal advisor for the Division of Workers’ Compensation in Cape Girardeau.  Robbins holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Northeast Missouri State Teacher’s College (now Truman State University) in Kirksville and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia.  Robbins has over nine years of experience in workers’ compensation cases and served in the United States Army as a Captain in the Judge Advocate General Corps for four years.

Vicky Ruth, Jefferson City, is a senior regulatory law judge with the Missouri Public Service Commission.  Ruth holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia.  Ruth has practiced law for 13 years and has seven years of administrative hearing experience with the Missouri Public Service Commission.  

Carl W. Strange, Ironton, is a part-time prosecuting attorney of Iron County and has a private practice in Ironton.  Strange earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia.  Strange has practiced law for six years and serves in the Missouri Army National Guard.

L. Timothy Wilson, Nixa, is a legal advisor with the Division of Workers’ Compensation in Springfield.  Wilson holds a bachelor’s degree in history and government from Evangel College in Springfield and a juris doctorate from George Mason University in Virginia.  Wilson has over 13 years experience in workers’ compensation cases.

David L. Zerrer, Springfield, currently serves as legal advisor with the Division of Workers’ Compensation.  Zerrer earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia.  Zerrer has practiced law for over 30 years, which includes experience in workers’ compensation cases.  He has five years of experience with the Division of Workers’ Compensation and served in the Missouri National Guard for six years.

The selected candidates, with the exception of Carlisle and Hart, assumed their administrative law judge duties on January 1, 2006.  The appointments of Suzette Carlisle and Kathleen Hart were effective immediately. 

The Division of Workers’ Compensation has eight adjudication offices throughout the state.  The number of administrative law judges varies per office, based on workload.  The following chart indicates the number of administrative law judges for each office. 

Kenneth Cain, Leslie Brown, Jack Knowlan, Nelson Allen and Edwin Kohner will continue to serve as Chief Administrative Law Judges in their current adjudication offices.  Hannelore Fischer, Victorine Mahon and Tim Wilson will serve as Chief Administrative Law Judges in Jefferson City, Springfield and Joplin, respectively.