Alum David Roither serves as a judge on Missouri’s 22nd Judicial Circuit. Then-Gov. Mike Parson appointed him to his position in 2024. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)

Hometown: St. Louis

Degree: BA in political science and philosophy, 1996

Current Position: Circuit judge, Missouri’s 22nd Judicial Circuit

Fun Fact: Roither, a three-time All-American swimmer, was inducted into the UMSL Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

David Roither has carved a fairly straight path throughout his 25-year legal career, from law school to an associate position with a small boutique firm, then building his own practice in family and juvenile law and earning an appointment as an associate circuit judge. It culminated last spring when he stood in a courtroom in downtown St. Louis to be sworn in as a circuit judge in Missouri’s 22nd Judicial Circuit. Then-Gov. Mike Parson appointed him to the post.

“I take it as recognition, not just by the governor’s office, but by the local bar and my colleagues that know me and support me, that I’ve done a good job,” Roither says.

His work has changed a lot with his new title. Rather than overseeing a docket with as many as 300 cases, that number has been reduced to perhaps as few as 10 at a given time. But each case is higher profile and with greater stakes. He’s traded out misdemeanor assaults for murders, name changes for divorce proceedings, and landlord tenant disputes for large-scale civil cases. Roither, who has been excited by the switch, can trace a direct line from where he is now back to his time at UMSL.

“I can’t stress enough that I would not be the human I am, I would not be the professional I am today, without my 5½ years at UMSL,” Roither says. “It was bar none the most impactful experience of my life and really set the tone for so many different dynamics.”

He was looking for direction when he transferred to UMSL after his first college semester. He resumed competitive swimming after the move and quickly developed into an All-American in then-Coach Mary Liston’s program.

The structure that comes with competing in college athletics served him well as he immersed himself in his studies, majoring in political science and philosophy while a member of the Pierre Laclede Honors College. He also was active on campus, serving as vice president of the Student Government Association.

He was considering pursuing a PhD in political science, but then-Assistant Professor Calvin Mouw convinced him to apply to law school. After extending his time at UMSL an extra year to participate in a study abroad program in Debrecen, Hungary, he enrolled at Saint Louis University to begin his legal training.

Roither demonstrated the skills of a natural litigator while in law school. That has served him well in his career as he founded and built the firm Medler & Roither beginning in 2005 and continuing to his appointment as associate judge in 2018. He’s stayed connected to UMSL, including a stint on the board of the Alumni Association. Last year, he joined the Honors College Leadership Council.

“I will be a champion of UMSL,” Roither says, “until my last breath.”

This story was originally published in the spring 2025 issue of UMSL Magazine. If you have a story idea for UMSL Magazine, email magazine@umsl.edu.