About Joel Poole

Joel is currently Of Counsel with TGH Litigation in Columbia.  He spent 40 years as a trial attorney before transitioning into a mediation and dispute resolution practice in 2025.  Prior to his current position with TGH, Joel served from 2017 to 2025 as a Sr. Attorney in the Office of the General Counsel for the University of Missouri System, handling litigation matters and investigations for all four campuses in the University System.  Before joining the General Counsel’s Office, Joel served as Chief Counsel for the Litigation Div. in Attorney General Chris Koster’s administration, from 2009 till 2017.  Before that, Joel worked as a trial attorney in private practice in both Kansas City and St. Louis. He estimates that over his career he has tried close to 50 jury trials.

Joel is currently an Adjunct Professor of Trial Practice at Mizzou Law. He previously served as an Adjunct in Trial Advocacy at St. Louis University and taught Lawyering Skills at UMKC School of Law.  His dedication to mentoring newer members of the profession was recognized in 2012, when he was honored to receive the first Mentor of the Year award by Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly.  

Educational Background

• B.S. University of Central Missouri
• J.D. University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law