About Michael Tripp

Professor Tripp teaches first-year legal writing courses. He joined the faculty at Mizzou Law in Fall 2024, after teaching first-year legal writing courses at Campbell Law School in Raleigh, North Carolina, and at UMKC School of Law.

Before Professor Tripp began teaching, he was a partner at Smith Lewis, LLP, in Columbia, Missouri, where he practiced as a civil litigation attorney for over twenty years. His areas of practice included employment law, public utility law, and medical malpractice defense. He also served as General Counsel for MFA Oil Company in Columbia. Prior to joining Smith Lewis, he practiced at Lathrop & Gage in Kansas City and at the Strong Law Firm in Springfield, Missouri.

He is an active member of the Missouri Bar and is admitted to practice in the State of Kansas and before the United States Supreme Court.

Professor Tripp’s undergraduate degree from Truman State is in Mass Communications and English. During law school, he was a member of law review and a teaching assistant in the legal writing program. He was awarded the Terry Thomas Trial Practice Achievement Award, membership in the Bench and Robe Honor Society, and competed in the ATLA Trial Competition and Saul Lefkowitz National Moot Court Competition.

Educational Background

• BSE, Truman State University
• JD, University of Missouri-Kansas City