UPDATE: Nearly all courts, law firms reopen

Updated Thursday at 10:15 a.m.

Nearly all courts and law firms in the state that were reported as closed over the last two days are open for regular business hours today.

The circuit courts in the city of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Greene County and Jackson County have reopened. So has the federal district court in St. Louis.

In central Missouri, the 13th Judicial Circuit, which encompasses Boone and Callaway counties, is open. Yesterday, spokeswoman Mary Epping recommended that people call the clerk’s office at 573-886-4000 to verify that their matter is still on the docket.

Only Jasper County Circuit Court, which has courthouses in Joplin and Carthage, remains listed as closed on the Missouri Courts’ website.

Bryan Cave’s St. Louis and Kansas City offices, Husch Blackwell’s St. Louis and Kansas City offices, Shook, Hardy & Bacon in Kansas City, Thompson Coburn’s St. Louis office and Polsinelli Shughart in Kansas City are open today. All five reported partial or full-day closings Tuesday.

Missouri Chief Justice William Ray Price Jr.’s annual address to the state Legislature was scheduled for Wednesday, but was postponed due to the ice and snow blasting the state. The speech is expected to be rescheduled, but a new time hasn’t been set yet.

The state House and Senate met briefly Tuesday and then adjourned until next week.

Dan Willis navigates a snowy sidewalk behind the Jackson County Courthouse during a snowstorm on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011. Photo by Scott Lauck.