Missouri Lawyers Awards 2026: Wensdai Ellen Brooks

Assistant Attorney General
Missouri Attorney General’s Office
Jefferson City

Wensdai Brooks graduated from the University of Missouri School of Law in 2023 and joined the Missouri Attorney General’s Office as an Assistant Attorney General. Brooks has served with the office for two years, focusing on criminal appeals and extraditions.

In her criminal appeals work, she defends felony convictions obtained by the state’s 114 county prosecuting attorneys and the St. Louis City circuit attorney, representing Missouri in appellate courts for felony appeals, postconviction appeals and cases involving sexually violent predator commitments. Brooks also processes extradition requests, facilitates communication between governors and county prosecutors, reviews requisition applications, and trains prosecutors on statutory requirements.

In 2025, she represented Missouri in the Supreme Court of Missouri and won the case. Brooks said that representing the state in its highest court as a young, first-generation attorney brought her immeasurable pride. She serves as a mentor through Dear Future Colleague, an organization connecting underrepresented graduate students to mentorship and resources.