LAW ENFORCEMENT & PROSECUTORIAL EXPERIENCE

14th and 15th Judicial District Courts of Montana | Senior Law Clerk | June 2021 – Present

Professional legal research and legal writing for the Hon. Adam M. Larsen and Hon. Benjamin J. Fosland, previously for the Hon. Randal Spaulding and Hon. David Cybulski before their retirements

• Civil Cases (DV Cases):  Serving as a principal legal advisor to the District Court Judge, managing a demanding and highly diverse civil docket. Responsible for the comprehensive legal research, analysis, and drafting of orders and opinions across a wide array of high-stakes disputes, including land use and zoning challenges, personal injury/medical malpractice claims, breach of contract claims, liability torts, and land ownership conflicts. These matters routinely presented fact-intensive records, requiring the meticulous review of voluminous discovery, complex financial/scientific data, engineering reports, and conflicting expert testimony. By translating dense factual records and intricate statutory frameworks into clear, legally sound judicial opinions, directly supported the Court in delivering fair, timely, and precise administration of justice. 
• Criminal Prosecution (DC Cases):  Conducted comprehensive analysis and annotation of statutory law, state precedents, and dense evidentiary records concerning complex felony offenses. Evaluated high-stakes criminal matters and drafted proposed Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Orders that directly shaped the court's rulings on critical constitutional and procedural issues. This work required rigorous evaluation of motions to suppress evidence, motions to dismiss, motions in limine, search warrant sufficiency, and appellate challenges. By translating intricate constitutional arguments and fact-intensive records into legally sound orders, ensured the Court's rulings were fair, precise, and resilient against appeal. 
• Mental Health Commitments (DI Cases):  Analyzed emergency petitions, restricted medical evaluations, and confidential health records concerning involuntary commitments for serious mental illness or substance use disorders. Drafted Court Orders within strictly sealed proceedings, meticulously balancing public safety with statutory due process and targeted mental health interventions. Ensured absolute adherence to Montana’s rigorous confidentiality laws  while supporting the Court in handling these deeply personal matters. 
• Child Abuse & Neglect (DN Cases):  Reviewed extensive, highly confidential Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) records, emergency removal petitions, and guardian ad litem reports. Compiled specialized legal references and synthesized complex, emotionally charged factual records to draft Court Orders. These orders required navigating intricate statutory frameworks and constitutional parental rights while prioritizing child safety, family stabilization, and timely permanency planning. 
• Youth Court System (DJ Cases):  Evaluated juvenile delinquency filings, formal petitions, and consent decrees governed by the Montana Youth Court Act. Conducted rigorous case reviews to draft judicial Orders. Researched complex statutory alternatives to adult prosecution, ensuring that consent decrees and dispositional orders successfully integrated rehabilitative mandates and victim restitution while upholding the safety and security of the public.  
• Trial Courtroom Operations:  Managed in-Court logistics during high-profile felony and civil trials, serving as a vital link between the bench, the jury, and counsel. Attended Court sessions to evaluate live testimony, record critical case metrics, and manage the official record. Partnered directly with the presiding Judge to review, refine, and compile legally precise jury instructions that accurately reflected Montana law. Assisted with juror check-ins, administered the jury panel, and served as Bailiff to safeguard jury integrity. Proactively managed and troubleshot courtroom technology, to insure uninterrupted administration of justice and a clean record of Court proceedings. 

7th Judicial District Court of Montana | Senior Law Clerk | October 2016 – May 2021

Professional legal research and courtroom administration for the Hon. Olivia Rieger, previously for the Hon. Richard Simonton before his retirement

• Diversified Courtroom Leadership: Demonstrated exceptional adaptability and systemic operational knowledge by stepping forward to fill critical staffing vacancies across the Judicial District. In addition to primary law clerk duties, directly assumed the responsibilities of Court Reporter, Judicial Assistant, and Bailiff, ensuring uninterrupted court operations during administrative crises. Acted as Judge for the 7th Judicial Treatment Court program, maintaining the integrity of specialized therapeutic dockets and safeguarding public resources through seamless cross-training and hands-on leadership. 
• Docket & Calendar Management:  Optimized complex, high-volume court calendars by coordinating directly with regional law enforcement, county executives, and defense and prosecuting attorneys. Streamlined scheduling logistics to eliminate procedural bottlenecks, minimize unnecessary inmate transport, and significantly reduce witness wait times. This proactive administrative oversight directly maximized courtroom efficiency and protected taxpayer funds by reducing county jail and operational overhead. 
• Inter-Agency Collaboration:  Cultivated and maintained highly effective, collaborative working relationships across the entire spectrum of the justice system, including the Office of State Public Defender (OPD), County Attorneys, Clerks of Court, Youth Probation, and Probation and Parole. Leveraged these partnerships to facilitate open communication, resolve systemic administrative friction, and ensure that all court proceedings were conducted with absolute fairness, efficiency, and mutual respect. 

 Tranquil Trails Legal, PLLC | Solo Attorney | March 2024 – Present

• Family-Focused Advocacy:  Represented clients through high-stress domestic relations disputes, focusing on crafting mutual parenting plans and promoting peaceful dissolutions that protect the safety and well-being of children. Developed comprehensive estate plans, including wills and powers of attorney, to secure long-term family stability and protect personal assets. Actively expanded access to justice by designing and conducting specialized mediations for self-represented (pro se) litigants of limited financial resources, providing vital legal navigation to underserved members of the community during complex court proceedings. 
• Mediation & Dispute Resolution:  Leveraged specialized training as a Certified Mediator to de-escalate volatile, highly emotional disputes—a crisis-intervention skill directly transferable to navigating contentious public contract negotiations and county property disputes. Experienced in driving opposing parties toward lawful, structured consensus, ensuring that high-stakes disagreements are resolved efficiently outside of costly, protracted court battles. 
• Office & Budgetary Administration:  Oversee all daily operations, regulatory compliance, and fiscal management of a private legal practice. Manage operational overhead, client trust accounts, and long-term financial planning, demonstrating the strict fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability required to oversee a taxpayer-funded County Attorney budget. 

Rural Legal Access Advocacy & Pro Bono Service

• Court Help Connect Workstation Initiative: Successfully advocated to bring a Court Help Connect Workstation to Glendive, directly bridging critical gaps in access to justice by providing rural Dawson County residents with essential legal resources, forms, and navigation support.
• Pro Bono Representation & Document Review: Donated legal services to represent low-income families navigating complex legal hurdles, and volunteered time to review drafted documents for self-represented litigants of limited means to ensure equal access to the Court system.
• Volunteer Family Mediation: Served as a neutral mediator to resolve high-conflict family law cases for litigants of limited financial resources, driving out-of-Court resolutions that minimize trauma for children and conserve scarce judicial resources.
• Pro Bono Language Interpreter: Provided vital interpreter services as needed for law enforcement agencies, District Court Judges, and local attorneys, ensuring clear communication and protecting constitutional rights during critical legal proceedings.

Juvenile Justice & Youth Mentorship

• Juvenile Community Service Oversight: Supervised and oversaw juvenile community service initiatives across Dawson County, directing youth toward local infrastructure and community improvement projects to facilitate balanced accountability and active rehabilitation.
• Volunteer Judge | Dawson High School Speech & Debate: Served as a tournament judge, evaluating student presentations, analyzing complex debate arguments, and mentoring local youth on public advocacy and critical thinking.

Fiscal Responsibility, Governance, & Campaign Leadership

• Campaign Treasurer | Brad Mitchell for Dawson County Commissioner: Managed financial compliance, tracked donations, and executed strict regulatory reporting for a successful county commissioner campaign, ensuring absolute transparency.
• HOA President & Financial Restructuring | Hallmark Townhouses: Volunteered to run the HOA, stepping in to completely restructure, organize, and manage the organization’s financials to guarantee transparent, balanced spending. Modernized neighborhood infrastructure by independently building and launching the community website.

Civic Engagement & Community Support

• Laramie Soup Kitchen Assistant: Supported community food security initiatives during law school by preparing and serving meals to underserved populations.
• County Christmas Committee Volunteer: Contributed to local civic life by volunteering to decorate and coordinate logistics for the annual County Christmas celebration.

Bilingual Law Enforcement Collaboration & Investigative Support

• On-Call Legal Interpretation: Fluent in Spanish; routinely provide trusted, rapid-response interpretation and translation services for regional law enforcement agencies and investigating officers. Ensure absolute accuracy in the acquisition of witness and suspect statements, protecting constitutional due process and securing airtight evidence collection during critical criminal investigations.

Advanced Legal Technology & Docket Architecture

• Court Systems Expertise: Maintain expert-level proficiency in advanced legal research platforms (Westlaw and LexisNexis), Montana FullCourt Enterprise (FCE), and the State's District Court E-filing portal. Highly skilled in operating advanced electronic recording equipment to seamlessly record, log, and transcribe high-stakes trial court proceedings without administrative delay.

Professional Dispute Resolution Credential

• Certified Mediator: Completed intensive, 40-hour professional training through Mediate University (2023), specializing in multi-party dispute resolution, strategic de-escalation, and structured consensus-building in highly adversarial environments.

• University of Wyoming College of Law | Laramie, WY

                   Juris Doctor (J.D.), May 2016

• Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL

                    Bachelor of Science in Social Science, August 2012

• Family Life: Happily married to husband Kelly, and proud parent to 4-year-old Maria. As a family, we love Montana’s outdoor lifestyle, spending our free time camping, biking, and taking road trips across Montana and beyond.
• Our Household: We have three dogs: Beau, Beans, and Brownie, plus our cat, Tiny Dancer.
• Hobbies: I have tried all kinds of crafts but I am really into gem faceting, as well as knitting, coloring, watercolor painting, and diamond dotting.
• Interests: Fan of investigative and medical dramas, including The First 48 and ER. 
• Weird Fact: I love playing Bingo and board games. I do not have a Facebook page.