Values: Because my practice focuses on family law, I strive for zealous client advocacy (while maintaining integrity and honesty) in the present moment, but also trying to help advocate for what is in the client’s best interest five, 10, or 20 years down the road (even if in the present moment they are not concerned about anything but the fight in front of them).

Advice: I would have told myself to take business courses in my undergraduate years to help prepare me for the challenges of running and managing a law firm in my late 20s. I would also have said that it turns out law review and my class ranking were not nearly as important as learning the skill of the day-to-day practice of law and managing client expectations.

Tyler was born in Boise, Idaho: graduated from Middleton High School in 2001; graduated from the University of Idaho with a B.S. in 2005; graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law with a J.D. in 2007; was a member of the Idaho Law Review; was admitted to the Idaho State Bar and U.S. District Court in 2008; and clerked for the Honorable Thomas J. Ryan, 2008-2009. He is the current President of the Third District Bar, current past chair of the Family Law Section of the Idaho State Bar, and a graduate of the Idaho Academy of Leadership for Lawyers.

Tyler lives in Eagle with his wife, Jennifer, and his blended family that includes five children. He exclusively practices in the area of family law.

Values: Honesty and integrity are easy buzzwords to cite when asked about values, but the key is in demonstrating those values through your actions and your interactions with others. My career has been in public service, and those values are critical in how you treat your co-workers and the public to gain their respect and willingness to listen and understand you. In public service if we can be honest with people, empathize with their situation, and work to provide the best answer that we can, and do what we say we will do then we have done the job that we are expected to do. When a member of the public says to me that ‘I pay your salary!’ I agree, and I never forget that they do. Everyone deserves to be heard and be given the straight and honest answer to their concerns, even when they don’t want to hear it.

Advice: Satisfaction and success will come more from the relationships and connections that you build and cultivate than just winning and losing. Creating a work-life balance and creating a positive culture with your team will bring greater accomplishment than any monetary measure. I have been fortunate to work with many smart people, and I have learned from all of them. I have worked for good bosses and “not so good” bosses, and learned from all of them. I have had people work with and for me for decades because of those connections. I would tell the younger me that I have never been disappointed by treating people with respect and simply making people feel valued and appreciated. I was fortunate to go to school and graduate with an incredible class of people that I still call my friends and maintaining that connection with people for over 40 years has never let me down. That desire to connect with others has sustained me throughout my career. It is the reason for public service.

William received his undergraduate degree from the College of Idaho in 1982 and went to the University of Idaho College of Law in 1985. He was admitted to the bar in 1985 and began with a small law firm in Meridian, Ambrose, Fitzgerald, and Crookston, and served primarily as the City Prosecutor for Meridian until 1989. In 1989, he moved to the City of Boise as a prosecutor and stayed there until 2004. In that time, he served as a criminal prosecutor, Prosecution Unit Supervisor, Senior Criminal Deputy City Attorney, Police Attorney, and Senior Civil Deputy City Attorney. William was the primary attorney at various times for the Boise Police Department, Human Resources, the Boise Airport, Planning and Zoning, and the Parks Department.

William also served as a Planning and Zoning Commissioner for the City of Meridian from 2000-2001 and then was elected to the Meridian City Council in 2001 for a four-year term. After serving nearly three years of the term, he stepped down to accept the appointment as City Attorney and Human Resources Director for the City of Meridian in 2004. In that time, he also was the Director of the IT Department for about six years. In that time, William has served as President of the Idaho Municipal Attorney’s Association (IMA) and has been recognized by IMA’s Dale Storer Professionalism Award (2017) and the Will Herrington Career of Service Award (2024), as well as the Idaho Business Review Leaders in Law award (2015).

Values: Be humble and be inquisitive. If you only learn one new thing on a given day, it has been a good day. Treat everyone you meet with kindness and respect whether friend or foe.

Advice: There are really only three things you can control in life: how hard you work; how you treat others; and your own attitude. Even when you have mastered those three concepts, you are only halfway there since the only constant in life is it is always evolving and change is the only true constant. Work hard, have fun, and continue to learn.

After serving in the Gulf War in 1991 with Delta Company, 2nd Recon Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd MEF, Richard entered Law School and graduated from U of I College of Law in the Spring of 1994. He finished his service with the USMC at the same time that he graduated. Upon graduation, he and his wife, Diane, moved to Pocatello, and he clerked for the Hon. Peter D. McDermott. Richard served as a Bannock County Deputy Prosecutor and was part of the team which prosecuted Ligertown. In 2001, he moved to the City of Pocatello and has served as a Deputy City Attorney ever since, doing an eclectic variety of municipal matters and criminal cases.

During his time in Pocatello he has served as an officer of the Sixth District Bar Association, as well as a member of the Bannock County Veteran’s Treatment Court. He has also helped start up (with assistance and guidance from Judge Rick Carnaroli) a Veterans Legal Aid Clinic in conjunction with Idaho State University, Bannock County Veteran Services, and the VA. He has also been honored by the Bar with the Outstanding Service Award in 2016. Richard is also a member of the Fifth District Football Association and will be entering his 31st year as a High School Football Official.

In their spare time, he and Diane enjoy gardening and one of the best times of the year is harvest and canning season. They have four adult children and their black cat, Nyghtshade.

Eric Barzee passed away unexpectedly on December 18, 2025. He was nominated for this award by his colleagues and friends in the legal department at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

Values: The ideals and values that guided Eric’s professional life were rooted in service, dedication, sincerity, and meaningful connection with others. He was driven and competitive, yet remained warm, approachable, and genuine because he deeply valued relationships. He enjoyed creating opportunities to bring people together. He made a point to notice people, believe in them, and encourage them with openness and generosity. Eric approached his work and leadership with honesty, compassion, and a true heart for serving others.

Advice: Don’t take yourself too seriously. Work hard and be prepared but keep perspective. A sense of humor will carry you through long hours and stressful negotiations far better than constant criticism.

Make time for family and the people you care about while you’re building your career—not after things calm down, because they rarely do. Work will always be there. Kids grow up, parents get older, and friendships drift if you neglect them. Some of the most meaningful moments in life happen in the ordinary evenings, spontaneous get-togethers, and showing up consistently for the people who matter.

And finally, invest in relationships everywhere you go. Don’t network just to get ahead; genuinely get to know people. Be curious about them. Help others when there’s nothing in it for you. Your reputation will travel farther than your résumé ever will.

Over time, Eric realized that a good career was not just about achievements. It was about building a life that he actually enjoyed living, alongside people he respected and cared about.

Eric Barzee grew up in Rexburg, Idaho. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from Brigham Young University in 1996. Then Eric attended J. Reuben Clark Law School, where he graduated cum laude with his Juris Doctor in 1999. That same year, he was admitted to the Utah State Bar, followed by admission to the United States Patent Bar in 2000 and the Idaho State Bar in 2005.

Following law school, Eric began his legal career with Madson and Metcalf, an intellectual property law firm in Salt Lake City, where he practiced from 1999 to 2002. He then joined Corixa Corporation, a biotechnology company in Seattle, from 2002 to 2003. Returning to Idaho Falls, Eric worked with Moffatt Thomas from 2003 to 2005 before accepting a position as Patent Counsel for Battelle Energy Alliance at the Idaho National Laboratory in 2005.

In May 2016, Eric was promoted to Chief Intellectual Property Counsel, a role he faithfully served in until the time of his passing. Throughout his career, Eric was respected not only for his intelligence and professional accomplishments, but also for his dedication to his family, his integrity, and the lasting impact he made on those who knew and worked with him. He is survived by his wife, NiCole, and six children: Abby, James, Jessica, Alex, Ethan, and Evan.