These acknowledgments honor members of the Idaho State Bar who have been admitted for 65, 60, and 50 years. Thank you to all who submitted material to be included in this portion of our awards.

65 Years of Admission

Robert Youngstrom

Robert Youngstrom was raised in Boise and attended Boise High School and the University of Idaho where he received his law degree. His first job after admission to the Idaho State Bar was with the office of the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney as a deputy. There he learned from prosecutors Bill Roden, Eugene Smith, Martin Huff, and Wayne Kidwell.

After several years with Ada County, he became legal counsel for what was then the Idaho Department of Employment, dealing with administrative matters and unemployment insurance eligibility issues. After a little over a year, he accepted a position with the Industrial Accident Board, later renamed the Industrial Commission, as Referee. There he conducted hearings and prepared decisions on workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance claim appeals for the commission.

In retirement, Robert has enjoyed maintaining a large yard and visiting with family members in California.

60 Years of Admission

John H. Bradbury

John Bradbury graduated from the University of Michigan Law School. He lives in Lewiston, Idaho.

Michael H. Felton

Michael Felton’s dream of one day becoming an attorney began at an early age. This was undoubtedly based upon growing up in a household where his father, Tom, was an attorney and later in his career a District Judge. He watched his father work long hours, express a desire to represent his clients in an ethical manner, and cultivate trustworthy relationships with other attorneys. Michael could think of no better way to live his life than what he saw his father doing. He went to the University of Idaho to get his degree in accounting and then to the University of Idaho College of Law.

Thanks to Bill Hart, Michael decided to travel to southern Idaho to interview for a job and it didn’t take long to decide where he wanted to be. Throughout the next 23 years the partnership changed and grew. The firm’s focus became personal injury and medical malpractice litigation. He found himself better suited to the family practice areas of law, so this change of focus eventually led to becoming a sole practitioner. This turned out to be the best thing that could have ever happened.

Barely out of law school, he was elected to a two-year term as Twin Falls County Prosecuting attorney. The Fifth District Bar Association selected him for the 2021 Professionalism Award. These honors have brought a feeling of deep appreciation for the many people who touched his life and helped him achieve his boyhood dreams.

In the 37 years since, he has had the unique experience of guiding the direction of his own practice. Best of all, he had the rare and wonderful opportunity to practice law with his son, Mike Jr., who also a graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law in 1990. Mike’s main office is in Twin Falls now, but he still checks in at the Buhl office.

Michael has been married to his Gamma Phi sweetheart and companion through law school, Judy for 63 years. They are extremely proud of their son, Mike, and his wife Brenda. They are also blessed and equally proud of their daughter, Heather and her husband, Kurt, who have brought adventure and travel to foreign lands and their youngest daughter, Donna, who has proven that a successful professional career can be combined with teaching fitness classes. Their family has expanded to include grandchildren, Cooper, Morgan, Amanda, and Mateo. Michael and hope they will be as happy in their lives as they have been in theirs. The huge part of that has been 60 years of law.

Thomas Frost

In the summer of 1965, Tom and his family left Kansas for Boise shortly after graduation from Washburn University Law School and completing the Kansas State Bar exam. Later that year he passed the Idaho Bar exam. Thanks in part to Professor George Ball at the University of Idaho College of Law.

He operated a private office for a period, but his most satisfying professional efforts were in the public sector. This service included the Idaho Attorney General’s office as chief Deputy, appointment as assistant U.S. Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, and service as Legal Counsel for the Idaho Supreme Court. He also received a judicial appointment as a special prosecutor in a first-degree homicide case.

His personal enjoyment and gratifying moments over the years surrounded the beautiful outdoors that Idaho has to offer and watching his four sons, grandchildren, and great grandchildren participate in sports and school activities. Today, he is content to watch the local tom cat chase squirrels.

John Runft

John Runft graduated from the University of Chicago Law School. John and his wife, Enid, live in Boise.

Hon. Gerald Schroeder

Hon. Gerald Schroeder is a graduate of Harvard Law School. He served as a Magistrate Judge in Ada County from 1971-1975 and as a District Judge from 1975-1995. He was appointed to the Idaho Supreme Court in 1995 and served as Chief Justice from 2004-2007. He lives in Boise.

William Boyd

William Boyd graduated from Boise High School, got his B.S. from Oregon State University (“OSU”) in forest management and attended law school at the University of Idaho College of Law—the degree awarded at the time was LLB. He was a distance runner in high school and college. He ran cross in the fall and two miles on the track in the spring. At OSU, he was a member of an NCAA Championship cross-country team. The discipline required for running and for schoolwork helped him in the legal profession.

His legal career began in 1965 with Brown, Peacock and Keane in Kellogg. The firm was engaged in the general practice of law with an emphasis on mining issues. His work included insurance defense, real estate and business transactions. They represented municipal corporate and publicly held companies which brought numerous kinds of issues to the office.

Upon the passage of the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act in 1971, mining company clients were faced with environmental compliance. He became involved in issues connected with promulgation of regulations for the control of air and water pollution. There were court contests of the rules as well as trial in court and administrative proceedings related to alleged violation of rules and regulations. Enactment of Super Fund followed. Clients were in state and federal suits involving violation of the act.

One of his favorite cases was a jury trial in state court in Wallace involving determination of the ordinary high-water mark of Coeur d’Alene lake, this was necessary to establish the boundary line between private and public property. His clients were landowners adjacent to the St. Joe and Coeur d’Alene rivers upstream from the dam. The defendant was Washington Water Power. The basis of the complaint was the dam at Post Falls operated by the power company caused flooding of plaintiffs’ land. Their client argued this was a trespass. The jury determined the power company was liable. With that the plaintiff’s claims were settled.

Establishing a solid professional relationship between him and lawyers and judges were an important part of his practice of law. He believes that it is necessary to be able to speak civilly with opposing counsel about issues arising in any case, discovery, motions, scheduling, settlement, whatever. Civility enables opposing counsels to get their job done and look good in the eyes of their clients. Complying with court-imposed timelines is imperative. He was pleased to be recognized with the First District Professionalism Award in 2013.

William is in Coeur d’Alene now. His family consists of his wife Joan who recently passed away, and two daughters Dana and Corey and their husbands and two daughters each. He enjoys duck hunting in the fall and until age stopped him, backpacking in the summer. He has owned his lake cabin for over 55 years. It is a fun and quiet place to visit in the warm weather. William ended his career giving legal advice about five years ago.

William D. Collins

Bill Collins was born in Idaho Falls in 1939. His early schooling was in Idaho Falls and Pocatello until his family moved to Boise in December of his senior year. After graduating from Boise High School in 1957 he went to the University of Idaho, thinking he wanted to be a scientist of some form and selected as his major the chemical engineering program. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 1961. At that time those who entered the master’s degree program received a fellowship which paid enough to cover expenses. You simply had to agree to work on a specific research project selected by your major professor and prepare an accompanying thesis. His project was the scale up of a venturi aerator. The project was published in a national journal. Midway through that project he thought maybe he should be a patent attorney. Patent attorneys often benefit from having a science background. He liked the law and had taken as electives some law related courses. But thought that he needed to broaden his academic experience and applied for admission to the Cornell Law School. He was accepted, finished his thesis and completed his oral exams in September of 1962. The next day he caught a plane and registered at the Cornell Law School one week late. He received his master’s degree in chemical engineering in 1963.

Midway through his first year at Cornell, he had a conversation with the dean who asked him where he was going to practice. He responded he was going back to Idaho and was giving up the idea of being a patent attorney. He really did not like leaving Idaho. The dean replied that he knew the dean of the law school at Idaho, Philip Peterson, it was a good school, and if he was going to practice in Idaho he should switch schools. He did that fall and graduated from the University of Idaho Law School in 1965, passed the bar and went to work for Allan Shepard in the Ag’s office primarily assigned to what became the Department of Water Resources supposedly because of his engineering background.

He left the AG’s office in 1970 after five years. He and one other attorney, Howard Manly, entered private practice together working out of Ray Givens’ office. After a year they obtained separate quarters. As a way of covering expenses he became the Boise County Prosecutor in 1970 succeeding Mike Southcombe. The office was considered a part-time position by way of contract with the county commissioners and the court’s appointment on a case by case basis. There were no practicing attorneys living in Boise County. The county had been doing this for several years. As he recalls at that time the last elected person to hold the position was Lou Cosho. This allowed him to continue to maintain a separate civil practice in Boise. By 1975 the amount being paid by the county did not cover the overhead and he resigned. That two person firm eventually became a five person firm known as Collins, Manly and Williams. Mike Williams left the firm to go on the federal bench in 1983. He and Howard Manly continued until 1989 when they went their separate ways. In September of 1989 he joined Larry Westberg and Tom McCabe creating the new firm of Westberg, McCabe & Collins. His son Christian later joined the firm. Tom McCabe left because of illness and retired. Eventually Larry retired and Christian sought work elsewhere, and he continued practicing solo.

He considers his years of practice to be very general doing a little of everything that came in the door which is difficult and inefficient because of the time needed to keep current and the associated expense of being knowledgeable in several fields. There were areas of the law that he wanted to emphasize and did so and areas he elected to avoid. He ceased practice in 2024 after turning 84 going to the senior status not because he wanted to quit but because he did not feel it right to be in the middle of some project and then die leaving the client trying to pick up the pieces. There were two projects he wanted to conclude on which he had been working for many years. He felt he had both to a point where the clients with the aid of an attorney could easily pick up and conclude the work.

He has been married to his wife, Judy, for 58 years. They live in Boise and have two children, a daughter, Jennifer, and their son, Christian with three granddaughters.

Donald J. Eaton

Donald Eaton grey up in Emmett and upon participation for two years in the Emmett High School’s debate program, plus being part of the state-wide Idaho Youth Legislature program, where he was elected Speaker of the House, he knew he wanted to pursue a legal education. Importantly, during his high school years, he met his wife Irene Jayo at a dance at the Boise Basque Center on Christmas night 1953. Their first date was the Sheep Herder’s Ball in Boise two weeks later. They continued dating throughout their respective high school and college years, despite the distances between them and married in November 1959, after their respective college graduations.

He attended Santa Clara University in North California as a pre-law student, continuing debate activities. His debate partner was Jerry Brown, former two term governor of California. At Santa Clara he was elected Student Body President and my Student Body Secretary was Leon Panetta, former CIA Director and U.S. Defense Secretary. Upon graduation he was awarded the Nobili Medal as the most outstanding graduate in the class of 1959. At graduation he also received commission in the U.S. Army as 2nd Lt., U.S. Armor Division.

After military service he returned to Santa Clara University for law school and had experience of serving as the Managing Editor of the Santa Clara Law Review publication. He took the California Bar Exam in 1964 and passed. To relieve the pressure, he returned to Idaho for an elk hunting trip with family. Although he had planned to work in the office of the District Attorney for Santa Clara County, while in Boise, he called upon a long-time family friend, Joe Albertson, and asked if he might be needing another corporate attorney. Joe promptly introduced him to his new company president, Jim Berlin, who offered Donald a position as a real estate attorney specialist who would be responsible for securing new Albertson’s store locations. He moved Boise with his family and took his second bar exam. 23 students took the Bar and 11 passed.

Donald enjoyed making deals for new store location. Many of these are still some of Alberton’s best stores. In 1968 Pay Less offered him the vice-president position of in-house real estate and labor relations which he accepted. In 1974 he was promoted to President & CEO. He worked to expand the brand beyond California to Nevada and Hawaii. Pay Less sold its 83 stores to K-Mart in 1980. At this time Donald went to work for Trus Joist Corp. having been on it’s Board of Directors for several years. He managed it’s Western Division for two years. He later left that company to become CEO for eight separate start-up companies in the San Francisco Bar Area over the ensuing 10-year period. He is now retired!

Donald and Irene have seven children, two boys and five girls. And ten grandchildren.

50 Years of Admission

Josephine P. Beeman

Josephine Beeman came to Idaho in 1975 after graduating from the University of Oregon School of Law and after having married her classmate, Kelly Beeman, the year before. At that time, the Idaho State Bar was located at 2^nd and State Street, in the former home of Kelly’s great-grandfather.

Because of her B.A. and M.S. in biology before law school, Josephine went to work for Boise Cascade. A year later, she joined the Attorney General’s office as legal counsel for the Idaho Department of Water Resources (“IDWR”), undoubtedly the best professional decision she’s ever made. She still loves spending time with the people she met and worked with at IDWR.

After Governor Cecil Andrus became the Secretary of Interior, she got involved with Andrus v. Idaho, U.S. Supreme Court litigation affecting title to 11 million acres of land in the west. She spent the rest of her career in water law. The Snake River Basin Adjudication in Idaho, the single largest civil litigation west of the Mississippi, was a large part of her practice.

In all, her practice took her to 24 of the county courthouses in Idaho. One summer, she helped the Boy Scouts fill the lake at their camp. She also had the privilege of working with all the scientists involved with the modeling of Idaho’s Eastern Snake Plain aquifer, the largest freshwater Aquifer in the world.

She is grateful for the mentorship of attorneys Don Mitchell, Ray Rigby, Herb Rettig, Bill Parsons, John Rosholt, Kent Foster, Hugh O’Riordan, Terry Uhling, Roger Ling, Bill Collins, Jim Gillespie and Larry Westberg, and Terry Crapo and city attorneys like Dean Tranmer (Pocatello) and Don Roberts (Lewiston) who are such a backbone for their municipal clients and really stalwart legal practitioners, especially since cities have to provide water to “all comers.”

Josephine still believes that the study of law enables anyone to be able to open a newspaper, look at any article, and confidently think that they could know exactly what is going on.

Josephine has always told her colleagues and court personnel that she practiced law by leave of her four daughters and now has four grandchildren; two carry the name of her daughter, Katherine, who died in 2011. Katherine’s challenges taught her that even the most difficult problems should be solved.

Henry R. Boomer III

When Henry Boomer reflects on his time as an attorney he is reminded of his childhood. He remembers going to the movie theatre in Parama, Idaho with his friends. One night they saw the film “To Kill a Mockingbird.” It was right then that Henry decided he was going to be a lawyer.

As he grew older, he started to feel conflicted about this choice. Henry had amazing teachers and coaches that made such an impact on him that he thought about the possibility of becoming a teacher. He ultimately decided on pursuing a career in law and if he didn’t like it, he could still become an educator.

Upon graduation from the University of Idaho College of Law and admission to the Idaho State Bar in 1975, Henry and his wife, Deb, moved to Kamiah, Idaho. They made lots of friends, welcomed three fine little baby boys, and eventually became the Idaho County Prosecuting Attorney.

At the urging of American Falls lawyer, Ben Cavaness, Henry and his family moved to Idaho Falls to join his firm and be closer to friends and family. This is where Henry got to scratch his coaching itch as well. He coached little kids’ football and wrestling teams for many years. He even took a few bouts with the high school kids and came away with a broken wrist, broken and dislocated fingers, etc. to show for it. He also taught a high school government class on the basics of the law. His goal was always to “do some good” for the kids.

Late in the year 2000 Henry applied to become the Valley County Magistrate and “against all odds” he got the job. Just a hour before the section interview in Boise, he had learned that his wife, Deb, had been diagnosed with MS. He really had to compartmentalize for the interview. Moving to Cascade and McCall on short notice with a disabled wife wasn’t easy but they got it done. He spent roughly 10 years in this position. He then took an early retirement and came a Senior Magistrate Judge. Henry also worked as  mediator and arbitrator, taking cases all over the state. He eventually retired from law in full when his mother in law and daughter in law both passed away in 2018. In 2022, Henry and Deb sold their home and moved to Missoula, Montana where they now live. They live close to their middle son and his family and they all work together to keep the blended family happy.

During his time in Valley County, Henry was blessed not only to be the local judge, but also to support the local schools, and their programs. In short, he spent over 40 rewarding years in the law, combining it with trying to help kids along the way, just as his teachers, coaches, professors and colleagues helped him so many many many years ago.

Lowell D. Castleton

A native of Malad City, Idaho, Lowell obtained his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University in 1968 and stayed on as the Director of School Relations for BYU for four years. He obtained his J.D. in 1975 from the University of Utah. He then partnered with a close (and subsequent lifelong) friend, J. D. Williams, in Preston, Idaho, forming the Williams & Castleton law firm there.

He served as the Magistrate Judge for Franklin County in the Sixth Judicial District from 1983 to 2003. He exclusively managed the “special calendar” in Bannock County for almost 10 years (adoptions, guardianships, termination of parental rights and other similar matters).

After his retirement in the Sixth District, he was granted Senior Judge status and moved with his wife to Boise after 28 years in Preston. He accepted invitations from Ada County and the Idaho Supreme Court to act as Project Director and Presiding Judge for Idaho’s first domestic violence court, creating a “one family, one judge” structure for those involved in domestic relations cases—the civil protection calendar, criminal, divorce and other matters arising out of domestic violence cases. Idaho now has DV courts in all but one Idaho judicial district.

In addition to his responsibilities in Ada County, Judge Castleton was appointed to be the Director of Judicial Education for the Idaho judiciary. Annual conferences, new judge training and mentorship, and the development of training curriculum and materials were on his agenda as well as “staffing” the Education Committee of the Court, usually chaired by a member of the Supreme Court. This was the culmination of a lifelong dream to be a teacher and educator, like his father and all four of his siblings.

Another assignment from the Supreme Court was to chair and develop statewide Guardianship and Conservatorship Monitoring Programs, along with members of the Court’s committee in this substantive area. He co-authored and developed the Court’s” Prospective Guardian & Conservator Online Training Module,” still in use today. All magistrate courts in Idaho now have Guardianship and Conservatorship Monitoring programs and local staff to assist judges in these areas.

Upon his “second” retirement from the Judiciary in 2011, he continued his legal career with missionary assignments by serving as Associate Legal Counsel for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in both the Asia Area for the Church (21 Asian countries) from 2012 to 2014, and in Europe Area (40 countries) from 2014 to 2016.  He served with his wife Marsha, a retired RN who managed medical and other tasks in multiple countries. They had residences in Hong Kong and Frankfurt, Germany, respectively. He closed real estate transactions for the Church in seven Asian countries and then in Europe managed all immigration matters for the Church throughout Europe, including immigration compliance challenges for the Church and it’s 5,000 missionaries in this Area during the refugee crisis of 2015.

Lowell and his wife, Marsha, returned in 2016 to Utah Valley and currently reside in Mapleton, Utah. They have seven sons and 28 grandchildren. Their eldest son, Trevor (Idaho Falls), has practiced law since 1998 and now focuses solely on mediation. They also have a son, Bruce (Boise), who practices law focusing on labor and employment law. He is a U of I graduate and received his J.D. in 2003 from BYU.

Despite recent health challenges, Lowell is commencing his eighth year as a volunteer at New Hope Academy, a private institution dedicated to students aged 6-18 with behavioral difficulties. He meets individually with selected students twice a week for mentorship and listening. This work draws heavily on his judicial assignments involving families and children in Idaho courts and brings him great satisfaction in helping these young people. He is rewarded with deep friendships and fulfillment from his association with the students—and the faculty and staff—at the Academy.

Mark L. Clark

Mark Clark is a graduate of the University of Idaho College of Law. He and his wife, Sharon Katz, reside in Nampa.

Gary L. Cooper

In 1972, Gary Cooper hadn’t given more than a few minutes thinking about becoming a lawyer. He applied to the University of Idaho College of Law (“U of I”)at the urging of a professor in the political science department at U of I from where he had just graduated. That fall, he joined Ron Kerl, Hank Boomer, Dennis Goff, and many others as they embarked on the adventure to become lawyers.

In 1975, to the surprise of some, they all became members of the Idaho State Bar. Gary joined John Gunn in Caldwell, then moved to Pocatello to work for Lou Racine, Bill Olson and Bob Huntley for the next 23 years. He couldn’t have asked for better mentors. In 1998, Gary’s friend, and brother, Reed Larsen, joined with him to form Cooper & Larsen, where they practiced together for the next 27 years. When Gary wonders where the time went, he is reminded of the lyrics from a Tonya Tucker song: “The days are long, but the years are lightning.”

Along the way, Gary has been supported by his wife of 53 years, Jane, and their three children, Aaron, Pete, and Elizabeth. After nearly 50 years in Pocatello, Jane and Gary moved to Orofino in 2024, where time feels slower and the biggest news is the quality and quantity of the steelhead and salmon runs.

            Gary didn’t originally have plans to become a trial lawyer, but that is what he did for his 50 years as a lawyer. He tried over 80 jury trials and argued more than 40 cases before the Idaho Supreme Court. He didn’t win them all, but thinks he must have done something right since he was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Board of Trial Advocates. In 2020, he was honored to receive the Idaho State Bar Distinguished Lawyer Award. One of the highlights of Gary’s career was serving as a Bar Commissioner from 2021 – 2024 and Bar President from 2023 – 2024. In that role, Gary was privileged to work with the Bar staff, including Diane Minnich, Maureen Braley, Brad Andrews, Joe Pirtle and fellow commissioners Anne-Marie Fulfer, Kurt Holzer, Laird Stone, Kristin Bjorkman, Mary York, Jillian Caires and Bob Jackson.

Richard A. Cummings

Richard Cummings is a graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Law. He and his wife, Roxanne, reside in Boise.

Maurice O. Ellsworth

Maurice Ellsworth graduated from the Sandra Day O’Conner College of Law at Arizona State University in 1975. He took the Idaho Bar and opened a sole practice, Maurice O. Ellsworth, Attorney at Law, Hailey, Idaho, from 1975-76. Maurice was elected Blaine County Prosecuting Attorney in 1976 for a two-year term then was a sole practitioner in Hailey until 1981.

Maurice joined the administration of Ronald Reagan and moved to Washington, D.C.in 1981 as Associate Solicitor for Audit and Investigation at the Department of the Interior, advised the Inspector General of the Department on Audit and Investigative matters for all programs and operations of the Department. These include oil, gas and coal leasing, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Mineral Management Service, Bureau of Reclamation and others. In that capacity drafted and Congress passed Federal Legislation to increase the Inspector General’s investigatory authority for the Territories and Insular Possessions of the United States. Maurice traveled to and met with the presidents and governors of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Palau, Saipan, Guam, the Marshall Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Also traveled to American Samoa to assist in the audit of the Office of the Attorney General of American Samoa and discuss with the Governor. 

In 1985, he was appointed United States Attorney for Idaho by Ronald Reagan and moved to Boise and then re-appointed by George H. W. Bush in 1991, served until 1993.

Maurice worked in private practice with Ellsworth, Ipsen and Perry, in Boise, or various iterations thereof, until 2011 then was general counsel for the Division of Occupational Licenses of the State of Idaho until 2019, when he retired. He is keeping my active membership in the Idaho State Bar, notwithstanding his retirement. Maurice oversees his family’s two farms/ranches in Blaine County, as well as property in Utah.

The love and pride of his life is his wife, Julie, the Idaho State Treasurer, and their three amazing children and four grandchildren.  

Dave R. Gallafent

            Upon graduation from law school at George Washington University, Dave returned to his hometown of Pocatello and began his law career as an associate attorney at Merrill & Merrill, Chartered. After a couple of years, he became a partner in the firm and later the managing partner. Since 2021 Dave changed his status to Of Counsel, continuing his transactional law practice on a part time basis. He is a past president of the 6th District Bar Association and a recipient of the 6th District’s Bar Professionalism Award. Dave noted that he was fortunate to have had excellent mentors in his early years of practice and collegial and talented partners and associates during all his years with the Merrill firm.

Over the years Dave served his community as a member of various service organizations, including leadership roles in the local chapter of the Red Cross, United Way, Idaho State Civic Symphony and his church. He and his wife, Suzanne, have been marriage partners for 53 years and are the parents of two children, Michele and James. Nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren are now included in their family. Dave anticipates retiring at the end of the year to enjoy hiking more trails with Suzanne, seeing more of his children and grandchildren, reading more books, and serving in more ways.

Dennis Gibala

Dennis Gibala went to the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law. Dennis lives in Boise.

Hon. Dennis E. Goff

            Judge Dennis Goff graduated from Payette High School in 1968, College of Idaho in 1972, and the University of Idaho College of Law in 1975. After graduating from law school, Judge Goff had general law practice for a couple of years in Nampa. He handled every type of legal matter that walked through the door including criminal defense. He then became acquainted with Judge Morfitt who hired him as a deputy Canyon County Prosecutor. After a few years Judge Goff was elected as the Canyon County Prosecutor and served two two-year terms.

            In 1982, Judge Goff was successful in a contested election for District Judge taking the bench January 1983. In 2003, Judge Goff retired and with permission of the Idaho Supreme Court started serving as a Senior District Judge. He is still serving as a Senior District Judge.

            Judge Goff feels that he has been blessed to have been surrounded by competent trial lawyers, judicial assistants, court clerks and staff. All these people have contributed to his success in his legal career. Judge Goff decided early on that he wanted to be involved in a legal career to help people. 

Judge Goff’s most notable achievement is his family. He has been married to his high school sweetheart for 56 years. He gives his wife, Cyndie, the credit for putting up with him. He is most proud of his son, daughter, four grandchildren and one great granddaughter.

Bruce H. Greene

For Bruce Green, it is hard to believe that it’s been fifty years! He was admitted in 1975 and practiced mainly in North Idaho in Bonner, Boundary, and Kootenai county. He had a fairy broad practice range but focused more on family law areas, closely followed by criminal defense. As time went on, he also focused on elder law, wills and probate. Most of his career was at trial level, although he did take several cases to the state Supreme Court, and later—once it came into being—the Court of Appeals.

Bruce was involved in several homicide defense cases, as well as dozens of other felony cases throughout his career. He says capital cases suck all the oxygen from the rest of your career and life when properly pursued. Even in later years he’s enjoyed court appearance intense cases, unlike a majority who prefer office practice, mediation, etc.

His career was pent primarily in private practice, although he did have several public criminal defense contracts and represented a few governmental agencies. He started out with his own father and his partner, transitioned subsequently to father and son law practice, then solo after his dads retirement after 50 plus years as an attorney. His father, Raymond Greene, was also written up in The Advocate, then passed away after his long and satisfying career. He misses him still.

Bruce has two children who are pursuing careers of their own. It is his hope to spend more time with them, the grandkids, and even a great grandchild! By the time this gets published, Bruce will be married again, this time to his old college love. They met up a few years ago, and that relationship prompted a new consideration on life and fulltime practice to the almost exclusion of other life activities. Life is much happier now and full of travel, gardening, and volunteer work.

He has a few words for other attorneys, young or old, no matter what state of their career. “The verse Desiderata became well known when I was young and I’ve read and referred to it ever since.  Its wisdom is reflected throughout and sets forth multiple goals and ideals to live by.  Then—some years back—he read a spinoff on Desiderata as it applies to lawyers and how they practice. It was written by a local bar commissioner and published in The Advocate. He thinks it should be republished periodically as it sets forth realistic, commonsense recommendations for all who practice law and who desire to be honorable, successful and content”.

With not much else to say, Bruce likes his closing argument to be short, sweet, and to the point.

Lowell N. Hawkes

            Lowell Hawkes graduated from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law and was an attorney with the Utah State Bar, before becoming and Idaho Bar member. In 1976, he worked at Woodland & Hawkes, Chartered, in Pocatello, then becoming Lowell N. Hawkes, Chartered for several decades.

In association with other firms, Lowell has tried cases and made appearances in state and federal court cases in Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, Hawaii, and New York. Much of his caseload has been personal injury, medical malpractice, business disputes, and representation of sexual abuse victims in civil and criminal cases. Lowell has continued to work mostly pro bono in Idaho and Utah. Ryan Lewis has taken over most of Lowell’s day-to-day practice and has been the best partner and friend a lawyer ever had.

Lowell looks back at all the terrible client injuries and deaths and wrongs that he somewhat lived with clients and their families and reflects that he never had a single client who became a bitter and angry person. They had understandable reasons for their lives to be soured but chose to live life looking forwards. He is proud to have been a lawyer and his life and his family’s life has been blessed by the many unique judges, court staff, and caring professionals that have taught kindness, patience, and a commitment to embracing the good.

Lowell, and his wife, Sue, have eight children and 16 grandchildren, who are spread around the western states. They have two great pups and love their small animals. Sue is active with the quilting community and Lowell has continued running since his friend gave him a lecture in 1978. This summer should be Lowell’s 150^th marathon and he continues to finish first… and last in his age group. He wants to die as healthy as he can!

William L. Herrington

In 2015, Will Herrington received the notice that the Bar would be honoring those who had practiced for 40 years at the Annual Meeting. He thought it would be nice to go and be honored. He went to the meeting and to his surprise, it looked like everyone he took the Bar with in 1975 was still practicing. Will made the commitment to work 50 years to achieve some recognition that day… and he made it. Will congratulates his fellow honorees.

Will often gets calls from former clients asking if he is still working and his response is “Yes, it keeps my brain functioning.” He will probably be working until it stops functioning since he enjoys the work and feels as though it has a positive impact.

Will has a great love for the mountains and lakes of North Idaho. His great-grandfather, Fritz Montandon, came to Idaho in 1881 to homestead in the St. Joe River valley. Both his grandfathers and father were loggers in that area; he is grateful to call Idaho his home.

He attended the University of Oregon for five quarters before being interrupted by the draft board for Vietnam. He had to enter the U.S. Army, and it took him five years to return and finish the last four quarters of law school. He remembers taking the Bar exam was a challenge since he hadn’t covered some of the material in seven years.

After passing the Bar, he accepted a job for the City of Pocatello. Jerry Olson was the City Attorney and a genuine and gifted mentor. The city manager, Chuck Moss, was also an inspiring, positive model of public service. These two men were the first of many great local government relationships that shaped his career.

One element of practice in Pocatello that stands out was the civility and respect with which members of the Bar treated each other. Will participated in the startup of the Idaho Municipal Attorneys Association. From the years 1978 – 2002, he served as Secretary/Treasurer of the organization.

In 1980, Will moved to Moscow and started his private practice, serving part time as the Moscow City Attorney. During the 1990s, Attorney Jerry Mason and Will provided numerous day long workshops on Planning and Zoning for local governments; I am often contacted by people who benefited from these events.

In 2002, he accepted the Sandpoint City Attorney position and moved to Bonner County. Over the years, he represented numerous local government entities (cities, counties, fire districts, urban renewal agencies, school districts, library districts, irrigation districts, homeowners’ associations, even a drainage district) from every part of the state. Will has always had tremendous respect for elected local government officials.

He is proud of a couple cases from his career, including Simmons v. City of Moscow, which upheld downtown local improvement district assessments, but more importantly stated that councilpersons owning property in such districts did not have a conflict of interest in voting for government actions in such districts. Also, Big Sky Paramedics v. Sagle Fire District, which upheld the right of fire districts to provide ambulance services.

He has also been honored with some awards during his career, including, the Association of Idaho Cities, for “Service and Commitment” in 2000, the Idaho Planning Association: Distinguished Leadership Award in 2002, the Idaho State Bar: Professionalism Award in 2008, and in 2021, the Idaho Municipal Attorneys Association established a ‘Will Herrington’ award for service to the organization, awarded annually.

Since 1980, he has employed legal interns from the University of Idaho College of Law and wonderful long-term relationships with them have resulted. Over 40 of his former interns are currently practicing law, working for corporations, and serving as judges. Will is proud of them all.

Will’s lovely wife, Patricia, is a behavioral specialist who positively impacts his behavior. His son, Field, is the Post Falls City Attorney and he also has two sons, Craig and John, as well as seven grandchildren. Will would like to extend an invitation to the other 50-year attorneys to contact him for a gathering in Coeur d’Alene and is looking forward to making it to 60 years of practice.

Leonard G. Hill

Not only does 2025 mark 50 years of membership in the Idaho State Bar for Leonard, more significantly it marks 60 years of marriage to his wife Paula. Without her love, emotional and financial support of the legal career that followed would not have happened. They married during his senior year at the University of California at Davis. Following university graduation and four and half years serving as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, during which time Paula put her own education on pause, Leonard enrolled and graduated in 1974 from The University of Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

It was Paula’s desire to finish her degree at Boise State and that brough the two of them and their two sons to Idaho. Fortuitously at the same time there was an opening as legal aid attorney in Caldwell where Leonard began his career and met lifelong friends and fellow members of the Bar, Ray Givens, Steve McCrea and Mike Donnelly. Mike’s friendship was particularly important as he and Leonard played tennis and poker (not at the same time), shared books, meals and tequila (until an unfortunate Christmas Eve toy assembly debacle) over the next 50 years. After almost two years as director at a community action agency Leonard decided to start a solo private legal practice. Practicing poverty law proved a poor initiation into the business world. Thus, ended that path and began a career with the Idaho Transportation Department.

Leonard is grateful for the guidance and trust Chief Legal Counsel, Bob Trabert, placed in him and for the friendship and camaraderie shown by fellow attorney Pat Fanning. Winning several eminent domain and construction claim cases on behalf of the department over six years was very rewarding work. One of the best aspects of a legal education, however, is the life skills it provides. There is more than one way to practice law. After working as legal counsel for the Transportation Department, Leonard took a job as the Chief Real Estate Officer with the Transportation Department where his knowledge of eminent domain could be used to acquire and manage land for the state highway system. Over his 20-year career he came involved with the National State Transportation Association serving first as regional representative and later as the chairman of the association.

Along the way, Paula and Leonard bought a second home on the beach in Manzanita, Oregon where they continue to return several times each year. Away from work Leonard enjoyed coaching both his sons in youth soccer. Two lawyer friends, Newell Squires and Andy Chasan, were part of this adventure which at one point was so successful the league made them split their team and play against one another. Andy and Leonard also rode bikes all over Ada County, logging thousands of miles along the way. Since retirement seventeen years ago it was Leonard’s good fortune to know Marcus and Ozzie, two great dogs, that made a rich life all the better. It would be remiss not to mention ten years of neighbor dinners every Thursday and, over the past 30 years and several hundred books later, membership in the men’s book club. When Leonard moved to Boise with a population of 70,000 it was amid what looked like a post-war zone due deconstruction of the download with purveyors selling pure black t-shirts being the logo, “Boise after dark”. He is so glad for the choice he and Paula made in 1974. As Boise residents have known for a while and is touted in national publications, Boise is one of the top places to live in the county. What a wonderful fifty years it has been.

Terry G. Hogue

Terry Hogue was born in 1944, in Merced, California, to Glen and LaVonne Hogue. He had four younger sisters. He attended public schools in Merced, excelled in sports, served as a class and student body officer in junior high and high school, and became an Eagle Scout at age 12.

Expected to join the family butchering business, which boasted three generations of service, his path changed with a basketball scholarship to the University of California at Fresno. He met his wife, Joanne, at Fresno State when he was 18 and she was 17, married on October 3, 1969, and raised two daughters in Ketchum, Idaho. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with honors in 1966 and completed one year of postgraduate study in Political Science at the same university. He then attended the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. After his second year, he served two years in the U.S. Army, was honorably discharged as a sergeant in 1971, returned to law school, graduated in the top 10% of his class, and passed the California Bar in 1972. Terry was also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts in California in 1973.

He worked as an associate at a large Southern California law firm from 1972 to 1974 before moving to Ketchum, Idaho, in January 1975. That year, he was admitted to the Idaho State Bar and the U.S. District Court in Idaho, followed by admission to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976, though he never argued a case there. His general practice was primarily in Blaine County, Idaho. Terry served on the Blaine County Medical Center’s Board of Directors for 16 years. He held leadership roles, including chairman of the Idaho State Bar’s Professional Conduct Board, member of the Fifth Judicial District’s Magistrate and Ethics Commissions, and president of the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association from 1989 to 1990.

He was a long-term member of the American Bar Association and a member of the American Association for Justice (formerly the American Trial Lawyers Association), where he served as secretary of the Council of Presidents and received the Wiedemann-Wysocki Award. He was a Master Charter Bencher of the American Inns of Court for Idaho’s Fifth Judicial District, an officer and director of the Hailey Chamber of Commerce, represented the Sun Valley Ketchum Community Library Association pro bono for 28 years, and was a Hailey Rotarian for over 40 years. Terry was recognized by Who’s Who in American Law, Who’s Who in Business, Who’s Who in Emerging Leaders, and Who’s Who in the World, and held an AV or AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell for most of his career.

He retired in 2017. He is currently an inactive member of the Idaho State Bar and California State Bar.

Roger J. Hoopes

After graduating from the University of Idaho College of Law in 1975, Roger Hoopes opened his own law practice in March of 1976 with another classmate. Theirs was the fifth law firm in their town. With the devastating failure to the Teton Dam in June of that year, theirs was the only law firm not physically ruined by the resulting flood waters.

His office has always been in Rexburg where he serves clients there and in the surrounding communities. Roger loves the practice of law and even served a few years as chief trial attorney in the Prosecuting Attorney’s office. He is extremely that he can still work and serve.

Roger has been married to his wife, Dana, for 56 years. They have three children and eight grandchildren, all of whom reside in south-eastern Idaho. They enjoy spending time with their children, grandchildren, and their families, and even all the performances, ball games, and extracurricular school activities. They also enjoy travel, weekend get-aways, and outdoor excursions in their side-by-side trail blazer.

Michael B. Howell

Mike Howell was born in Pocatello and attended Pocatello and Highland High Schools. He attended the University of Utah for one year before serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in France for 30 months. He then returned to the University of Utah from where he graduated in 1971 with a BA in French and a certificate in international relations. He graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law in 1975. During his last year of law school, he met his wife, Jo, who was a senior in accounting. They were married in May 1975 and recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They have three children, 17 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

After graduation, Mike and Jo remained in Moscow until the bar exam and then moved to Salt Lake City for one year where he studied for and passed the Utah Bar. Jo worked for an accounting firm. They moved to Meridian, Idaho in July 1976. He worked as an Assistant Attorney General for 18 months before starting his own practice. He maintained a general law practice including contracting as the Ada County Juvenile Public Defender, attorney for the Idaho Horse Racing Commission and the Idaho Department of Law Enforcement, including prosecuting drug forfeiture actions. He spent many years as a hearing officer for the Idaho Department of Law Enforcement and the Idaho Department of Transportation when it took over the motor vehicle and driver’s license divisions. He was the hearing officer when the Administrative License Suspension (“ALS”) law was enacted. After the law was affirmed by the Idaho Supreme Court, the Transportation Department established employee ALS hearing officers. He created and conducted a training program for those hearing officers. He continued for many years to consult with them and handle their conflict and overflow hearings.

In 1986, Mike began representing the largest collection agency in the state, devoting most of his practice to that area, acquiring other collection practices and eventually creating a large and respected collection practice for local and national clients. In 1994, he hired Robert Vail as a young associate and in 1998 they formed Howell and Vail, LLP. Their partnership continued until 2017, when he began planning for possible retirement. Rob wanted to emphasize his family law and mediation practice while Mike retained the collection practice. They continued to share office space and their close friendship. At that time, Mike formed M2 Law Group, PLLC and hired Michael Archibald as an associate. In late 2018, he retired, remaining Of Counsel, and Archibald took over the practice.

Mike and Jo have always enjoyed travel with frequent trips to France and other parts of Europe where they have made many lifetime friends. In 2021, they lived in Nairobi, Kenya for 18 months where Mike was Assistant Area Legal Counsel for Central Africa for their church with responsibilities for 17 countries in Central Africa. They returned to Nairobi several months later for another 6 months to further assist. The area includes many francophone countries, so he continued to use his French language. They had many wonderful experiences while living in Kenya, including over a dozen safaris and walking with the gorillas in Rwanda. Africa has gotten in his blood, and he returns at least once a year to assist in freedom of religion conferences in various African countries.

Guy G. Hurlbutt

Guy Hurlbutt holds a diverse background, including a B.S. in Forestry from the University of Georgia, a J.D. in law from the University of South Caroline, and an LLM in Environmental Law from George Washington University. His legal career primarily focused on litigation and general business practice.

His professional journey began as a law clerk from Chief Justice of the United States District Judge J. Robert Martin in the District of South Carolina from 1972 to 1974. Following this, he served as Deputy, later Chief Deputy, Idaho attorney General under Attorney General Wayne Kidwell from 1975 to 1978. After this, Guy transitioned to private practice by creating the firm Hurlbutt and Payne, Chartered, a general practice firm in Boise. From 1981 to 1984, he held the esteemed position of United States Attorney for the District of Idaho. He then joined Boise Cascade Corporation, initially as an Attorney in the Legal Department (1981-1997), and later advanced to Vice President, Public Policy and Environment for the company (1997-2005).

Beyond his legal career, he has accumulated a number of significant achievements and contributions. He served as a First Lieutenant in the Field Artillery, United States Army, with active duty from 1964 to 1966 and in the Active Army Reserves from 1967 to 1970. President of Idaho Business for Education from 2005 to 2007. He played a pivotal role as a Founding Board Member and second Chairman of the Board for the College of Western Idaho from 2007 to 2016 and is now recognized as a CWI Trustee Emeritus. His commitment to community is evident through his service on numerous non-profit boards, including the City Club of Boise, Discovery Center of Idaho, Bishop Kelly High School, the Idaho State Bar Guardian ad Litem Committee, and the federal Civil Justice Reform Committee. He shared his expertise as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Business at Northwest Nazarene University from 2005 to 2012. His dedication to his profession was recognized with the Idaho State Bar Professionalism Award in 1996.

Bruce has been married for 55 years to Linda Del Rosso, and they have two grown children, Sara and Lee, and one granddaughter, Katie. He considers one of the most impactful experiences of his life, second only to his marriage, to be his time as a Forest Service Smokejumper, beginning in 1962. He was stationed in McCall, Idaho City, and the Boise Airport, concluding his service in 1970. During this period, he completed 51 Forest Service jumps into Idaho’s backcountry. This experience ultimately led to his decision to make Idaho his permanent home, a choice he has never regretted.

Loren C. Ipsen

     A life-long Idahoan, Loren was born in Soda Springs and grew up in Montpelier, Idaho. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard in 1972 and obtained his law degree in 1975 from Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. He began the practice of law in Idaho for the firm of Moffatt, Thomas, Barrett & Blanton the same year. In 1992 he joined the firm of Ellsworth, Ipsen & Perry and was a member of various iterations of that firm until 2001 when he joined Elam & Burke. He retired from Elam & Burke in 2024.

     Loren’s practice was concentrated in the areas of wills and trusts, estate planning, probate, real estate, commercial litigation, ERISA, and (most satisfyingly) professional liability defense. He gratefully acknowledges the many valuable lessons he learned from such colleagues as J. Charles Blanton, and later Allyn Dingel and Carl Burke.

     He is married to Shron Ipsen. and they are the proud parents of three children, Crystal, Jill, and Sky. Crystal is a licensed counselor; Jill is an attorney for the U.S Air Force stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base; and Sky is employed by the law firm of Ludwig, Shoufler, Miller & Johnson in Boise.

Bill B. Isley

Bill Isley went to the University of Idaho College of Law and was admitted to the Idaho State Bar in 1975. During his first year he learned what an option to purchase meant and how to use it to buy real estate. During spring break, he traveled down to Salmon, Idaho and optioned 40 acres on Tower Creek, developed it and sold it that summer. He’s been doing the same thing ever since.

He liked law school and always thought it was his best decision to attend. He highly recommends it. Bill only practiced for two years and proudly paid his dues for 50 years and intends on paying them for the next 50 years. It connects him to that part of his life.

Ron Kerl

Ron Kerl great up in Priest River, Idaho and was the first member of his family to get a college degree, so his graduation from the University of Idaho College of Law was a proud moment for him and his family. Ron is particularly grateful for the support of his wife, Kathy, who worked hard to keep bread on the table and his feet on the ground while he finished his degrees.

            Jim Green, Clark Gasser, and Archive Service of Pocatello took a change on hiring Ron after graduation and he became Partner of the firm a few years later. His early practice developed in large part because of their collective mentorship and guidance. Ron received the Professionalism Award from both the ISB and the Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section of the ISB—and he attributes those honors to the way Jim, Clark and Archie coached him on the ‘right’ way to practice this profession.

            Ron’s early practice comprised of insurance defense litigation and the representation of the Union Pacific Railroad in FELA and tort litigation. When his law partner, Jim Pappas, became a Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Idaho, Ron took on the firm’s creditor bankruptcy practice. For the past 30 years, Ron’s practice has revolved around bankruptcy and commercial litigation and a transactional practice preparing agreements for a wide variety of business and real estate transactions.

            Ron and Kathy are proud parents of three daughters, none of whom wanted to be lawyers, but all of whom are independent and thoughtful citizens who respect the rule of law. Ron lives in an area of Idaho where his entire family can regularly enjoy the beauty of Idaho’s mountains and streams—by skiing, rafting, and camping.

            He has been fortunate to serve as an office in his local Bar Association, the Portneuf Inns of Court, and as a Commissioner and President of the Idaho State Bar. Ron has served on many ISB committees, including the Bar Examination, Bar Discipline, and Long-Range Planning Committees. He was selected by the Federal Judiciary to serve as a Lawyer Representative for the District of Idaho, where he served for three years on various panels and committees dedicated to the furtherment of judicial independence and competence. In each position he was fortunate to work with and learn from Idaho’s best and brightest lawyers and judges. Serving in these volunteer positions was very rewarding.

Ron is excited to be celebrating this milestone with my longtime friend and colleague, Gary Cooper. Gary and Ron met as undergraduates at the University of Idaho and were in the same law school class at the College of Law. They were study mates (along with another longtime friend, Hon. Hank Boomer) and after being admitted to the Bar, Gary, Hank and Ron were able to practice law with and against each other. Learning from each other in their practices, just as they did as law school study mates.

Jay A. Kohler 

Since 1984, Jay Kohler’s office has conveniently been located across the street from the Bonneville County Courthouse. He is 77 and still works part time. When he is asked about full retirement, his response is that it will be no later than the first time he gets lost crossing the street going to or returning from the courthouse.  

Jay graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law. His practice began in Montpelier, Idaho, where he had private practice and served three terms as Bear Lake County attorney. While there, a friend, Dean Rowsell, and Jay organized the First Idaho Title Co. They soon acquired their competitors, Southeast Title and Bear Lake Title, and enjoyed a monopoly for many years. He has practiced in Idaho Falls since 1984. Jay shared the Bonneville County Public Defender’s contract with Stephen Hart and Ronald Hart (not related) for a number of years. Following that, Jay continued to enjoy private practice with no specializations with the exception of possibly bankruptcy and real estate. He and Stephen Hart have shared the same office space and staff for the past 41 years. It has been a mutually beneficial and pleasant association. He has had no precedent setting or famous cases—mostly just helped average people every day in trying to solve their legal problems. Jay has always enjoyed being a lawyer (with a few exceptions, of course) and still enjoys being a lawyer.  

Outside of practicing law, his interests have been in family (a lovely wife of 52 years, five children, 15 grandchildren and one great grandchild), farming, aviation and, of late, playing guitar music (with You Tube as his backup band) for his contemporaries attending senior citizen events and finishing out their twilight years at retirement homes and assisted living places—very gracious and forgiving audiences.   

Russell G. Kvanvig 

Russell Kvanvig graduated from law school at… his career has been in the areas of Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Administration, Real Estate, and Family LLC’s, Partnerships and Corporations. 

Some notable achievements include being and Idaho Bar Commissioner from 2002 – 2005, Idaho State Bar President in 2005, Fifth District Bar Association Professionalism Award in 2006, and American Academy of Attorneys CPAs. 

He has done community service during his career, including the Twin Falls Chamber of Commerce—Former Board Member; President 1989, Magic Valley Regional Medical Center Foundation—Former Board Member; President 1992, and the College of Southern Idaho Foundation—Former Board Member; President 1996, 1997. 

Russell has been married to the love of his life, Geri, for 44 years. He has a son Travis, and some children no longer living, Tom, daughter in law, Stacey, and grandson Daniel. He also has two granddaughters, Macyn and Piper. 

William L. Mauk 

Bill Mauk was born and raised in Pocatello. Prior to law school he received a BA from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree from Columbia University. 

He was a member of the founding class at the Antioch School of Law in Washington, D.C., a clinical-based program where a third of his credits were handling real cases for real clients under faculty supervision. His clinic experience included briefing an appeal to the D.C. Court of Appeals, arguing an appeal before the National Board of Veterans Affairs, and defending 12 criminal misdemeanor cases. In 1975, he married his Antioch classmate, Susan, passed the Idaho Bar Exam, and started his legal career as a law clerk for the Chief Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court, Allan Shepard.  

Throughout his 50 years of practice, Bill has always been a trial lawyer, practicing in a succession of small litigation firms, predominately representing civil plaintiffs and criminal defendants. The broad spectrum of his trial practice includes cases in the areas of wrongful discharge, unlawful discrimination, civil rights, worker compensation, personal injury, wrongful death, professional malpractice, water law, breach of contract, lender liability, patent infringement, Indian law and criminal homicide defense. He has litigated controversies in all seven Idaho judicial districts, the U.S. District Courts in Idaho, Wisconsin, and Iowa, and participated in some forty appeals to the Idaho Supreme Court, Idaho Court of Appeals and U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appels.  

Mixed in with his litigation practice, Bill served part-time as an Associate Judge for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Court at Ft. Hall, as General Counsel for the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes in Duck Valley, as legal counsel for the Professional Firefighters of Idaho and several building trade unions, as Manager of the Idaho Special Indemnity Fund and as a Visiting Professor teaching employment law at the University of Idaho College of Law.  

Bill is perhaps most broadly known throughout the Idaho legal community and beyond for his representation of Claude Lafayette Dallas Jr. together with his then-partners. After a very public trial extending almost two months, Dallas was acquitted of the murders of two Idaho Fish and Game Officers in a gun battle reminiscent of an Old Western in a remote corner of Owyhee County—but found guilty on two counts of manslaughter. The Dallas case was selected by the Advocate as one of the ten most notorious Idaho trials of the Twentieth Century. But no single case, client, victory or loss can define Bill’s extensive career.    

Perhaps his fondest professional memory was in 2002 when Bill suspended his practice for six months and moved to New York City to help launch the largest lawyer pro bon project in the history of U.S. jurisprudence, Trial Lawyers Care. TLC was created by the Association of Trial Lawyers of American (“ATLA”) to provide free legal services to the families of those injured and killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Flight 93, pursuing claims for tort-like damages from the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund established by Congress. As Director of Litigation Support, Bill selected and helped prosecute the lead claims for compensation and trained other volunteer lawyers who eventually provided legal counsel to over 4000 claimants.   

During his years of practice, Bill has served as President of the Idaho Trial Lawyers   
Association (“ITLA”), Chair of Access to Justice Idaho, on the Idaho Governor’s Advisory Committee on Workers Compensation and on the governing boards of ATLA, ITLA, Idaho Legal Aid Services, and the Idaho Conservation League. He has been honored by his colleagues with cherished awards, including the Distinguished Service Award from ATLA, the ITLA Lawyer of the Year Award, the Thurgood Marshall Award from Idaho ACLU, and the Distinguished Lawyer Award from the Idaho State Bar. 

Bill identifies having an understanding lawyer/therapist spouse as the most satisfying feature of his legal career. Susan practiced as a Deputy Attorney General and in private practice for years, followed by a flourishing second career as a licensed professional counselor. Bill and Susan celebrated 50 years of marriage this year with fond memories of their rafting trips on the Salmon River and travels to 38 countries on 6 continents. They have two sons—one a licensed professional counselor who manages two mental health clinics and the younger a registered hospital nurse—and three aspiring grandchildren.    

Marc M. McGregor 

Marc recognizes the accomplishment of 50 years is staying alive this long while continuing to maintain a license to practice law. He sometimes thinks of himself as a farm boy who went to law school.  

Marc graduated from law school from the University of Idaho College of Law and after taking the Idaho bar exam fifty years ago this summer, he moved to Boise and was able to land a job with an insurance defense firm. After a few years, he moved to north Idaho to manage a legal aid office and, as a colleague put it, repair his karma. That practice required plumbing the depths of administrative law. He later became a solo practitioner. 

Marc became a member of the “Class of ‘82,” when energy conservationists were elected to the boards of electric co-ops and public utility districts in the wake of four failed WPPSS nuclear power plants. He served on the boards and advisory committees of environmental organizations and also served on a planning and zoning commission of a small town when it adopted an innovative subdivision and zoning plan and code which included protection of the small lake it surrounded, its aquatic commons. 

After fifteen years of practice, he went back to law school to obtain an LL.M. in environmental law. Upon returning home, Marc found that the most likely avenue to protect the interests of his clients was found in zoning law. This led to maintaining an office in Blaine County representing a smart growth group in a pilot project for three years while continuing his practice in Kootenai County. Marc continues to practice on a limited basis and serves on the obligatory HOA board. 

Robert C. Mitchell

Robert Mitchel went to the University of Chicago Law School. Robert and his wife Sharon live in Boise.

Robert C. Montgomery 

Robert Montgomery is a graduate of the University of Idaho College of Law. He and his wife, Debora, reside in Boise. 

Joseph L. Parkinson 

Joe Parkinson spent his youth along the Snake River, graduating from Blackfoot High School, followed by timber over the summers to pay for college at Columbia University. During law school at Tulane Law School, Joe worked at the New Orleans law firm of Phelps, Dunbar, Marks, Claverie & Sims, and he taught five levels of math and coached a couple of basketball teams at a high school at Donaldsonville in the Cajun country of Louisiana. 

Upon graduation, Joe passed the bar exam in Louisiana and taught at Tulane and New York University School of Law Graduate Tax Program, plus consulting at the NYC law firm Baker & McKenzie. When his wife got pregnant and outvoted him, they moved to Boise in 1975. After a few years of law practice focused on tax, business, and tax-exempt financings for hospitals, in 1978 he joined his twin brother, Ward Parkinson, and a couple of semiconductor engineers, Doug Pitman and Dennis Wilson, to found Micron Technology, Inc.  For six years Joe worked at the law firm of Parkinson, Lojek & Penland with a sideline night job as President of Micron.  When Micron went public in 1984, he resigned from the law firm and soon became Chairman & CEO of Micron.  After his career at Micron, he served as Chairman & CE0 of 8×8, Inc. in Santa Clara for a couple of tours.  Then he retired to his cattle ranch in Grand View and taught a class at the Micron Business and Economics Building on the BSU campus. 

He served on the boards of numerous charities and state agencies, including Tulane University, Idaho State Board of Education, Boise State University Foundation, Idaho Health Facilities Authority, Idaho Planned Parenthood, and Boise Philharmonic. 

His practice of law contributed to Micron.  The early investors and board members were clients, and revenue from the law firm helped fund Micron’s early days.  What he learned in litigation and tax was invaluable.  He enjoyed teaching tax law and practicing law because of his association with students, colleagues, partners, and clients who continue to be among his best friends. 

Larry E. Prince 

            Larry Prince graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of Law. His practice has primarily consisted of representing creditors in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy cases, representing financial institutions in negotiating, documenting and enforcing credit facilities and representing WinCo Foods.

            Larry has had some notable moments in his career, including getting inducted into the American College of Bankruptcy (one of six attorneys in Idaho to have ever been selected), member of the WinCo Holdings, Inc. Board of Directors and WinCo Foods, LLC Board of Manager, founding member and first chair of the Commercial Law and Bankruptcy section of the Idaho State Bar, a member of the Board of Governors and two-time chair of the Commercial Law and Bankruptcy section, founding member and Treasurer of the Federal Bar Association, Idaho chapter, chair of the Local Rules Committee for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Idaho, recognized in numerous legal publications including Chambers & Partners, Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers, recognized by the international firm of Chambers & Partners as a “Star Individual” which was given to lawyers with exceptional reviews in their field of practice, and involvement in numerous community service organizations and was inducted into the Borah High School Football Hall of Fame.

            Larry has been married to his wife, Julie, for 53 years. They have two children, Jason and Stephanie, and four grandchildren. They enjoy traveling, spending time in McCall and attending their grandchildren’s many activities. He is often asked whether there is life after the practice of law to which he replies that with all the things we are doing now I am surprised I had time to practice law.

In 1985, Larry represented the senior management of what was then called Waremart, Inc. in their successful takeover of the company. As part of the takeover the employees became the owners of the company. After the takeover Larry represented the company, which changed its name to WinCo Foods, in all aspects of its business. WinCo has grown from a small grocery operation to a multibillion-dollar company with stores throughout the west. Its success is evidenced by long-term check stand clerks being able to retire as millionaires. He is proud of the small part he played in WinCo’s success and has transitioned from representing WinCo to being on its board of directors and board of managers. 

Larry was a law clerk, then an associate and finally a partner of essentially one law firm for his entire legal career. He actually appeared in Court as a lawyer before he was sworn in (but after he had passed the bar). There was an emergency Bankruptcy Court hearing in Cour d’ Alene and John Ward, the lawyer in the office who was handling the case, could not attend it. He called Judge Young and explained his unavailability and asked if Larry could appear.  Judge Young graciously agreed that Larry could appear and off he went to northern Idaho to bumble may way through the hearing. He trusts that any statute of limitations has run.

Larry has had many mentors over the years of practice. John Ward, Walt Bithell and Judge Merlin Young stand out in particular and he thanks each of them. He also thanks his wife Julie for her unwavering support over the years, as well as the administrative assistants and support staff (you know who you are) with whom I worked.

Phillip J. Rassier

Phillip Rassier was born in Williston, North Dakota. He is the youngest of three siblings raised in the small village of Hanks located 40 miles northwest of Williston. The family farm was another three miles north in Fertile Valley Township known for raising fine grain crops in good years, and an abundant supply of rocks every year.

Summers were spent accompanying his father on the farm serving as the “right hand man” from a very early age. He enjoyed the farm but sensed that being a farmer was not the right choice. When asked about his future career plans his father would say “he’s going to be a doctor or a lawyer”. My father suffered a heart attack in the summer of his 12th birthday and that is when his family decided to rent out the farm and move to Hayden, Idaho. The house had a small amount of acreage with the Avondale Irrigation Project, and we experienced the wonders of irrigated agriculture. Our management plan for irrigation back in Montana was to pray for rain. Which they did frequently, often to no avail. These early life lessons left a lasting impression which helped in guiding me toward a career involving the management of use of Idaho’s abundant water resources.

Phillip went from a two-room elementary school to eventually earning his B.S. degree in Psychology from the University of Idaho in 1970, and a J.D. from the University of Idaho College of Law in 1975. From 1976 to 2010 he was employed by the Office of the Idaho Attorney General in it’s Natural Resources Division. He represented the Idaho Department of Water Resources throughout most of his career. He supervised the Water Resource section within the Natural Resources Division for twenty-five years before retirement in 2010. Over his career he served under six different Attorneys General and represented six different directors of the Idaho Department of Water Resources before Idaho courts. From 2010 to present he has served as a project advisor for Idaho Water Engineering LLC in Boise.

Throughout his legal career, Phillip enjoyed the experience of working and interacting with a broad array of attorneys, other professionals, legislators, water users, and concerned citizens on issues related to water use and management. At the height of the Snake River Basic Adjudication, the legal section the Department had a staff consisting of nine attorneys and paralegals. Other legal staff from the Natural Resources Division of the Attorney General’s Office also provided a high level of support and supervision necessary for representation of the State of Idaho in the adjudication proceedings. He is particularly appreciative of the many bright and resourceful attorneys and paralegals who contributed their talents and hard work toward helping the department and the Attorney General’s Office satisfy their legal responsibilities in water management and water rights adjudication proceedings. These individuals have continued to further distinguish themselves in their legal careers whether in private practice, on the bench, or in public service positions.

He is of course thankful to his father for planting seeds in his head so that if he couldn’t grow up to be a farmer he could at least be a lawyer.

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Hon. Richard M. Redman 

Judge Richard Redman is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Law. He resided in Twin Falls. 

Hon. George R. Reinhardt III 

Judge George R. Reinhardt III earned his JD from the University of Idaho College of Law and was admitted to the Idaho State Bar in 1975. Shortly thereafter, he became the youngest magistrate and youngest district judge in the state, serving the Second Judicial District, which encompasses Idaho, Lewis, and Clearwater counties. 

During his 25-year tenure on the bench, Judge Reinhardt presided over a wide range of cases including the landmark Rapid River case, which upheld the Nez Perce Tribe’s treaty-protected fishing rights; four capital cases; and several pro tem appointments with the Idaho Supreme Court. Beyond the courtroom, he was instrumental in establishing the region’s drug court. He also chaired the Second Judicial District Magistrate Commission and contributed to the Idaho Supreme Court through service on committees such as the Evidence Rules Advisory Committee and the Death Penalty Counsel Review and Recommendation Committee. In recognition of his work on the bench, he was honored with the George G. Granata Jr. Professionalism Award by the Idaho Judiciary.

Following his retirement, he remained active as a senior district judge and mediator, often choosing assignments based on proximity to his children. A devoted outdoorsman, he continues to enjoy hunting, fishing, and white-water rafting. He has been married for 53 years to his wife, Janice, who is a retired third-grade teacher. Together, they enjoy their home in Boise near their children and six grandchildren.

[INSERT IMAGE TITLED “Reinhardt, George 50” w/ caption: George and Janice rafting on the lower Salmon river outside of Grangeville with their grandchildren.]

Stephen C. Rice

Stephen Rice, born on October 22, 1945, in Council, Idaho, was a distinguished individual with a notable career in law and a strong commitment to his community. He graduated as Valedictorian from Salmon River High School in 1962, where he also excelled in athletics, becoming the Idaho State Shot-put and Discus Champion the same year.

He continued his education at Idaho State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in education in 1969. Following his graduation, he taught at the Weber Basin Job Corp Center in 1969. That same year, he married Julie Roberts. From 1969 to 1972, he served in the U.S. Army JAG Corps.

Mr. Rice went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the University of Idaho in 1975, after which he established a general law practice in Lewiston, Idaho, which he maintained from 1975 until his retirement in 2009. He was a devoted father to three sons: Jeff Rice, a high school teacher and football coach; Brad Rice, a Senior Financial Advisor; and Mark Rice, a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He also had nine grandchildren.

Throughout his career, Stephen C. Rice was actively involved in the legal community and various organizations. He served on and presided over the Idaho State Bar Commission and the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association Board of Governors. He was also a board member for the Idaho Youth Ranch and the Wheatlands Volunteer Fire District. His contributions to the legal profession were recognized with the Idaho State Bar Professionalism Award and the Idaho State Bar Pro Bono Award. Additionally, he was instrumental in the creation of the Jack O’Connor Hunting Heritage and Education Center.

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David R. Risley 

David Risley was born in Cusick Washington in 1950 and moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1959. He was the first member of his family to graduate from college.

David chose law school at the University of Idaho because he wanted to be in Idaho for the hunting and fishing and thought he might have a better chance of getting a job if he graduated from U of I.

His path from law school began in St. Anthony, just in time for the Teton Dam disaster and then to Lewiston in the Lewis Clark Valley where he has enjoyed a general practice since 1976. In 1980, David joined a law firm whose partners were Russ Randall, John Bengston and Steve Cox. He will always be grateful for the lessons learned from those fine attorneys.

Like many young lawyers, David began as a deputy prosecutor, then moved to Randall Bengston and Cox when they needed a litigation attorney. David started a solo practice in 2010 which he continues to this day. The 1980’s brought a wave of foreclosures and bankruptcies, especially in the farming community that kept me busy for a good part of that decade. Along the way, he had the occasional colorful divorce, highly contested probates, one multi state cattle rustling case and cases that turned on handwritten notes from General Land Office surveys conducted in the 1800’s.

David enjoyed teaching opportunities, including at U of I College of Law for a semester as a visiting professor and at the Lewis Clark State College paralegal program as well as CLE presentations for the Idaho Bar.

David was honored and humbled when he received the Professionalism Award for the Second Judicial District in 2010.

Affordable housing has been a concern of David’s, and he has worked with the formation of the Habitat for Humanity chapter in the Lewis Clark Valley, owned affordable housing, and has worked for the Nez Perce Tribal Housing Authority for the last several years.

David has served as a judge for the Nez Perce Tribe and is now a Superior Court Commissioner in Asotin Washington. He has greatly reduced his practice over the last several years. Many clients have become treasured friends, and he misses their company and appreciates even more in retrospect the confidence they have shown him.

Since winding down his practice, David has enjoyed more time with his family and relished wonderful travels in the past few years from Egypt to Iceland, Istanbul and more. Next year, he will travel to China and Australia. David’s 94-year-old mother and his wife continue to challenge him intellectually. David’s sons both live in Lewiston and he has been blessed with two grandsons who challenge him to keep up with them. His wife’s son and children bring love and laughter into his life.

The near future involves part-time work as a Court Commissioner and more time with loved ones, friends and travel.

[INSERT IMAGE TITLED “Risley, David 50” w/ caption: David Risley in Egypt in 2022.]

John E. Robertson 

John Robertson is a graduate of the University of Idaho College of Law. He and his wife, Roberta, reside in Twin Falls. 

David K. Robinson

David Robinson’s career began with his undergraduate studies at the University of California at Berkeley, where he graduated in 1969. That same year, he joined the California Army National Guard (“CAARNG”). In 1970, he entered the University of Utah Law School, graduating in 1973. During his time there, he was a member of the 144th Evacuation Hospital, Utah Army National Guard (“UTARNG”).

After law school, he served as a law clerk in Pasadena and Glendale, California, for two years, rejoining the CAARNG and continuing to work in civilian hospital emergency rooms. In 1975, he moved to Moscow, Idaho, to take the bar review course. Upon passing the bar, he joined the law firm of Benoit and Alexander (now Benoit, Alexander and Harwood) in Twin Falls. His primary focus there was insurance defense, and he was heavily involved in the significant Sunshine Mine case.

In the fall of 1976, he accepted a position as Deputy Attorney General for the State of Idaho under then-Attorney General Wayne Kidwell. In the fall of 1980, he transitioned to private practice, partnering with Eugene (Gene) Marano to form Marano and Robinson. This partnership continued until 1985. He continued his legal career as a solo practitioner, primarily serving the five northern counties of Idaho’s First Judicial District for the remainder of his active career. He practiced both as a lawyer and as a mediator, believing he was the third licensed or certified mediator in North Idaho, following Sue Flammia and Heidi Fisher. His general practice encompassed a wide range of areas, including family law, plaintiff’s personal injury, worker’s compensation, criminal defense, juvenile law, business, collections, estate work, and litigation. He increasingly focused on mediation, which he found particularly enjoyable. He retired about nine to ten years ago and has since maintained Senior Inactive Status.

He achieved notable successes across the various areas of his practice. While he refrains from “crowing about” specific accomplishments, he emphasizes his deep satisfaction in assisting clients through their legal concerns and finding resolutions. He credits mediation as an especially effective method for achieving settlements and was a strong advocate for it. Throughout his practice, he felt fortunate to work with an excellent judiciary in North Idaho, and he respected and enjoyed practicing and litigating before them when settlements were not possible. He comes from a legal family; his father, David Robinson (Sr.), was a renowned and highly respected California lawyer who served as president of the California Bar Association, president of the Western States Bar Association, a member of the College of Trial Lawyers, and on the ABA Board of Governors. He humbly describes himself as “just a small-town lawyer in a state he loves dearly!”

David has been married to his wife, Linda, for 48 years. They share a deep love for the outdoors, flyfishing, bird hunting, and just about anything else you can think of that involves being outside. David was a surfer most of his life but has recently taken to boogie boarding. They have two children, Trevor and Sarah. Trevor is a probation officer in Wyoming and his wife Chelsea, and they have a son, Dash, who is 10. Sarah is a nurse for the Department of Defense and her husband Lennin, and they have a daughter, Olivia, 7, and a son, Henry, 5.

[INSERT IMAGE TITLED “Robinson, David 50 Surfing” w/ caption: Rob in his surfing days.]

[INSERT IMAGE TITLED [CC1] “Robinson, David 50 Family” w/ caption: Rob and Linda with family at son’s house south of Jackson, WY.]

William F. Sims

William Sims graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law. William and his wife Vicky live in Hayden, Idaho.

Jordan P. Smith

Jordan P. Smith received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Idaho, attended The George Washington University, and received his juris doctorate from the University of Idaho College of Law. Upon graduation, he worked for the Idaho Attorney General’s Office under Wane Kidwell for one year before moving home to Salmon where he operated as a sole practitioner for 32 years before retiring to the family ranch in 2008. During this time, he served as Salmon City Attorney, Lemhi County Prosecuting Attorney, as a member on the Boards of Directors for the Idaho Community Foundation and the Mountain States Savings Bank, on the Professional Conduct Committee for the Bar, and with many civic organizations.

Jordan’s greatest pride is a marriage of 56 years. He and Mary met during their undergraduate years in Moscow and enjoyed every minute together. We are very proud of our three daughters and their three very active sons.

[INSERT IMAGE TITLED “Smith, Jordan 50” w/ caption: Jordan and Mary.]

Richard F. Smith

Richard Smith graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law. Richard and his wife Jill live in Rexburg, Idaho.

Murray J. Sorensen 

Murray “Jim” Sorensen was born and raised in Blackfoot, Idaho, and graduated from Blackfoot High School. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 1975 after serving a mission for his church. Jim married his lovely wife, Gay Grimshaw, at the end of his second year of law school. He finished law school and returned to Blackfoot with his pregnant wife. Jim and Gay had 5 boys (one deceased) within 10 years. He has 15 grandchildren. Family is a major part of his life.

He settled in as Deputy Prosecutor of Bingham County, Idaho, in a little office on Pine Street where he read paperbacks and waited for the phone to ring. It wasn’t long before he was involved in a two weeklong first-degree murder trial. The perpetrator was found guilty. After that trial, Judge Arnold Beebe took Jim into his chambers and said he had been in Blackfoot for his entire legal career and had not seen a jury convict on a first-degree case. Jim was off and running as prosecutor.

After a couple of years, Jim partnered with Steve Blaser in the firm Blaser & Sorensen; they practiced together for 20 plus years. Over that time, Jim was City Attorney for Blackfoot and other surrounding small towns. Jim’s had a lot to do with the legal work in Blackfoot as a small-town attorney; criminal, bankruptcy, business, divorce, estate planning, adoptions, and most everything else you can imagine. He represented the Eastern Idaho State Fair, various banks, and a lot of people and had the opportunity to do some amazing things.

Jim and his wife have traveled all over the world with eight trips to Turkey, five trips to Africa—where he had the opportunity to hunt a lot of animals, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, and lots of other places as well. Now they try to spend time in their home in St. George, Utah. They own a 60-room assisted living center in Ammon, Idaho, and employ over 50 people.

Jim’s legal career has slowed down, and he doesn’t do any courtroom work, if he can avoid it. Jim has enjoyed family life and hunting, fishing, scuba diving, and a lot of other outdoor activities. Life and the legal profession have been good to him.

[INSERT IMAGE TITLED “Sorensen, Jim 50” w/ caption: Jim Sorensen.]

Larry J. Strom

Larry Strom graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law. Larry and his wife Rita live in Maryland.

Marvin R. Stucki 

Marvin “Marv” Stucki was born into a family of eight and learned to work and play hard on a dairy farm in Milo, Idaho, a few miles north of Idaho Falls. He graduated from Bonneville High School, enjoying sports, music and debate Utah State and BYU attended for his undergraduate education and then Marv graduated from the University of Idaho School of Law in 1975.

After graduation came marriage, starting a family with two stepdaughters, then adding three daughters and a son. This progeny has produced many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Marv began his law practice as a Bonneville County Deputy Prosecutor, and after four years began a stint as a public defender and began some private practice, as a sole practitioner.

For many years the primary practice was a focus on criminal defense but gradually merged into some personal injury, workers’ comp, divorce and family law, with limited probate of small estates and wills and trusts. For recent years the practice has been primarily high conflict divorce and child custody matters. The practice has always been interesting and entertaining, never lacking variety. The work has often been satisfying and rewarding, especially when it was possible to provide more help and relief than expected. There have been ups and downs and highs and lows, emotionally and financially.

Marv owns his office and a cabin in Island Park, which he loves to spend time at on weekends and holidays. He began his angling career with the tutelage of a great dad and uncles, who taught him to fish coffee pots on Henry’s Fork and many other waters, using the garden hackle or salmon eggs. The bait fishing morphed into way too many fly rods, a ton of fly-tying materials, and fishing excursions with family and friends, creating happy memories. Marv’s advice don’t let the old man in, practice law until it does not serve you, then fish.

[INSERT IMAGE TITLED “Stucki, Marvin 50” w/ caption: Marvin Stucki at Sheridan Lake, Island Park, Idaho on May 24, 2025.]

Kevin F. Trainor

Kevin Trainor graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law. Kevin and his wife Linda live in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Jesse C. Trentadue

Jesse Trentadue and his wife, Rita Reusch, were classmates at the University of Idaho College of Law. They were married the day before their graduation. They are still married, which many of their law school friends may find hard to believe. Following law school, Jesse served a two-year clerkship with Chief Judge Ray “Pickles” McNichols on the United States District Court for the District of Idaho. Since then, other than a few years as a law professor, he has been a civil trial lawyer with his last trial being a three-week wrongful death case tried this past April. Following law school, Rita served a two-year clerkship with Idaho Supreme Court Justice Robert E. Bakes and went on to a career in academia, retiring from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law.

Rita and Jesse have two children. Their daughter, Anna Ruth Trentadue, is also a member of the Idaho State Bar. She practices land use and property law in Teton County, Idaho where she lives with their two grandchildren Frank Church Cheney and Jesse Payette Cheney. Their son, Jesse Marshall, lives in Los Angeles where he works as Creative Director (i.e. advertising) for Hourglass Cosmetics. Rita and Jesse have lived in Holladay, Utah for almost 40 years.

[INSERT IMAGE TITLED “Trentadue, Jesse 50” w/ caption: Jesse Trentadue with his wife, Rita.]

Steven A. Tuft

After graduation from the University of Utah law school in 1974, Steven Tuft started his legal career in Salt Lake City with Clyde & Pratt. In 1975, Tom Church (his BYU roommate’s father) invited him to come to Burley to “help out.” One of his partners, George Granata, had just left to become a judge. He thought living in a small town would be novel, since he grew up in the suburbs of Los Angles, New York and San Francisco. He and his wife, Susan, decided to give it a try. They cautioned Tom and his other partners, Kent Church and Pete Snow, that they would only stay a few years, as they were confident that they wouldn’t really be happy in a small town. It didn’t take long to discover that life in rural southern Idaho would be just fine—in fact it was really what Steven and Susan were looking for and didn’t know it at the time.

Steven’s career in Idaho started with Church, Church & Snow. He later joined Goodman & Duff in Rupert, then back to Burley with Steve Bywater. After that he left for the Attorney General’s office, where he office-shared with Al Barrus until my retirement from private practice in 2013. He had a typical smaller town practice, trending in later years toward business and estate planning. Steven served as Heyburn’s part-time city attorney for 40 years.

In 2005, Steven was honored with the Idaho State Bar’s Professionalism and Service awards, and in 2010 the Idaho Municipal Attorney Association’s “Pillar of the Community” award. He graded bar exams for several years and served on several Bar committees. From 2009 to 2015, he was a member of the Idaho Judicial Council.

Susan and Steven have five children and 14 grandchildren. They both enjoy serving in volunteer community and church service activities. In retirement the focus is on travel, grandchildren and serving as volunteers in the Twin Falls Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

[INSERT IMAGE TITLED” Tuft, Steven 50” w/ caption: Steven and Susan.]

Jean R. Uranga

Born in West Point, New York, Jean Rynd Uranga grew up in Bremerton, Washington, graduating from East High School in 1967. Defying the norm for women at the time, she pursued higher education, attending Olympic Junior College before transferring to Western Washington State College. She graduated cum laude in 1971 with a bachelor’s in education, majoring in sociology-anthropology and minoring in elementary education.

A spontaneous decision to take the LSAT, initially on a dare, led Uranga to law. She excelled on the exam and subsequently enrolled at Willamette University, College of Law in 1972, one of only about ten women in her class. There, she met and later married Louis Uranga. She was highly engaged in law school activities, including the Moot Court Board and various committees, and earned several scholarships.

After graduating in 1975, Uranga moved to Boise, Idaho, starting her career as a Deputy Attorney General in the Consumer Protection/Business Regulation Division. She also represented the Idaho State Board of Medicine. In 1980, she co-founded the firm Uranga & Uranga with her husband, specializing in domestic relations, mediation, and administrative law. She has served as a Hearing Officer in nearly 400 cases and mediated over 550.

Uranga has an extensive history of service to the legal community. She volunteered with Bar Exam grading for 13 years and contributed to numerous Bar activities and committees. In 1987, she received the Service Award from the Idaho State Bar. From 1990 to 1993, she served on the Idaho State Bar’s Board of Commissioners, becoming the second woman to hold the title of President of the Idaho State Bar in 1992. In 2001, she became the first woman to preside over both the Idaho State Bar and the Idaho Law Foundation. In recognition of her dedication, the Idaho State Bar honored her with its Professionalism Award in 2003.

Uranga continues to reside and practice law in Boise with her husband. She is a proud mother of two children: her daughter, Maite, is currently in law school, and her son, Mark, is completing medical school.

[INSERT IMAGE TITLED “Uranga, Jean and Louie 50” w/ caption: Jean and Louie Uranga[CC2] .]

Louis L. Uranga

Louie Uranga was admitted to the Idaho Bar in 1975. His first job was at the Boise City Attorney’s Office. After three years, he went into private practice where he remained until retirement in the Fall of 2015. Jean Rynd Uranga, his wife, was his law partner for over 35 years and remains his life partner. Chris Bieter was with our office for several years before he moved on to become a judge. His areas of practice were criminal defense, including a stint as the Boise County Public Defender, small business transactions, small estate planning, probate and adoptions.

Louie’s most notable achievement was having his wife as his law partner for over 35 years and still being married after 50 years. They have two children and four grandchildren that they dote on and who have become the center of their retirement.

Jean and Louie have travelled a lot internationally to every continent except Antarctica, often with their children. He has met his aunt and cousins for the first time while traveling in the Basque Country. His family has white water rafted most of the white-water rivers of Idaho. Both of their children continue to enjoy rafting with their families.

He is a native Idahoan. Graduating from Homedale High School in 1968, College of Idaho in 1972 and Willamette Law School in 1975. He still maintains close ties with his hometown. He put himself through college and law school by smoke jumping, including four years in McCall and two summers in Boise. Smokejumpers are a tightly knit group. Some of Louie’s closest friends are old jumpers. In summary, 75 years old, 50 years married and 35 years of law practice with his wife and he’s still upright. Life is good.

Hon. John C. Vehlow

John Vehlow grew up and educated in the state of Texas. He moved to Idaho in 1975, passed the bar exam and became the first deputy attorney general for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Following short stints in private practice and prosecuting, he went to the bench as a Magistrate Judge in Ada County, during 1987 and served full-time and in a senior capacity for about 35 years, primary in juvenile justice.

He started and facilitated the annual Scales of Justice fishing tournament, benefiting kids on juvenile probation in southern Idaho Counties from 2004 until 2020. He met his wife, Karen, in the cram course from the 1975 bar exam, and have been married for 49 years. They have one child Eric, who is now a lawyer practicing in Idaho, their wonderful daughter in law Katrina and three terrific grandkids, Kack, George, and Landry. John and Karen live on a farm where they raise hay and board horses for other people.

[INSERT IMAGE TITLED “Vehlow, Karen & John 50” w/ caption: John and [CC3] Hon. Karen Vehlow.]

Hon. Karen J. O. Vehlow 

Judge Karen Vehlow grew up on a farm in Illinois and went to college and law school in Michigan, graduating from Wayne State University Law School.  She moved to Idaho in 1975 after practicing briefly in Michigan, took the bar exam and became one of the first 50 female lawyers in Idaho since statehood. Karen began my career as a deputy prosecutor in Ada County and was subsequently selected to serve there as an Attorney Magistrate Judge, becoming the first female to serve in that capacity in Ada County.

            She married John Vehlow in 1976 and left the bench to raise their son Eric. Subsequently, Karen worked as a professor for 18 years at Northwest Nazarene University and ultimately returned to the bench as a senior judge.

            She and her husband live on their farm in the Boise area and are blessed with their son Eric and his family, his wife Katrina and their three grandchildren, Jack, Gage and Landry.

Michael Wasko

Michael Wasko graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law. Michael and his wife Jeanne live in Nezperce, Idaho.

Garry V. Wenske

Garry Wenske served for 20 years as Executive Director of the Frank Church Institute at Boise State University where he was an Adjunct Professor. He also served as the President of the Boise Committee on Foreign Relations and on the Idaho Humanities Council. Currently he serves on the Board of Directors of Global Ties Idaho, and as a Community Member of the Idaho Statesman Editorial Board.

Previously he served in senior positions in Washington, D.C. on the staff of three Senators, four Congressmen, and two Senate Committees. As Legislative Counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Senator Frank Church, he staffed the enactment of the China Claims Act and coordinated one of first trade delegations to China after U.S. recognition. He also served as Assistant Counsel to the Senate Aging Committee, and as a Foreign Policy Assistant on Senator Church’s staff.

After leaving the Senate, he was a Senior Associate with Senator Church’s law firm, Whitman & Ransom, where he represented major international corporate and government clients, including the Republic of China. He received an Eisenhower Fellowship to study in Taiwan.

He also served as Counsel on the presidential campaigns of Senator Church and Senator Paul Simon; as Counsel to Senator Tim Johnson; and as Chief of Staff to several Members of Congress including Congressman Larry LaRocco.

A former Foreign Service officer in the Department of State, he served in the Bureau of Intelligence and as Vice Consul in the U.S. Embassy in Tunisia, where he coordinated the visit of the hospital ship U.S.S. HOPE.

Other organizations for which he has worked include the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, where he supervised elections in Bosnia and Kosovo; and the President’s Commission on Youth Opportunity chaired by Vice President Hubert Humphrey.

A graduate of Borah High School, the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Relations, and the U.S. Foreign Service Institute, he received a law degree from the University of Idaho, his home State. He is a member of the bars of Idaho and the District of Columbia.           Wenske lives in Boise with his wife, Yvonne McCoy, a retired technical writer and supporter of the arts.

[INSERT IMAGE TITLED “Wenske, Garry 50” w/ caption: Gary on the blue turf.]

Keith A. Zollinger

Keith Zollinger first started as an intern in 1974 for McDermott and McDermott in Pocatello. He worked as a public defender for the 6th circuit. He returned in 1975 after being admitted to the bar. He had a private practice and contracted with the 6th District to provide Public Defender services on felonies, juvenile and appellate cases. They handled about 1,300 cases per year.

Keith was appointed the District Public Defender and remained until 1989 when he went to full time private practice. He worked with Peter D., Patricia L. McDermott, Hartwell Blake, Gaylen Box, R. Ted Israel, Ron Jarman, Dennis Olley, Doug Balfour, Marshall Aungier, Doug Balfour, and others.  Three of them were appointed to the bench in the Sixth District. Keith personally handled five first degree murders. One pled down, three acquittals, and one conviction. He had an active civil practice and continued criminal practice.

In 1977 Keith married Jann Browning and had three children. He is now retired and spends time in Island Park and traveling the world including Greece, Mexico, South America, Canada and soon Alaska.

[INSERT IMAGE TITLED “Zolliger, Keith 50” w/ caption: Keith Zollinger in Ecuador where he stopped on the way to Galapagos and Machu Picchu.]