Rachel L. Kolts

I was inspired to pursue a career in public service from a young age thanks in large part to my parents, who have each enjoyed life-long careers in public service. My career as a public service attorney has been and continues to be, incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. I often speak about the many positives of pursuing a career in public service and recommend it to anyone who expresses an interest in it.

I reached out to a handful of public service attorneys throughout the state, ranging from the city level to the federal level, each with unique career paths, and asked them to share their insights and perspectives on working in public service. Here is what they graciously shared with me.

Mia Bautista

Mia Bautista worked in the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office from the second semester of her 2L year up to graduation, where she gained a significant amount of hands-on experience handling the prosecution of cases. She then accepted a position with the Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office where she worked as a Deputy Prosecutor for 10 years. Wanting to work in the same town she was residing in, Mia accepted a position with the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office in Moscow and held the roles of Deputy Prosecutor and Senior Deputy Prosecutor. Six years later, she was appointed to the position of City Attorney for Moscow in 2018 and has held that position since. Mia is the first woman to be appointed as the City Attorney for Moscow.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in public service?

A: My life experiences from my earliest memories of childhood through to high school are what drove me to want to have a career in public service, a career where I could make a difference in people’s lives and positively contribute to society for the greater good. I often think of the quote from Martin Luther King, where he said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” This quote captures my motivation to continue in public service.

Q: What do you like most about being a public service attorney?

A: Early in my career I liked being a voice for not only the state’s interest in the way in which I prosecuted cases, but for the victims and children impacted by crimes. I liked being a part of a solution to help people who in a weak moment made a bad decision, and then tried to find a solution that addressed the root issues and one that would help not only the person who committed the crime, but those who were impacted by the crime. As I have transitioned out of prosecution work and now work as the legal advisor to the City and its representatives, I enjoy providing a broader level of support and guidance to those who make decisions for the City with the public’s best interest in the forefront of their decision making.  

Q: What has surprised you about being a public service attorney?

A: There are many nuances to the law, both civil and criminal, where there always seems to be a situation where it’s a “first impression” issue. I’m constantly learning.

Q: What motivates you to remain in public service?

A: The same motivation that drove me to a career in law.

Q: What recommendation or piece of advice do you have for attorneys who may be considering switching to a career in public service? 

A: If your motivation for work is simply based on the amount of money in your paycheck, public service is not for you. If you want to be able to go home at night and know that you played a role in bettering your community, then public service is the type of career you should pursue.

Terry Derden

Terry Derden’s original goal was to work for the FBI, but after his first summer internship with the Boise City Prosecutor’s Office, he was completely sold on being a prosecutor. Following graduation, he worked as a prosecutor and Deputy City Attorney with the City of Boise for 12 years. Thereafter, he was offered a job with the Ada County Sheriff’s Office as their Chief Legal Advisor (the Chief Legal Advisor is a member of the Sheriff’s Executive Staff and essentially acts as in-house counsel for the Sheriff of Ada County). Terry will be starting his seventh year as counsel for the Sheriff in June 2023.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in public service?

A: Both of my parents were public service attorneys. My mother worked as a deputy attorney general in the appellate division, before moving to be the staff attorney for the Idaho Supreme Court for more than 20 years. My father served as an Assistant United States Attorney for his entire career, retiring as the Criminal Chief in Idaho after 32 years. Through them I was able to meet so many people in public service as prosecutors, defense attorneys, police officers, federal agents that I knew that I wanted to help keep my community safe and work in public service.

Q: What do you like most about being a public service attorney?

A: My favorite thing about being the in-house counsel for the Sheriff these last 7 years has been the variety of what I get to work on day to day. Instead of “Chief Legal Advisor” my title should be “Problem Solver Du Jour.” The variety and scope of what I am asked to work on was also why I loved being a deputy city attorney.  Every government entity gets presented unique problems on a regular basis and it is up to “the attorney” to go understand the problem and find a solution for the client. As opposed to private counsel who usually develop a specialty over the years, I feel like my practice areas broaden every year as we deal with new problems and situations.

Before taking this job, I had never once researched RLUIPA nor ever thought about whether an inmate in jail has a religious right to possess a marijuana plant as part of his religious beliefs (in that one, he was satisfied praying to a drawing of one once we told him he can’t have contraband in the jail) nor did I have ever consider how to legally create an agreement between two county sheriffs so a contract city police department can operate in two different counties at the same time (which was needed once Star, Idaho annexed land into Canyon County so that their city police could have jurisdiction to operate in both Ada and Canyon). Those are the kind of big and small problems I get assigned every day because the Sheriff has a problem and now needs a solution.

Q: What has surprised you about being a public service attorney?

A: The people I have been able to meet and the places I have gotten to go because of this job has been the most surprising. I did not have big plans to become a national speaker or trainer, but as I developed my specialty in the law surrounding “use of force” for police, I have been invited to train or teach all over the country. I have found delivering a keynote to a big audience or doing a two to three hour training with a group of police officers who are hungry to learn how they can be better is a similar feeling to being in a big trial where you have to rely on your knowledge and your persona to get your points across and move the needle in the right direction. It is extremely satisfying in this day and age when I realize that I have an entire room full of people actually engaged in what is being talked about (and not just looking at their phones) because they are finding value in what I am presenting and can use it to be better at their jobs, avoid liability, and keep their communities safer. My hope is that the effort I am making to get that room full of cops to think about how they apply force to a suspect may mean they avoid an excessive use of force incident, avoid injuring someone, avoid a federal lawsuit, but also keep themselves safe so they can go home to their family when their shift is over.

Q: What motivates you to remain in public service?

A: My parents told me (and demonstrated) that I should live a life of service to others and give back to this world in some way to repay what I was given in terms of my life and my opportunities. While I am now teaching my sons to have that same philosophy on life regardless of the career they choose, I also realize that I was very lucky to have been raised in a place like Boise. I am very thankful that I got the chance to go to law school and I am very grateful that I can do this work as Chief Legal Advisor to assist the Sheriff in making policy decisions and political decisions that really affect change for the community. I have a strong sense that my work here helps the Sheriff and deputies here in Ada County provide a safe place for the citizens to live, work, and play. I am happy to do my part to make sure other families feel as lucky to live here as I do with my wife and sons.

Q: What recommendation or piece of advice do you have for attorneys who may be considering switching to a career in public service?

A: Good advice for someone in public service is to be curious and willing to learn. A supervisor once told me that her favorite thing about me when I first worked for her was that when my court case work was done for the day, I came into her office and asked if she had something I could work on. Once I proved I could help with her civil advice projects, she started looking for interesting things to give me to work on so I could expand my knowledge and eventually move up to her level. She and I went on to become great friends and I am always flattered when she calls me these days to ask for my help or opinion on something she is working on! She told me she appreciated that my work ethic meant I was always ready to tackle the next thing. In that same way, being willing to learn and step outside my comfort zone to take on a new client, a new project, or a new case has always been a benefit to me.

Andrea Fontaine

Andrea Fontaine served multiple clerkships before joining the City of Boise as a Deputy City Attorney. After her time with the City of Boise, she joined the law firm of Hawley Troxell, where her primary clients were governmental or quasi-governmental in nature. Andrea then joined the law firm of Anderson, Julian & Hull, where her clients were governmental entities – primarily school districts and charter schools. Thereafter, she accepted the position of Associate General Counsel, and now General Counsel, for the College of Western Idaho, where she has been for the past three and a half years.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in public service?

A: I am not sure that I was inspired to pursue a career in public service so much as I was just naturally attracted to both the work and the environment in which it takes place. Public service just always seemed to be the next logical step for me. I could not attribute my decisions to one inspirational moment or person, though I am sure that the wonderful attorneys I have met who have been on the frontlines for education in Idaho have certainly factored into my desire to be in this field.

Q: What do you like most about being a public service attorney?

A: I like the idea of being part of a broader purpose that has the potential to make an impact over a span of time, and, hopefully, on a vast and diverse population of people. For example, while I may not be directly delivering instruction, I am working to ensure the infrastructure for delivery of affordable and accessible education to students is in place. I take pride in knowing I have played some part in the process when I hear student success stories.

Q: What has surprised you about being a public service attorney?

A: I am surprised by how many different people I meet and work with. I have worked with police officers, HVAC instructors, forensic accountants, nurses, and business executives, all in my experience in public service. I suppose any employee in any field could say that, but I do wonder if there isn’t something about being in public service that offers more opportunities to work with all members of the public rather than a limited segment.

Q: What motivates you to remain in public service?

A: I would like to leave my area of practice in a better state than when I found it, much like the proverbial Idaho camp site.

Q: What recommendation or piece of advice do you have for attorneys who may be considering switching to a career in public service?

A: As with any change in career, the most valuable resources to assist you are typically the personal connections that you have made to others within your desired field. Becoming a member of the Idaho State Bar’s Government & Public Sector Lawyers Section is a great way to make those connections.

Kate Horwitz

After graduating from art school, Kate Horwitz started volunteering with a sexual assault and domestic violence shelter. While there, she was exposed to the state criminal courts and the process of obtaining protective orders for survivors of domestic violence. That led her to law school, after which she clerked for three judges over four years – Judge Robin Cauthron in the Western District of Oklahoma and Judges Mary Beck Briscoe and Robert Bacharach on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. After clerking, Kate joined the Appellate Division in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma. Now, as Executive Assistant United States Attorney with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, she is pleased to work hand-in-hand with federal law enforcement to prosecute a variety of federal crimes, including intellectual property, civil rights, and child exploitation.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in public service?

A: My work with survivors of abuse and rape inspired me to join law enforcement.

Q: What do you like most about being a public service attorney?

A: No doubt, the best part about being a public servant is helping victims of crime obtain justice. While nothing can undo the harm done, obtaining justice for victims is an important part of rebuilding and ensuring the safety of the community.

Q: What has surprised you about being a public service attorney?

A: When I was a young attorney, I underestimated the toll of exposure to difficult subject matters, such as child exploitation. Now, I appreciate the importance of self-care and building the tools necessary to compartmentalize difficult cases.

Q: What motivates you to remain in public service?

A: My colleagues in law enforcement and obtaining justice for victims motivate me to remain in public service. Additionally, the benefit of working in a smaller district is exposure to a variety of challenging legal issues.

Q: What recommendation or piece of advice do you have for attorneys who may be considering switching to a career in public service?

A: Do it. The value added to your life through work in which you believe can’t be overstated. For those with loans, public service work allows loan forgiveness that can assist with the realities of pursuing work in public service.

Megan Larrondo

A Boise native, Megan Larrondo attended law school at the University of Washington. After graduating law school, she joined the Seattle-based law firm Holmes, Weddle & Barcott, where she primarily practiced maritime personal injury law and Alaska election law for 8 years. Upon her return to Idaho, she spent almost 5 years in the Civil Litigation Division of the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, where she litigated high profile constitutional law issues before accepting a position as a Deputy City Attorney with the City of Boise. Megan is the City’s head in-house civil litigator. 

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in public service?

A: I wanted the opportunity to practice in areas of law that are typically less available to private practice practitioners. I think of government practice as practicing ‘the law that is in the news,’ which lends some excitement to the everyday work of litigation.

Q: What do you like most about being a public service attorney?

A: I love being on the cutting edge of developing legal issues. When the law is in flux, you can be more creative with the legal arguments you bring before the court and good lawyering can really make a difference.

Q: What has surprised you about being a public service attorney?

A: I have been most surprised by how collegial the practice is. In my experience, private practice did not facilitate the same degree of collaboration that I have experienced in the public sector. I have been able to work with very talented attorneys in the public sector who have helped me grow and develop as an attorney, and I have made good friends through my public sector work.

Q: What motivates you to remain in public service?

A: There is no chance of getting bored. Every day brings a new challenge that I get to address with people who are fun to work with.

Q: What recommendation or piece of advice do you have for attorneys who may be considering switching to a career in public service?

A: Join the Government & Public Sector Lawyers Practice Section of the Idaho State Bar and attend the monthly meetings to get a flavor of the areas of law that frequently come up. If you are concerned about taking a pay cut in moving to public service, remember to factor in the value of the benefits.

Denise Rosen

Denise Rosen attended the University of Idaho College of Law. While there, she interned at the Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office, where she discovered her love and enjoyment of working in public service. Following graduation, she accepted a position with that same office where she worked as a Deputy Prosecutor, and later as the Elected Prosecutor, for approximately 10 years. Denise transitioned to private practice by opening her own law firm and accepted a part-time position as the Chief Deputy Prosecutor for Clearwater County. Life changes took her to Coeur d’Alene where she got back into prosecution full-time with the Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office. About 18 months later, she joined the Attorney General’s Office as a Regional Deputy Attorney General assigned to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Region 1 in Coeur d’ Alene, where she has been for the past 15 years.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in public service?

A: My parents initially inspired me through their work in public service. My mother taught at the high school level. My dad taught at the grade school and junior high levels before becoming a principal. They really instilled in me that we all have an obligation to take part in and give back to our community. It seemed natural for me to enter into the public service world.  For me I was given the gift of the law and I feel that it should be used to help others.

Q: What do you like most about being a public service attorney?

A: What I like most is being in a position to support my clients with their various legal issues. The issues that come up in my practice are unique and varied. Every day is a different challenge and I enjoy being a part of the solution to the extent that I can.

Q: What motivates you to remain in public service?

A: This might be the question where I say the money, benefits and retirement are what motivate me. We all need those, but that is not why I stay. For me, there is a deep desire to make a difference every day. Whether that difference is in the individual lives that are touched by what I do or making a difference for my clients. I hope that my clients have a better understanding of how they impact the law and how important their work is to what the law delivers to others.  The work impacts me every day – it makes a difference in me. I believe I am a better person for having served as a public sector lawyer.

Q: What recommendation or piece of advice do you have for attorneys who may be considering switching to a career in public service?

A: If you are considering a career in public service, ask yourself why. If you have a desire at all try it, you will be exposed to so many different perspectives of the law that you may have never thought you would enjoy or have a desire to do. A decision to pursue a career in public service, in my opinion, is not one that you will regret.

Shawn Wilkerson

Before entering law school, Shawn Wilkerson was a volunteer guardian ad litem for Idaho’s Sixth Judicial District’s Court Appointed Special Advocate program in Pocatello. During law school, he interned with Sunil Ramalingam, now Judge Ramalingam, who had a public defense contract with Latah County. Upon graduation, Shawn was a contract attorney at a civil law firm for about a year before accepting a position at the State Appellate Public Defender’s Office. Thereafter, he transitioned to another civil firm for two years before accepting a position working for Terry Ratliff, who has a public defense contract with Elmore County. Shawn then joined the Ada County Public Defender’s Office where he currently handles a felony caseload.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in public service?

A: I am from Eastern Idaho and was raised in a culture that promotes public service.

Q: What do you like most about being a public service attorney?

A: While this may sound cliché, it’s the small victories that help an individual client. Something as simple as getting an exception to a no contact order so a parent can maintain a relationship with their child by writing letters.

Q: What has surprised you about being a public service attorney?

A: I haven’t been surprised. The workload in my public service positions is comparable to the work load I experienced in the private sector, both as to the quantity and complexity of cases.

Q: What motivates you to remain in public service?

A: The totality of my experiences that brought me into public service provides an ongoing motivation to continue. I really enjoy the support I receive and camaraderie I experience with my co-workers. Idaho’s criminal defense/public defender community is generally tight-knit and supportive. The opportunity to help a client navigate a difficult situation, and hopefully, improve an outcome is satisfying. 

Q: What recommendation or piece of advice do you have for attorneys who may be considering switching to a career in public service?

A: You will probably work just as hard as you did in the private sector. Public service provides the ability to directly help an individual or an individual family without constraints based on a client’s ability to afford your services. At the same time, public service, especially criminal defense, requires a unique tenacity, as you navigate difficult fact patterns and complicated attorney-client relationships. Negative outcomes for clients can be especially hard to handle.

Nick Woychick

Nick Woychick attended the University of Idaho College of Law from 1985-88 and graduated cum laude. During that time, he held an externship with the Idaho Supreme Court and worked a summer at Hawley Troxell Ennis and Hawley. Following graduation, he served a two-year clerkship with the Honorable Harold L. Ryan in the United States District Court for the District of Idaho. Upon completion of his clerkship in 1990, Nick joined Hawley Troxell Ennis and Hawley as an associate. In 1995, he left private practice and accepted an appointment as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office, Civil Division. He has worked for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho for over 28 years and has held several positions, including Assistant United States Attorney, Senior Litigation Counsel, and Civil Chief.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in public service?

A: My career in public service was inspired by several factors, including my interests in assuming more ownership of, and responsibility over, my cases and defensive civil litigation practice; moving toward a more sustainable work-life balance with my young family; practicing with the Assistant United States Attorneys I had met and observed during my two-year clerkship; and securing peace of mind, long-term benefits, and financial security.

Q: What do you like most about being a public service attorney?

A: It is difficult to identify the one thing that I like most about my work in the United States Attorney’s Office. There are several aspects of public service work that I really enjoy, including the ability to spend the time needed to develop cases and confer with colleagues. I also appreciate having access to the vast collection of departmental resources, practice guides and subject matter experts. Working in this office, we also have the luxury of “doing justice,” largely unconstrained by the bottom line or billable hour expectations.

Q: What has surprised you about being a public service attorney?

A: One of the things that surprised me most about my work in the United States Attorney’s Office was the number of quality and talented attorneys who work for the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office. Many of these attorneys could have easily worked for (and in many cases have previously worked for) nationally renowned law firms. While they all have their reasons for being public service attorneys, it is reassuring to me as an attorney and a taxpayer to know that the federal government’s interests are well represented and in good hands.

Q: What motivates you to remain in public service?

A: The things that inspired me to accept an appointment as an Assistant United States Attorney in 1995 and the things that I enjoy the most about my work in this office continue to be the things that motivate me to remain in public service. At this point in my career, it is hard to imagine working outside the public sector.

Q: What recommendation or piece of advice do you have for attorneys who may be considering switching to a career in public service?

A: I would encourage attorneys who are considering a career in public service to look beyond the immediate financial benefits of private practice and weigh that against the meaningful and gratifying nature of public sector work, job security, pension and health insurance benefits that extend into retirement, a realistic work-life balance, and a collegial work environment that an attorney can experience in the federal system. At the core, attorneys who are contemplating a change should consider “how much is your time worth?” and “how do you want to spend it?” I believed in 1995, and believe even more now, that I made the right choice.

Conclusion

If you are thinking of pursuing a career in public service, I hope these accomplished professionals serve as inspiration.  Their insights and perspectives showcase the opportunities and rewards that come with choosing a path of service for the greater good.

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