List of first women lawyers and judges in Montana

This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Montana. It includes the year in which the women were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are women who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to obtain a law degree or become a political figure.

Firsts in state history

Ella Knowles Haskell: First female lawyer in Montana (1888)

Susan P. Watters: First female judge of the U.S. District Court in Montana (2014)

Lawyers

• Ella Knowles Haskell (1888):[1][2][3] First female lawyer in Montana
• Mary Frances Garrigus (c. 1918):[4] First Native American (Crow Nation) female lawyer in Montana

Law Clerk

• Betty Ann Sias (1945):[5] First female lawyer serve as a Law Clerk for a Justice of the Supreme Court of Montana (1945)

Judge

• Shannen Rossmiller:[6][7][8] First to become the youngest female appointed as a judge in Montana's history (2000)

Justice Court

• Joey Jayne:[9][10] First Native American (Navajo) female elected as Judge of the Justice Court in Montana

District Court

• Diane Barz (1968):[11] First female appointed as a Judge of the Thirteenth Judicial District in Montana (1978)
• Kaydee Snipes Ruiz (2011):[12] First female appointed as a Judge of the Twelfth Judicial District in Montana (2019)

Supreme Court

• Diane Barz (1968):[11] First female appointed as a Justice of the Montana Supreme Court (1989)
• Karla M. Gray (1976):[11] First female justice appointed as the Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court (2000)

District Court

• Susan P. Watters (1988):[11] First female judge of the U.S. District Court in Montana (2014)

Federal Magistrate

• Carolyn Ostby (1981):[11] First female lawyer to become a Federal Magistrate in Montana (2002)

Assistant Attorney General

• Ella Knowles Haskell (1888):[1][2][3] First female Assistant Attorney General of Montana (1893)

United States Attorney

• Doris S. Poppler (1948):[13][14] First female U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana (1990)

County Attorney

• Emily E. Sloan (1919):[15] First female County Attorney in Montana (1924)

Bar Association

• Sherry Matteucci:[16] First female to serve as the President of the State Bar of Montana

Firsts in local history

Alphabetized by county name

Flathead County

• Kitty Curtis:[17] First female judge in Flathead County, Montana (1994)

Lake County

• Deborah Kim Christopher:[18] First female to serve as the Lake County Attorney, Montana (1991)

Mineral County

• Karen Townsend:[19][20] First female elected as a Judge of the Fourth Judicial District (2011) [Missoula and Mineral Counties, Montana]

Missoula County

• Karen Townsend:[19][20] First female elected as a Judge of the Fourth Judicial District (2011) [Missoula and Mineral Counties, Montana]

Ravalli County

• Jennifer Boatwright-Lint:[21] First female to serve as a district court judge in Ravalli County, Montana (2018)

See also

• List of first women lawyers and judges in the United States
• Timeline of women lawyers in the United States
• Women in law

Other topics of interest

• List of first minority male lawyers and judges in the United States
• List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Montana

References

1. Wishart, David J. (2004). Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0803247877.
2. Godey's Magazine. Godey Company. 1896.
3. Wishart, David J. (2004). Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 9780803247871.
4. "Mary Frances Garrigus '18". Montana's Early Women Lawyers: Trail-blazing, Big Sky Sisters-in-Law. 2015-08-06. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
5. "Betty Ann Sias '45". Montana's Early Women Lawyers: Trail-blazing, Big Sky Sisters-in-Law. 2015-08-06. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
6. "Terrorist Hunter". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
7. "Conrad woman details her cyber war on terrorism". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
8. "Case 16: Pipelines and the terrorist hunter" (PDF).
9. "6 Questions With Joey Jayne, Montana's First Native Woman Justice Court Judge - Indian Country Media Network". indiancountrymedianetwork.com. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
10. "Char-Koosta News - Joey Jayne is the new Justice of Peace". www.charkoosta.com. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
11. "Women and the Bench". Montana's Early Women Lawyers: Trail-blazing, Big Sky Sisters-in-Law. 2015-09-12. Retrieved 2017-10-16.
12. News, Havre Daily. "Snipes Ruiz: 'I'm ready' to start as state judge". Havre Daily News. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
13. "Doris Swords Poppler '48". Montana's Early Women Lawyers: Trail-blazing, Big Sky Sisters-in-Law. 2015-08-06. Retrieved 2018-01-31.
14. Johnson, Clair. "Billings attorney and former Supreme Court justice Diane Barz dies". The Billings Gazette. Retrieved 2018-01-31.
15. "Emily E. Sloan '19". Montana's Early Women Lawyers: Trail-blazing, Big Sky Sisters-in-Law. 2015-08-06. Retrieved 2017-10-16.
16. Smith, Cynthia (August 2009). "My goals for the State Bar" (PDF). The Montana Lawyer. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
17. DAVIS, JESSE (December 2012). "Judge closes 18-year career on bench". www.dailyinterlake.com. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
18. "Judge Deborah Christopher announces reelection bid". Char-Koosta News. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
19. Missoulian, BETSY COHEN of the. "Townsend sworn in as Missoula's first elected female District Court judge". missoulian.com. Retrieved 2018-01-31.
20. Larson, Seaborn. "Four move forward in appointment process to replace Judge Townsend". missoulian.com. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
21. Maki, Kevin (2018-09-24). "Ravalli Co.'s first female District Court Judge takes oath". KECI. Retrieved 2019-01-02.