After the internship, I took a position working for Montana State University-Billings as a legislative lobbyist. At the end of the legislative session, I entered graduate school at the University of Montana in Missoula in an effort to obtain a Master’s Degree in philosophy. I should note that by this time I had begun to date my friend / classmate / co-director, Nicole. After completing 3 years of classwork toward my Master’s Degree, I began work on my graduate thesis entitled “John Rawls and the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention.” The more I researched the Montana Constitutional Convention, the more I became convinced that I wanted to be a lawyer, specifically a criminal defense lawyer.

In fall of 2002, I enrolled in the University of Montana School of Law. When not in law school, I worked for Norm Grosfield, an attorney in Helena, and John Shontz, also an attorney in Helena. My third year of law school was eventful. I was lucky enough to obtain placement in the prestigious Criminal Defense Clinic, working with Professor Jeffrey Renz. I was also working part-time as a lobbyist for the Montana Newspaper Association. I graduated from UM Law and frantically started to study for the bar exam. Upon successful completion of the bar exam, I started working for the firm of McLaverty & Associates, practicing exclusively criminal defense. I worked with Mr. McLaverty for approximately 8 months when I suffered catastrophic heart failure. This problem sidelined my legal career for approximately 7 months while I recovered from a heart transplant in Spokane, Washington. Thankfully, Nicole was attending graduate school in Spokane at the same time I was having my ticker transplanted.

I returned to McLaverty & Associates in the fall of 2006 and eagerly resumed my criminal defense career. Then in April of 2007, I was approached by John E. Smith to see if I would be interested in working for him. I eagerly accepted the job and have been working here ever since. Nicole is now my wife / classmate / co-director, etc., my new heart is beating like a bass drum, and I love practicing criminal defense law. At this time, my practice is mainly in Federal Court, and in the Montana Supreme Court. However, I love all arenas and eagerly accept any challenge that comes my way.

I have been fortunate to be welcomed into a larger community of Montana attorneys as well and have been asked to serve in a variety of posts among organizations which mean a great deal to me.  I am honored to be the current President of the Montana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyer as well as Chairman of the Criminal Law Section for the State Bar.  I have also been asked and am serving on the Board of Directors for the Montana Innocence Project.  I have had opportunities to volunteer in years past and I can now continue this important work helping other attorneys fighting to exonerate those falsely imprisoned.