List of first women lawyers and judges in Montana explained

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 graduate from law school or become a political figure.

Firsts in Montana's history

Law School

• First female law graduate: Edna Rankin McKinnon (1919)^[1]

Lawyers

• First female: Ella Knowles Haskell (1888)^{[2] [3] [4]}
• First Native American (Crow Nation) female: Mary Frances Garrigus (c. 1918)^[5]

Law Clerk

• First female to clerk for a Supreme Court of Montana justice: Betty Ann Sias (1945)^[6]

Federal judges

• First female (federal magistrate): Carolyn Ostby (1981) in 2002
• First female (U.S. District Court of Montana): Susan P. Watters (1988) in 2014

State judges

• First female (Chief Justice; Montana Supreme Court): Karla M. Gray (1976) in 2000
• First female (Montana Supreme Court): Diane Barz (1968) in 1989
• First Native American (Navajo) female elected (justice court): Joey Jayne^{[7] [8]}
• First female (youngest): Shannen Rossmiller in 2000^{[9] [10] [11]}

Montana Judicial Court

• Karen Townsend:^{[12] [13]} First female elected as a Judge of the Fourth Judicial District (2011) Missoula and Mineral Counties, Montana
• First female (Twelfth Judicial District): Kaydee Snipes Ruiz (2011) in 2019^[14]
• First female (Thirteenth Judicial District): Diane Barz (1968) in 1978^[15]
• First female (Twentieth Judicial District): Deborah “Kim” Christopher in 2000^[16]

Assistant Attorney General

• First female: Ella Knowles Haskell (1888) in 1893

United States Attorney

• First female: Doris Swords Poppler (1948) in 1990^{[17] [18]}

County Attorney

• First female: Emily E. Sloan (1919) in 1924^[19]

• First female admitted: Edna Rankin McKinnon (1919)
• First female president: Sherry Scheel Matteucci^[20]

Firsts in local history

• Kitty Curtis:^[21] First female judge in Flathead County, Montana (1994)
• Holly Brown:^[22] First female district court judge in Gallatin County, Montana
• Colleen Herrington:^[23] First female chief judge (2023) in Gallatin County, Montana
• Deborah Kim Christopher:^[24] First female to serve as the Lake County Attorney, Montana (1991)
• Jennifer Boatwright-Lint:^[25] 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

Notes and References

1. Book: Capace, Nancy . Encyclopedia of Montana . 2000-01-01 . Somerset Publishers, Inc. . 978-0-403-09604-6 . en.
2. Book: Wishart, David J.. Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. David J. Wishart. 2004. U of Nebraska Press. 0803247877. en.
3. Book: Godey's Magazine. 1896. Godey Company. en.
4. Book: Wishart, David J.. Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. 2004. U of Nebraska Press. 9780803247871. en.
5. News: Mary Frances Garrigus '18. 2015-08-06. Montana's Early Women Lawyers: Trail-blazing, Big Sky Sisters-in-Law. 2016-10-08. en-US.
6. News: Betty Ann Sias '45. 2015-08-06. Montana's Early Women Lawyers: Trail-blazing, Big Sky Sisters-in-Law. 2018-01-05. en-US.
7. Web site: 6 Questions With Joey Jayne, Montana's First Native Woman Justice Court Judge - Indian Country Media Network . 2018-01-23 . indiancountrymedianetwork.com . en-US.
8. Web site: Char-Koosta News - Joey Jayne is the new Justice of Peace . 2018-01-23 . www.charkoosta.com.
9. News: Terrorist Hunter . en . PEOPLE.com . 2018-02-02.
10. News: Conrad woman details her cyber war on terrorism . en . Great Falls Tribune . 2018-02-02.
11. Web site: Case 16: Pipelines and the terrorist hunter .
12. News: Missoulian . BETSY COHEN of the . Townsend sworn in as Missoula's first elected female District Court judge . en . missoulian.com . 2018-01-31.
13. Web site: Larson . Seaborn . Four move forward in appointment process to replace Judge Townsend . 2019-07-22 . missoulian.com . en.
14. Web site: Snipes Ruiz: 'I'm ready' to start as state judge . 2019-02-22 . Havre Daily News.
15. News: 2015-09-12 . Women and the Bench . en-US . Montana's Early Women Lawyers: Trail-blazing, Big Sky Sisters-in-Law . 2017-10-16.
16. Web site: Kimbel-Sannit . Arren . 2024-03-29 . District court judge resigning during judicial standards complaint . 2024-08-15 . Montana Free Press . en-US.
17. News: Doris Swords Poppler '48. 2015-08-06. Montana's Early Women Lawyers: Trail-blazing, Big Sky Sisters-in-Law. 2018-01-31. en-US.
18. News: Billings attorney and former Supreme Court justice Diane Barz dies. Johnson. Clair. The Billings Gazette. 2018-01-31. en.
19. News: Emily E. Sloan '19. 2015-08-06. Montana's Early Women Lawyers: Trail-blazing, Big Sky Sisters-in-Law. 2017-10-16. en-US.
20. Web site: Howard . Tom . Unequal justice? Female lawyers find bias in courtrooms . Billings Gazette . 3 April 2024 . November 8, 1992.
21. Web site: Judge closes 18-year career on bench. DAVIS. JESSE. December 2012. www.dailyinterlake.com. en. 2018-12-31.
22. Web site: Monares . Freddy . 2020-05-22 . County's first female district judge announces retirement . 2024-08-15 . Bozeman Daily Chronicle . en.
23. Web site: 2023-04-13 . 'They value me less': Bozeman's first female chief judge says her salary is lower than male predecessor . 2024-08-15 . KBZK News . en.
24. Web site: Judge Deborah Christopher announces reelection bid. Char-Koosta News. en. 2019-01-02.
25. Web site: Ravalli Co.'s first female District Court Judge takes oath. Maki. Kevin. 2018-09-24. KECI. 2019-01-02.