Lori was born in Butte, Montana, and raised on the family ranch in southwest Montana. She graduated from high school in Twin Bridges, then Montana State University with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. Lori worked as a medical technologist and research assistant in the area of cancer research prior to enrolling in law school. She graduated from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Texas in 1993 and began practicing law in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas where her practice concentrated on international transactions, estate planning, business and real estate transactions and personal injury.
Returning back to Montana in 1999, Lori began practicing in Butte and is now based out of Twin Bridges but maintains her practice throughout southwest Montana. Lori’s practice is a diverse practice that includes all areas of family law, mediation and dispute resolution, business transactions, estate planning, real estate, agriculture, civil litigation, select personal injury claims and water law. Lori is also the attorney for the Town of Twin Bridges.
Lori incorporates over 30 years of legal experience with life experience when meeting, consulting and advising clients. She is personally familiar with the importance of family succession and estate planning, divorce and parenting. Every client is unique and Lori works to be attentive to her clients’ needs, while strategically and aggressively representing their interests unafraid to be a fierce advocate.
Lori is licensed to practice law in Montana, Arizona and Texas. She is a member of the Montana Bar Association, Arizona Bar Association, Texas Bar Association, Montana Trial Lawyers, American Bar Association, Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity, Montana Fifth Judicial District Bar Association, Silver Bow County Bar Association and Montana Family Law Arbitration Association. She serves as the Chairperson of the Legislative Committee of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Montana. She has been involved in 4H, FFA and has a heart for the legacy of agriculture in Montana.
Lori is married and has children and grandchildren that she enjoys spending time with, watching them evolve and grow. She regularly trains in Cross Fit and gets outdoors and moves, never afraid to grow, always encouraging others to be their “best self”.
Bar Admissions
- Texas, 1993
- Montana, 1999
- Arizona, 2005
- U.S. District Court District of Montana
Education
- Cambridge University Law School, Cambridge
- Summer of 1992
- Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Houston, Texas
- J.D. - 1993
- Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
- B.S. - 1986
- Major: Microbiology
Representative Cases
- North Pa. Ins. Co. v. Stucky, 2014 MT 299, 377 Mont.25, 338 P.3d 56, 2014, Montana Supreme Court
- Crowley v. Crowley, 2014 MT 42, 374 Mont. 48, 318 P.3d 1031, 2014, Montana Supreme Court
- Clark v. Heirs & Devisees of Dwyer, 2007 MT 237, 339 Mont. 197, 170 P.3d 927, 2007, Montana Supreme Court
Representative Clients
- Granite Mountain Bank
- JH Associates, L.L.C.
- Need More Land and Cattle Company
Professional Associations and Memberships
- State Bar of Texas, 1993 to Present
- State Bar of Montana, 1999 to Present
- State Bar of Arizona, 2004 to Present
- Fifth Judicial District Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Montana Trial Lawyers' Association
Past Employment Positions
- JD LAW FIRM, P.C., Sole Practitioner, 2002 to 2016
- City Attorney for the Town of Twin Bridges, Montana, 2010-Present
- Edwards Law Firm, Associate Attorney, 2003 to 2005
- McCarthy Law Office, Associate Attorney, 1999 to 2002
- Armstrong Law Office, PLLC, 1996 to 1998
- Law Office of Ramon Rosales, 1995 to 1996
- Rausch Law Office, 1993 to 1995
Pro Bono Activities
- CASA - Fifth Judicial District Voice for Children, Inc.
- School Trustee, Twin Bridges High School, 2010 to 2017
Ancillary Businesses
- Life Coach
- Rancher