Wendy Holton - Helena, MT
Wendy Holton Overview
Wendy received her J.D. from the University of Montana School of Law in 1984 and was a Prettyman Fellow at Georgetown University where she received her L.L.M. in Criminal Law in 1988. After completing a clerkship with the Honorable Gordon R. Bennett, she hung out her shingle in 1989. Her practice is limited to criminal defense in state and federal court at both the trial and appellate level with an emphasis on defending persons charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
Wendy currently serves as President of the Montana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and, by appointment of the Montana Supreme Court, on the Montana Criminal Jury Instructions Commission, and the Montana Evidence Commission. She served on the Montana Public Defender Commission from 2005-2008, the Conference Executive Committee of the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference from 2006-2009, the Ninth Circuit Advisory Rules Committee from 2004-2007, was a lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference from 2003-2006, and was President of the Montana Chapter of the Federal Bar Association in 2004-2005. She is AV rated.
Practice Areas
- DUI/Drunk Driving/Super DUI 60%
- Criminal Defense 40%
Litigation
- 80% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Current Employment Position(s)
- Sole Practitioner
Bar Admissions
- Montana, 1984
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1990
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1990
- U.S. District Court District of Montana, 1987
Other Affiliations
- Montana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers , 2009 - 2011 (President)
- Federal Bar Association , 2004 - 2005 (President of the Montana Chapter)
- National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
- National College for DUI Defense
- State Bar of Montana, Criminal Defense Section
- State Bar of Montana
- First Judicial District Bar Association
Education
- Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, District of Columbia,
1988
LL.M., Master of Law(s) - University of Montana School of Law, Missoula, Montana,
1984
J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence
Honors: With High Honors
Honors: AmJur Award for Excellence in Labor Law - Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
B.S.
Honors: With Highest Honors
Honors: Outstanding Accounting Major 1978
Major: Accounting
Past Positions
- The Honorable Gordon Bennet, Law Clerk, 1988
- Georgetown University Law Center, Prettyman Fellow, 1984 - 1986
- Missoula County Attorney’s Office, Intern, 1983 - 1984
- Montana Criminal Law Information, Research Assistant, 1982 - 1983
- Eastern Montana College, Instructor of Accounting, 1981 - 1982
Classes and Seminars
- Anatomy of a Criminal Case , Presentation by the Montana Judicial Institute to high school teachers
- The Art and Science of DUI Defense in Montana , to State Public Defenders
- How to Keep Your State Court Client Out of Federal Court , Montana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and State Public Defenders
- Ethics, (Minnesota Society for Criminal Justice, 12th Annual Seminar
- Federal Sentencing Guidelines Panel , Montana Bar Association Annual Meeting
- Admissibility of the Preliminary Breath Test in Montana, Panel Discussion, Montana County Attorney’s Association Summer Training Conference
- Ethics 101 for the DUI Practitioner , Minnesota Society for Criminal Justice, Annual Seminar,
- Preparing and Conducting Criminal Litigation in Federal Court, Panel Discussion , United States District Court, Montana Chapter Federal Bar Association, and the Federal Practice Section of the Montana State Bar, Federal Practice Program
- Appellate Practice – The Montana Perspective , State Bar of Montana CLE Institute – Criminal Defense CLE
- Finding the Truth Through the Use of Pretrial Motions and Jury Instructions, State Bar of Montana CLE Institute – Criminal Defense CLE
Fraternities and Sororities
- Phi Kappa Phi
- Tau Pi Phi
Honors
- Prettyman Fellow, Georgetown University Law Center
Photos
Address
7 West 6th Ave
Suite 4N
Helena,
MT 59601
Phones
406-442-9349
Faxes
406-443-4829
