Friends of the Bar, 0419 WYBJ, Vol. 42 No. 3. 54
Position | Vol. 42 3 Pg. 54 |
Scott
Ortiz Bar Number: 5-2550 Law School: University of Wyoming
College of Law
Basic
Bio: Scott is a double-graduate of the University of Wyoming,
earning his J.D. with honors in 1988 and his B.A. in History
in 1985. He has been practicing law for over 30 years. He
began his career at a local firm in Scottsbluff, Nebraska,
but soon got a chance to move back to his hometown of Casper
in 1990, where he joined Williams, Porter, Day, &
Neville, PC. He became a shareholder in 1993. Scott is a
trial lawyer specializing in professional liability claims,
defense of transportation carriers, complex litigation, and
labor and employment law with large energy-related employers.
He has tried over 60 jury trials and more than 150
arbitrations and contested case hearings. Scott has served
the Wyoming Bar by working on numerous committees, including
the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee and the Civil
Pattern Jury Instruction Committee. He will soon be finishing
his 6th and final year on the Commission on
Judicial Conduct and Ethics.
After
30 plus years of practice, the best advice I have for new
lawyers is: (1) There is no substitute for good preparation.
(2) Be yourself and develop your own style. (3) Always keep
your sense of humor and never demonize your opponents (even
if they deserve it!). And, (4) keep in mind that Wyoming is a
small state and the Bar is tight knit; karma will come back
to bite you if you are not civil and courteous to others.
A funny
story at happened to me while practicing: When I was a young
lawyer, I lost my temper with an out-of-state opponent. While
we were waiting in the courtroom, I told him,
“Let’s go outside so I can kick your ass.”
He looked at me and said, “Oh, so we are going to
settle this the old ‘Cowboy Way.’” It made
me laugh so hard I was able to come to my senses.
After
three decades of practice, the most rewarding part is
spending days or weeks with a client in a substantial trial
and getting a good result. The worst part is litigating cases
involving horrific tragedies through which people have had to
suffer.
I
admire the following attorneys: Dick Day, Frank Neville, and
Barry Williams. They taught me about the law, but more
importantly, they also taught me about life, family and
friendship.
During
my free time, I like to exercise, snowmobile, golf, wake
surf, gamble, and spend time with family and friends.
When...
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