Office of Bar Counsel

• Citation: Vol. 38 No. 4 Pg. 14
• Publication year: 2015
• Pages: 14
• Year: 2015

Office of Bar Counsel Vol. 38 No. 4 Pg. 14 Wyoming Bar Journal August, 2015

Mark W. Gifford Bar Counsel

Passages

On consecutive days in mid-July, it was my privilege to attend retirement celebrations for two iconic Wyoming lawyers, two shining examples of the mark that can be made in this state by people with passion, dedication, integrity and a law degree. The first event was a special session of the Wyoming Supreme Court to commemorate Justice Marilyn Kite’s 15 years on the bench. The Governor spoke, as did each of the Justices. Justice Hill reminisced about a friendship that has endured 50 years, and ended his heartfelt remarks with an emotional, “Here’s to 50 more!”

The next day I was in Casper for an event to honor Mike Sullivan, who is turning in the keys to the office after a remarkable 51-year career. Lawyers, judges and friends came from throughout the state – and many from outside of Wyoming – to wish Mike well in retirement. Toward the end of the evening, as he surveyed a large room filled with friends, family, and colleagues with whom he had spent decades building relationships as only he is able, Mike gave an impromptu talk about “buried memories . . . (adding, with his distinctive, wry smile and a wink) and many of them should remain buried.”

The biographies of these remarkable individuals are the stuff of fiction. Marilyn Stebner, a...