Wyo. governor appoints new justice to state SC

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Legal Newsline) -- Catherine M. Fox has been appointed the newest member of the Wyoming Supreme Court.

Gov. Matt Mead made the announcement Thursday.

Fox will replace Justice Barton Voigt, who announced his retirement from the bench in August. His retirement is effective Jan. 3.

Fox currently is a partner at Davis & Cannon in Cheyenne.

Before joining the law firm, she was a law clerk for Judge Clarence Brimmer for the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming.

Fox graduated at the top of her class at the University of Wyoming College of Law.

She also has worked on her family's dude ranch near Dubois.

"This was an extremely difficult decision to make. All three of the candidates are well qualified to serve on the Supreme Court and they all had outstanding interviews," Mead said in a statement.

"I thank the Judicial Nominating Commission for sending me such strong lawyers to consider for this position."

The other two nominees were Patrick R. Day, an attorney with Holland & Hart in Cheyenne, and Robert W. Tiedeken of Wolf Tiedeken & Woodward.

"In the end, I had to make a choice, and I believe Kate will do an extraordinary job. She has varied experience, representing large companies, government entities and individuals. She has also done pro bono work supporting a Wyoming adoption group," the governor said.

"Her keen mind and appreciation for the Wyoming and U.S. constitutions will be great assets for our state."

Fox said in a statement she is "honored" to join the court.

"Since starting law school I have felt right at home with the law. I have a great affinity for it as well as for justice. I enjoy the challenge of reading cases and synthesizing the law, the facts and legal theory, and I am eager to sit on the bench with our accomplished justices," she said.

Fox will be the second woman to serve on the high court.

From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by email at jessica@legalnewsline.com.