MTACDL - Lawyers of the Year

ANTHONY GALLAGHER 

Federal Defender

Great Falls, Montana

Anthony R. (Tony) Gallagher graduated with distinction from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh. Following decorated service in the United States Army during the Viet Nam conflict, he received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law, Baltimore, Maryland. Tony has practiced primarily criminal law in both public and private positions for nearly thirty years. In 1992 he was selected as the first Executive Director of the Federal Defenders of Montana, Inc., a Community Defender Organization, where he represents a full complement of trial and appellate level clients. In addition to his duties as Federal Defender for the District of Montana, he currently is Chair of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts/Department of Justice Joint Working Group on Electronic Technology in the Criminal Justice System and is the senior member of the Defender Services Advisory Group. Tony has served as an adjunct professor, a guest lecturer, and a featured speaker on criminal defense topics throughout the United States. In his spare time, he is a college and high school football official.

Tony was selected as lawyer of the year in consideration of his dedication to indigent defense in Montana. Since 1991 Tony has worked tirelessly to build a program of indigent defense that has often been termed "the best defense that money can't buy". Tony's work in improving the level of defense practice in federal court has also influenced state criminal defense practice in Montana. Tony's hard work in putting together seminars and other continuing legal education programs has resulted in a new enthusiasm for criminal defense practice in Montana. Tony has also established a tradition of one lawyer helping another through confidential sessions where cases are brainstormed for new ideas or particular legal problems are talked out and addressed. These and other efforts by Tony warranted his recognition as lawyer of the year.