Shane Bell grew up on a ranch in Paradise Valley, Humboldt County. He decided during his senior year of high school that he wanted a law degree and he wanted to use it to help protect the ranching way of life.
“I was involved with FFA and public speaking on the issues,” Bell said. “I saw there was a great need for more ag lawyers who had grown up with the experiences I had — experiences like working hard every day, fixing fences and pushing cattle. Seeing the interactions with the federal and state land management agencies sparked my interest in the law.”
Bell, making good on his goal, graduated from Lowry High School with very good grades, then did the same with his undergraduate degree at the University of Wyoming, where he majored in Agriculture Communications. He finished his second year of law school this past spring.
Bell talked to another local graduate, Christie Ingle, who had worked with Judge Michael Montero. Ingle told Bell she thought he might really enjoy an internship with the Sixth Judicial District. Bell contacted Kathy Brumm in Judge Montero’s office before Christmas Break last year and asked if they’d be willing to take him on. The answer was “yes.”
“If someone shows up who wants to work for free, it’s great,” Bell said, adding, “It was fun.”
Bell’s internship earned him four credits through the University of Idaho law school. While here in Winnemucca, he took an eight-week course that included an hour-long Internet class. He was required to keep journals and a time log. He had to send in evaluation forms and writing samples of legal research and briefs he was working on for the Sixth Judicial District.
“I did a lot of research and writing and drafted documents and memos that the judge needed drafted,” Bell said. “I drafted memos on appeals from Justice Court, memos for draft orders — things like that.”
Bell also sat in for law and motion day in court each week. “I was just trying to watch the judge, see how he handles a room. I really liked the way he kept the atmosphere in the courtroom. I believe he really cares and he’s kind and honest.
“This was the first time I’d ever worked in a courtroom setting — it was a great experience,” Bell said. “The staff was great, I wasn’t afraid to ask questions and everyone was so helpful.” Bell said he particularly enjoyed shadowing Montero’s current law clerk, Anthony Miller.
Bell also talked to Rita Fowler, who works on the child support cases for Sixth Judicial District. “I talked to her about my career and her career — she grew up in a ranching family too,” Bell said.
Bell is already back in Boise, Idaho at college. He’s starting his third and final year of law school. His “take-aways” from his summer internship with the Sixth Judicial District include improved writing and research skills. He said he learned so much from being able to “bounce things off of a more experienced law clerk. I learned a lot from Tony,” Bell said.
From the judge, he learned more about interacting with people and handling challenging situations. “I think I actually learned more about people than I did about writing and that’s a valuable skill for an attorney,” Bell said.
After Bell finishes law school in May, he plans to study through the end of July to pass the bar. “I’m going to do what it takes to pass it [the bar exam] the first time because I hear it’s not much fun,” he said. “I’ll take a bar review course, and then work at studying for the bar just like a job. There are video tutorials, worksheets — it’s like a continuation of law school but more condensed and focused specifically on helping you pass the bar.”
And after passing the bar?
It appears that his summer internship may have changed his career trajectory a little.
“I was looking at joining the military as a JAG officer,” Bell explained. “That’s a four-year commitment but I think that before I do that, I’ll look for a clerkship in Nevada so I can be a little closer to home for a while. I’ve been away for seven years now and I’d like to spend some time with my family and be closer to home. I imagine that gets a lot harder as you get older and I don’t think I’ll regret it.”
Judge Michael Montero certainly had good things to say about Bell’s work as an intern this summer. “It was a real pleasure having him as part of our team this summer. As a second year law student, now going into his third year, I was very impressed with his ability to take on new and complicated legal assignments and complete them with very little supervision.”
It would appear Montero will be happy to offer one clerkship option for Bell.
The judge said he has known Shane and his family for a long time and would be very excited to have Bell come clerk for him after graduation next spring. “To have a Lowry graduate return to Winnemucca after law school is exciting for the Court and for our community,” Montero said.
