Berthenia Crocker, founding partner, is Of Counsel with Baldwin, Crocker & Rudd. A native of Maryland, Ms. Crocker immediately started her own private practice when she and her husband landed in Lander, Wyoming, and over time she grew fascinated by the complex nature of the issues facing the residents of the Wind River Reservation and surrounding communities. After several years of general practice, she started the firm with Andrew Baldwin and concentrated on federal Indian law.
Her experience ranges from water rights and environmental law to construction law and commercial litigation. Representative cases include DuQoin v. Lander Valley Medical Center (class action establishing right to reduced fee care in local hospitals), Eastern Shoshone Tribe v. Northern Arapaho Tribe (tribal sovereignty in context of federal housing law), Stone v. White (upholding jurisdiction of Tribal Court to adjudicate disputes between tribal members and non-Indians), and Large v. Fremont County (voting rights decision favorable to Native American communities in Fremont County). Ms. Crocker taught various courses including Wind River Youth Legal Education Program, Justice Talking (a course through the Wyoming Council for the Humanities), and Water Quality Training for Tribal Technical Staff.
Ms. Crocker has long been active in the performing arts community and has been a member of the boards of the Fremont County Symphony and the Wyoming Shakespeare Festival Company.
Education
- Juris Doctorate, Washington & Lee University School of Law, Lexington, Virginia, 1978, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif
- Alderson Legal Assistance Program, Burks Scholar, Robert E. Lee Research Scholar, recipient, Lawyer’s Title Award for Excellence in Real Property Law
- Bachelor of Arts, History, Pomona College, Claremont, California, 1971
Employment
- Of Counsel, Baldwin, Crocker & Rudd, P.C., Lander, Wyoming (2019-present)
- Shareholder, Baldwin, Crocker & Rudd, P.C., Lander, Wyoming (1992‑2018)
- Contract Attorney, Whiteing & Thompson, Boulder, Colorado (1991)
- Attorney Advisor, Wind River Environmental Quality Commission, Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes, Fort Washakie, Wyoming (1990‑91)
- In‑House Counsel, Office of Tribal Attorney, Northern Arapaho Tribe, Wind River Reservation, Wyoming (1988‑90)
- Partner, Crocker & Long, Lander, Wyoming (1986‑88)
- Sole Practitioner, Lander, Wyoming (1980‑86)
- Law Clerk, The Hon. Edward S. Smith, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Washington, D.C. (1978‑79)
- Law Clerk, Maryland Attorney General (Natural Resource and Civil Divisions), Annapolis and Baltimore, Maryland (summers 1976‑77)
- Paralegal (litigation and antitrust), McCutcheon, Doyle, Brown & Enersen, San Francisco, California (1974‑75)
Admissions
- Maryland (1978)
- Wyoming (1980)
- Wind River Tribal Court
- U.S. Court of Claims
- U.S. District Court, Districts of Wyoming, Maryland, Colorado, and District of Columbia
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court