Tori Kricken

Originally from San Diego, California (lured to Wyoming by her twin sister), Tori Kricken graduated from the University of Wyoming College of Business with a B.S. in Business Administration, summa cum laude, in 1996, and from the University of Wyoming College of Law with a J.D., summa cum laude and Order of the Coif, in 2000, graduating first in her class.

 

She began her legal career in private practice at Brown & Hiser, LLC, where she specialized in commercial and civil law. Tori then served as a Staff Attorney for the Second Judicial District, Albany County, for 17 years before being appointed by Governor Matt Mead as District Judge for the Second Judicial District in 2017. During her judicial career, she also served as Administrative Law Judge, Drug Court Judge, District Court Commissioner, and Circuit Court Magistrate.

Since 2005, Tori has taught for the University of Wyoming College of Law, College of Business, Honors College, and other departments, offering courses on both substantive and procedural areas of law. After retiring from the bench in 2022, she shifted her focus fully to academia, where she is passionate about teaching law and helping undergraduate students engage with legal reasoning and the intersections between law and society. She also teaches for the School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies (SPPAIS) and the Criminal Justice program.

 

Tori continues to serve as Chair of the Civil Pattern Jury Instructions Committee and as a member of the Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions Committee. Her scholarship explores a variety of law-related topics, with a particular focus on the intersection of neuroscience and law.

In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her dog at Happy Jack, spending time outdoors, cooking, and sharing good books and coffee with friends. Her greatest joy is time spent with her son, who attends the University of Wyoming, and her daughter, a freshman at the University of Michigan.