In response to comments made by Montana attorney Jim Goetz during a State Bar seminar in April 2023, 19 Republican state senators, led by Sen. John Fuller, have called for an apology from the State Bar of Montana.
They claim that Goetz’s remarks, which criticized GOP figures like Governor Greg Gianforte and the Montana Supreme Court, were inappropriate for a State Bar-sponsored event. They argue that the Bar implicitly endorsed these comments by sponsoring the panel, which included Goetz, and that such conduct should not be tolerated at official gatherings.
The senators’ letter demands an apology from the State Bar and calls for the publication of new guidelines encouraging a diversity of viewpoints in future events.
They also request that the Bar’s president, Toni Tease, appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 7 to address the matter.
In her response, Tease emphasized that individual comments do not reflect the Bar’s stance, and clarified that Goetz’s remarks were made in a personal capacity, not as a representative of the organization. Goetz himself argued that the senators were using him to deflect from ongoing issues involving Attorney General Austin Knudsen.
The controversy also touches on broader concerns about judicial independence and perceived biases within the state’s judicial branch, with the senators accusing the State Bar and the judiciary of harboring partisan leanings.
As part of their effort, the senators are pushing for reforms, including making State Bar membership voluntary and promoting more balanced participation in legal education programs.