Casper’s Craig Silva takes the helm of the Wyoming State Bar

Casper native Craig P. Silva is stepping into one of the state’s most prominent legal roles, named president of the Wyoming State Bar — the body that regulates the practice of law from admissions to discipline across Wyoming. The announcement capped a busy stretch for the Bar following last week’s Annual Meeting & Judicial Conference in Laramie.

Silva’s appointment arrived alongside a flurry of kudos, including recognition for The Spence Law Firm in Casper for its pro bono work and more than 350 volunteer hours with the Court Navigator Pilot Program — a nod to the growing demand for legal help and the attorneys pitching in to meet it.

For Silva, the new post is the latest chapter in a career rooted in Wyoming. A Kelly Walsh High School grad from the Class of ’87, he earned his law degree from the University of Wyoming in 1996, then clerked for Judge Ryckman in the Third Judicial District in Rock Springs. He went on to see the justice system from both sides of the aisle in Casper, serving in the Public Defender’s Office and later in the District Attorney’s Office, before moving into private practice at Williams, Porter, Day and Neville, PC, where he became a shareholder. In 2023, he returned to public service as a federal public defender for the Wyoming and Colorado districts.

Silva also sits on the board of the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association, experience that dovetails with the Bar’s day-to-day mission of upholding professional standards and supporting the state’s legal community. He succeeds James T. Whiting of Lander as president, taking over at a moment when access to justice, attorney recruitment, and evolving court programs are all front-burner issues.

With deep ties to Casper and a résumé that spans prosecution, defense, private practice, and federal service, Silva brings a wide-angle view to the job — and the kind of Wyoming-first perspective that often shapes how the Bar navigates the state’s unique legal landscape.

The original story by Greg Hirst for Oil City News.