---
title: "E. James Burke | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/e-james-burke-6083"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-07"
---

# E. James Burke

Wyoming Supreme Court · Judge

## Profile

- Court: Wyoming Supreme Court
- State: Wyoming
- Role: Judge
- Service status: former
- Last verified: 2026-08-22

## Summary

Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.

## Biography

### Professional career

- Judge, Wyoming Supreme Court, 2005-present
- Retired on October 8, 2018, leaving a legacy of judicial leadership, public legal education, and efforts to advance equal justice in Wyoming
- Justice E. James Burke Retiring October 8, 2018 - Wyoming Judicial Branch Justice Burke’s career as a jurist includes 24 years as an attorney in private practice, three years as a district court judge in Cheyenne, and nearly 14 years as a Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court—four of which he served as Chief Justice
- Chief Justice – Elected by fellow justices in 2014, serving until his retirement in 2018
- Retired justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court, serving from 2005 until his retirement in 2018, and later as Chief Justice — 2014–2018
- Wyoming Supreme Court Justice – Appointed by Governor Dave Freudenthal in January 2005, serving until October 8, 2018
- Initiating the “You Be the Judge” program to improve public understanding of law
- Chairing the Access to Justice Commission, which created the Wyoming Center for Legal Aid (now Equal Justice Wyoming)
- In summary: E. James Burke was a distinguished Wyoming jurist whose 13‐year tenure on the state’s highest court and his leadership in judicial education and access to justice programs left a lasting impact on Wyoming’s legal system

### Education

- University of Wyoming — J.D. (1977)
- St. Joseph’s College in Philadelphia, PA — B.S. (1971)
- Saint Josephs College — B.A.
- University of Wyoming College of Law
- University of St. Joseph's College
- Saint Joseph’s University — B.S.

### Additional information

- Practitioner, 2004-2004
- Private practice, Cheyenne, until 2001
- Upon graduation, he entered the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at F.E. Warren AFB until 1974
- Salesianum School, 1967
- Born June 26, 1949
- Date of birth: 1949
- During his tenure, Burke delivered annual State of the Judiciary addresses, addressed judicial administration and funding issues, and authored over 400 published opinions, including notable cases such as Schreibvogel v
- Burke was born in Wilmington, Delaware, and grew up in a stable, middle‐class household before his father’s sudden death at age eight, which led his mother to work as a secretary at a law firm, sparking his interest in law
- Founded and led the People’s Law School, a public education program about the legal system

## Before you appear

- Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.
- Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.
- Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.

## Courtroom Rules

### cameras and communication devices

Scope: courtwide

Wyoming Supreme Court Rule 5 restricts recording and wireless device use during its proceedings. Counsel may use muted internet-capable laptops at counsel table unless otherwise ordered; other wireless devices require express permission.

Evidence excerpt: Use of Cameras: Communication Devices (Rule 5. of Rules of Sup. Court).

[Use of Cameras: Communication Devices, Rule 5 of the Rules of the Supreme Court](https://www.wyocourts.gov/supreme-court)
Source checked: 2026-07-29


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/6083/e-james-burke/)
- [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/6083/e-james-burke/)
- [Wyoming Supreme Court current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/6083/e-james-burke/)
- [Use of Cameras: Communication Devices, Rule 5 of the Rules of the Supreme Court](https://www.wyocourts.gov/supreme-court)
- [Use of Cameras: Communication Devices, Rule 5 of the Rules of the Supreme Court](https://www.wyocourts.gov/supreme-court)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/6083/e-james-burke/)
- [Justice E. James Burke Retiring October 8, 2018 - Wyoming Judicial Branch](https://www.wyocourts.gov/news/justice-e-james-burke-retiring-october-8-2018)
- [Justice E. James Burke to be next Chief Justice - Wyoming Judicial Branch](https://www.wyocourts.gov/news/justice-e-james-burke-to-be-next-chief-justice)
- [Wikidata: E. James Burke](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16240900)
- [Rules of the Supreme Court of Wyoming, Rule 5](https://www.wyocourts.gov/app/uploads/2025/03/Use-of-CamerasCommunication-Devices-Rule-5.-of-Rules-of-Sup.-Court.pdf)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/6083/e-james-burke/)
- [Justice E. James Burke Retiring October 8, 2018 - Wyoming Judicial Branch](https://www.wyocourts.gov/news/justice-e-james-burke-retiring-october-8-2018)
- [Justice E. James Burke to be next Chief Justice - Wyoming Judicial Branch](https://www.wyocourts.gov/news/justice-e-james-burke-to-be-next-chief-justice)
- [Wikidata: E. James Burke](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16240900)

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