--- title: "Michael K. Davis | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/michael-k-davis-6085" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Michael K. Davis 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, 2012-present - Wyoming Supreme Court from October 15, 2012 to January 15, 2022, and as chief justice from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2021 - Wyoming Supreme Court Justice (2012–2022): Appointed by Governor Matt Mead on August 30, 2012, to succeed Michael Golden, Davis served until his retirement on January 16, 2022 - Chief Justice (2018–2021): Elected by his colleagues in 2018, he led the court’s administrative operations, chaired the Board of Judicial Policy and Administration, and oversaw the Judicial Nominating Commission - District Judge: Served on Wyoming’s First Judicial District Court in Cheyenne from 2008 to 2012 - Earlier he was a First Judicial District judge in Laramie County from April 1, 2008 to October 14, 2012 - Private Practice: Partner at Yonkee & Toner in Sheridan (1980–2006) and Cheyenne (2006–2008) - Associate and partner at Yonkee and Toner from September 15, 1980 to March 31, 2008 and an intern and paralegal in the Cheyenne US Attorney’s Office in 1978–1979 - In summary: Michael K. Davis is a distinguished Wyoming jurist whose career spans nearly three decades in private practice, judicial service at the state’s highest court, and leadership in the judicial branch, now dedicated to mediation and legal education - He now works as a mediator at Hathaway & Kunz ### Education - a JD with honor, ranked first of 62, from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1980. - He obtained a BA summa cum laude from Western State College of Colorado in 1977 ### Additional information - Larry L. Lehman Award for Judicial Excellence (2021): Honored for scholarly contributions to Wyoming jurisprudence and leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. - Practitioner, 2011-2011 - He served in the US Army in 1973–1975, leaving at SP5/E5. - handling complex civil litigation including medical malpractice, personal injury, government liability, employment disputes, and civil rights claims. - Mediator: Since retirement, Davis has held a position as a mediator, leveraging his decades of litigation and appellate experience to help parties reach fair, practical resolutions. - His civil trial practice covered medical malpractice, personal injury, government liability, employment disputes and civil rights claims. - His firm biography describes more than 200 majority opinions, membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates, and emeritus fellowship in the American College of Trial Lawyers. - Professional Roles: Emeritus Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers; member of the American Board of Trial Advocates; served on the Wyoming Board of Professional Responsibility. ## 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/6085/michael-k-davis/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/6085/michael-k-davis/) - [Wyoming Supreme Court current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/6085/michael-k-davis/) - [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/6085/michael-k-davis/) - [Michael K. Davis biography (secondary, citing Wyoming sources)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_K._Davis) - [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) - [hkwyolaw.com](https://hkwyolaw.com/people/hon-michael-k-davis/) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/6085/michael-k-davis/) - [Michael K. Davis biography (secondary, citing Wyoming sources)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_K._Davis) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/michael-k-davis-6085", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/michael-k-davis-6085", "name": "Michael K. Davis | KnowJudges", "description": "Michael K. Davis, Wyoming Supreme Court. 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