---
title: "Mike Menahan | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mike-menahan-mt-1st"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-07-30"
---

# Mike Menahan

Montana 1st Judicial District Court · District Judge

## Profile

- Court: Montana 1st Judicial District Court
- State: Montana
- Role: District Judge
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-07-27

## Summary

Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.

## 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

### ex parte materials

Scope: courtwide

Unless a rule or statute provides otherwise, file and serve documents, briefs, proposed orders, proposed judgments, and other communications before presenting them to the court.

Evidence excerpt: no document, including briefs, proposed orders and proposed judgments, or other communications, may be presented to the court at any time unless it is first filed with the court and served on all parties.

[Montana Code Annotated 2025, Uniform District Court Rule 3](https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0250/chapter_0190/part_0010/section_0030/0250-0190-0010-0030.html)
Source checked: 2026-07-30

### pretrial conference

Scope: courtwide

Unless the court orders otherwise, expect a pretrial conference in every contested civil case.

Evidence excerpt: Unless otherwise ordered by the court, a pre-trial conference shall be held in all contested civil cases.

[Montana Code Annotated 2025, Uniform District Court Rule 5](https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0250/chapter_0190/part_0010/section_0050/0250-0190-0010-0050.html)
Source checked: 2026-07-30

### joint pretrial order

Scope: courtwide

No later than seven days before the pretrial conference, the plaintiff must convene all parties to prepare the proposed pretrial order and present it for signature at the conference.

Evidence excerpt: Not later than seven days prior to the pre-trial conference, Plaintiff shall convene a conference of all parties for the purpose of preparing a pre-trial order.

[Montana Code Annotated 2025, Uniform District Court Rule 5](https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0250/chapter_0190/part_0010/section_0050/0250-0190-0010-0050.html)
Source checked: 2026-07-30

### exhibit objections

Scope: courtwide

Identify each trial exhibit and any objection in the pretrial order. An exhibit offered at trial without a stated pretrial-order objection will be admitted.

Evidence excerpt: Any exhibit offered at the trial to which no objection was made in the pre-trial order will be admitted into evidence.

[Montana Code Annotated 2025, Uniform District Court Rule 5](https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0250/chapter_0190/part_0010/section_0050/0250-0190-0010-0050.html)
Source checked: 2026-07-30

### trial witness disclosure

Scope: courtwide

List in the pretrial order the witnesses who may be called, except rebuttal witnesses.

Evidence excerpt: The following witnesses and no others will (may) be called to testify except on rebuttal.

[Montana Code Annotated 2025, Uniform District Court Rule 5](https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0250/chapter_0190/part_0010/section_0050/0250-0190-0010-0050.html)
Source checked: 2026-07-30

### jury instructions

Scope: courtwide

Deliver proposed jury instructions and verdict forms to the court in duplicate, and serve every opposing party, at the time fixed in the pretrial order.

Evidence excerpt: All proposed jury instructions and verdict forms must be delivered to the court in duplicate and a copy served upon all opposing parties at the time fixed in the pre-trial order.

[Montana Code Annotated 2025, Uniform District Court Rule 7](https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0250/chapter_0190/part_0010/section_0070/0250-0190-0010-0070.html)
Source checked: 2026-07-30

### jury instruction authorities

Scope: courtwide

Identify each proposed jury instruction's source and cite supporting authority at the bottom.

Evidence excerpt: Each proposed instruction shall identify at the bottom its source and cite supporting authorities, if any.

[Montana Code Annotated 2025, Uniform District Court Rule 7](https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0250/chapter_0190/part_0010/section_0070/0250-0190-0010-0070.html)
Source checked: 2026-07-30

### proposed findings

Scope: courtwide

Unless the court orders otherwise, file and serve proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law at least seven days before a trial or hearing where Rule 52 requires them.

Evidence excerpt: all parties shall file with the court, and serve upon all opposing parties, at least seven days prior to the scheduled trial or hearing, proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law.

[Montana Code Annotated 2025, Uniform District Court Rule 8](https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0250/chapter_0190/part_0010/section_0080/0250-0190-0010-0080.html)
Source checked: 2026-07-30

### exhibit custody

Scope: courtwide

Every exhibit filed or offered in evidence remains in the clerk's custody unless the court orders a copy substituted or permits withdrawal.

Evidence excerpt: Every exhibit placed on file or offered in evidence shall be held in the custody of the clerk.

[Montana Code Annotated 2025, Uniform District Court Rule 12](https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0250/chapter_0190/part_0010/section_0120/0250-0190-0010-0120.html)
Source checked: 2026-07-30


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://courts.mt.gov/CourtLocator/1stJudicialDistrict)
- [Official roster](https://courts.mt.gov/CourtLocator/1stJudicialDistrict)
- [Montana Judicial Branch official judicial roster](https://courts.mt.gov/CourtLocator/1stJudicialDistrict)
- [Montana Code Annotated 2025, Uniform District Court Rule 3](https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0250/chapter_0190/part_0010/section_0030/0250-0190-0010-0030.html)
- [Montana Code Annotated 2025, Uniform District Court Rule 5](https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0250/chapter_0190/part_0010/section_0050/0250-0190-0010-0050.html)
- [Montana Code Annotated 2025, Uniform District Court Rule 7](https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0250/chapter_0190/part_0010/section_0070/0250-0190-0010-0070.html)
- [Montana Code Annotated 2025, Uniform District Court Rule 8](https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0250/chapter_0190/part_0010/section_0080/0250-0190-0010-0080.html)
- [Montana Code Annotated 2025, Uniform District Court Rule 12](https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0250/chapter_0190/part_0010/section_0120/0250-0190-0010-0120.html)

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## Biography

### Professional career

- Judge of the 1st Judicial District Court of Montana, serving Lewis & Clark and Broadwater Counties, with a term expiring in 2030
- His judicial work spans both civil and criminal matters within his district, and he is accessible through the Lewis & Clark County Clerk’s Office and the Montana Court System’s official locator
- His earlier work included 18 years as a deputy Lewis and Clark County attorney and service in the Montana House of Representatives

### Education

- Undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Montana.

### Additional information

- He won election to the 1st Judicial District Court in 2012 and began serving in 2013.
- Shelley Walt — (406) 447‐8217 (Scheduling Clerk).



## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [Montana Rules of Civil Procedure](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-6e1435089ae82fd2e0c1b0d2) — Civil proceedings in Montana District Courts. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://courts.mt.gov/external/rules/civ_proc.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.
