Special Assistant Attorney General

Jay A. Jerde

Jay was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. He graduated from the University of Wyoming with a B.S.degree in Economics in 1988. After graduation, Jay served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Western Samoa for two years, where he taught Economics at Samoa College, a senior secondary school located in the capital city of Apia. After returning to Wyoming, Jay graduated from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1994. He served as the law clerk for Judge Edward Grant and Judge Nicholas Kalokathis of the Wyoming First Judicial District Court before joining the Wyoming Attorney General's Office in 1996. As an Assistant Attorney General, Jay's areas of practice included bank regulatory law, state tax law, civil rights and tort defense litigation, and natural resources litigation. In recent years, he has represented the State as lead counsel in numerous federal court cases involving environmental or natural resources matters, including gray wolf delisting and grizzly bear delisting. In 2005, Jay was appointed as the Deputy Attorney General in the Water and Natural Resources Division. In December 2013, Attorney General Pete Michael asked Jay to serve as Special Assistant Attorney General in the Administrative Division. In 2014, Jay worked with law professors from the University of Wyoming to found the Energy, Environmental, and Natural Resources Law Clinic at the College of Law. He currently serves as a Co-Faculty Supervisor for the Clinic. In 2015, Jay received the Jim Jones Public Service Award from the Conference of Western Attorneys General in recognition of his commitment to public service and his work on natural resources issues affecting the CWAG member states.

Legal Review Administrator

Kathleen B. Carlson

Kathy graduated from Ohio State University with a B.A. in Political Science degree and earned her Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School. She also received a M.A. Library and Information Science degree from the University of Iowa. Before coming to the Attorney General's Office in 2012, she was the Wyoming State Law Librarian and served as an adjunct instructor for Legal Research and Writing at Laramie County Community College. On a temporary assignment, she was a law clerk for the United States District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky. She also served as Editor for the Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Company. She has served as an Executive Board Member for the American Association of Law Libraries, Chair of the State Court and Counties Special Interest Section, and President of the Western Pacific Association of Law Libraries (WestPac). She received the 2010 Distinguished Member Award from WestPac in 2010. Community activities have included Board of Directors, Wyoming Council Girl Scouts USA from 1990-1996, President of the St. Paul's Lutheran Church Foundation from 2012-2014, Chair for the Cheyenne Board of Adjustment, and Local Club President for Zonta International from 2002-2003. Hobbies include travel, reading and puzzle challenges.