know thy lawyer
Western Roots Law provides legal services to clients across Montana, with a focus on land, water, and small businesses. We pride ourselves on being agile, flexible, and able to take on legal matters of varying complexity. We strive to maintain a personal connection with our clients while helping them make sound legal choices that are cost-effective and solution driven. We are a modern, paperless office that can deliver services electronically, and securely, from across the state or at your kitchen table.
Breeann M. Johnson
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Breeann has extensive background in Montana water law, having litigated dozens of cases from preliminary decree all the way through the adjudication process before the Montana Water Court and Montana State Supreme Court. She also assists clients with water resource development for new residential, commercial, and agricultural uses.
Breeann works with landowners through condemnation, administrative and regulatory actions, oil and gas leasing, farm and ranch leasing, and various permitting matters. In addition to her work with landowners, she serves small business owners in contract negotiations, litigation, and business start-ups. Breeann often provides pro bono services in the areas of Indian estate planning and low-income landlord/ tenant matters. In 2015, Breeann started, Johnson Water & Land Law PLLC. In late 2016, Breeann partnered with Ali Garab to form Western Roots Law PLLC, where she has continued her focus on water, land, ag, and mineral law, in addition to general civil litigation. Breeann grew up on the family farm in Valier, Montana. She graduated from Valier High School and went on to attend the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, MN, graduating Cum Laude with a B.A. in Philosophy. In 2010, she graduated from the University of Montana School of Law. She is a member of the State Bar of Montana and serves on the Bar's Water Law and Technology Committees. She is admitted to practice in all Montana state and federal courts. When not practicing law, Breeann enjoys time with her family, including her two boys, being out on her motorcycle, and spending time in the kitchen cooking and baking as much as possible. |
Ali Garab
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Ali thrives in the courtroom and focuses her practice on civil litigation. She has represented clients in a variety of matters related to small business and construction law, consumer law, landlord-tenant disputes, contract disputes and negotiations, as well as juvenile proceedings, mental health commitments, and child protection matters.
Ali works tirelessly to seek satisfactory resolutions for each of her clients. Knowing how expensive litigation and full representation can be, Ali will also work with clients to provide limited scope and flat fee services to meet individual client needs. She is highly experienced in assessing cases for their litigation and settlement potential and prides herself on giving clients an honest, thorough assessment of their legal issues so that clients can make fully informed decisions regarding their representation. Before heading West, Ali completed her undergraduate studies in psychology at the University of Georgia in three years and graduated Cum Laude with honors in 2005. Originally from Columbus, Georgia, she moved to Missoula to attend the University of Montana School of Law where she obtained her J.D. in 2008. During her third year in law school, Ali began working for Montana Legal Services Association. She worked closely with the Supreme Court’s Commission on Self-Represented Litigants to draft user-friendly pro se forms for use in family, housing, and consumer law cases. Ali then spent three years as the Civil Attorney in the Tribal Defenders Office representing clients in the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Court. After leaving the Tribal Defenders Office, Ali worked for Sullivan, Tabaracci & Rhoades in Missoula, Montana for three years. During her time there, she honed her litigation and legal writing skills and worked on cases ranging from criminal defense to contract disputes. In 2016, Ali went into partnership with Breeann to form Western Roots Law PLLC. Ali is a member of the State Bar of Montana and is admitted to practice in all Montana state and federal courts, as well as the CSKT Tribal Court. |
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We are pleased to introduce Kirsa Shelkey, a dedicated legal professional with a deep connection to the landscapes and communities of Montana. Graduating with certificates in the following disciplines from the University of Montana Alexander Blewett III School of Law, Shelkey brings a comprehensive understanding of Federal Indian Law, Environmental Law, and Natural Resources Conflict Resolution to our firm.
Her time at the United States Department of the Interior, Regional Solicitor's Office, in Anchorage, Alaska, provided her with invaluable experience navigating federal legal frameworks, while her clerkship for the Honorable Justice Mike McGrath, Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court, honed her understanding of Montana's legal system. With roles as a Water Master for the Montana Water Court and as a Staff Attorney/Instream Flow Specialist for Trout Unlimited, Shelkey possesses a nuanced understanding of water law and its implications for agriculture, development, conservation, and tribal interests. This unique expertise allows her to effectively advocate for clients across a spectrum of legal arenas, from federal courtrooms to Montana's own courtrooms and water adjudication processes. In addition to her legal acumen, Shelkey is deeply committed to community engagement, having served on the Voluntary City of Bozeman Advisory Zoning Board. Outside of her professional endeavors, Shelkey finds solace in the vast expanses of Montana's wilderness, where she enjoys spending quality time with family and friends. |