The Spence Law Firm
P.O. Box 548
15 S. Jackson St.
Jackson, WY 83001
307-733-7290
orchard@spencelawyers.comspencelawyers.comMel C. Orchard, III is a board-certified trial lawyer, litigating cases across American courtrooms for the past 28 years. He is admitted to practice in the states of Iowa, Arizona, and Utah in addition to Wyoming. Mel has tried and prosecuted hundreds of cases in his career and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in settlement and verdicts for his clients. During his trial career, Mel has been a part of record-breaking civil jury verdicts in various jurisdictions. He has also devoted significant time to pro bono work through Lawyers and Advocates for Wyoming, and many local and national charities.
In addition to preparing for trial or being in trial, Mel was a senior faculty member and board member at the Trial Lawyer's College in Wyoming for more than a decade, was a founding member of Trial School and has been presenting and teaching with Jury Expert Jesse Wilson for Tell the Winning Story, which is now a video series for Trial Guides.
Mel also lectures and presents to various legal organizations throughout the country including various Bar Associations, leadership organizations and has taught Judicial Ethics to various groups of judges. He was Chairman for the Wyoming Commission for Judicial Conduct and Ethics where he served as a member for six years after appointment.
In October of 2021, Mel received the Melvin Belli Society Award. A month later, in November of 2021, Mel received the National Board of Trial Advocacy President's Award.
Mel has a degree in Finance from Washington State University (1988). He is a Past President of the University of Wyoming College of Law student body (1992), Past President of the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association (2000), and a current Governor to the American Association for Justice (2005 to Present). He is Board Certified as a Trial Attorney by both the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) where he is currently serving as the Wyoming Chapter President. Mel is AV® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® and has been included in the Super Lawyers® list in Rocky Mountain every year since 2013. Mel has been selected as a member of the prestigious Summit Council, limited to 30 members in the United States, which requires its lawyers to not only demonstrate significant success in the courtroom, but to be in leadership for law-related organizations that fight for the rights of ordinary people. Mel has also been inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and International Society of Barristers, two organizations that require scrupulous investigation of members' credentials.
Mel's current affiliations include:
•American Association for Justice - Board of Governors
•President of American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) Wyoming Chapter
•Faculty Member of Trial School
•Member of International Academy of Trial Lawyers
•Member International Society of Barristers
•Member of Summit Council
•Certified Civil Trial Practice Member of the National Board of Trial Advocates
