We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Eric Owens is the new Deputy County Attorney for Blaine County. He assumed his duties on March 6. Owens is a 2015 graduate of the law school at the University of Montana and is a native of Anchorage, Alaska. Prior to moving to the area he worked for Oracle in Bozeman.
Eric Owens began his duties as Blaine County Deputy County Attorney on March 6. Owens is a native of Anchorage, Alaska and a 2015 graduate of the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana. He learned about the deputy's vacancy from Jordan Sabo, who previously held the position and was a friend from law school. Sabo is now living in the Bozeman area.
Owens came to Montana to attend law school. After graduating from the U of M he returned to Alaska to find legal work. He said, "I returned to Alaska just about the time that oil prices began to decline. The state imposed a hiring freeze on state positions and the competition was very intense for the few jobs in the private sector." He returned to Montana to seek a legal position.
He took and passed the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) after returning to Alaska. The UBE is a standardized exam used by 26 states to test aspiring lawyers and Alaska has one of the highest required scores to pass. Montana also recognizes the UBE as part of its licensing requirement and applicants for a license must complete a legal seminar related to Montana law.
Back in Montana, Owens took a job in Bozeman with Oracle, a software company. He said, "I was negotiating contracts. The type of work I was doing didn't really require a law degree and I knew I wanted to gain more legal experience. I began to look for something requiring more knowledge of the law and learned about the opening in Blaine County."
As Deputy County Attorney he will prosecute most of the misdemeanor cases in Blaine County's Justice Court. In state District Court he'll work directly with dependency and neglect cases, involving children, and also with juvenile cases. He will be the County Attorney Office's representative on various committees, including the DUI Task Force. Of the position, Owens said, "This type of position, working with the county attorney, provides a lot of opportunities to practice different aspects of the law and will expose me to many different legal issues."
Asked about career goals, Owens said, "I would like to foster good relationships with other attorneys in the area, get some experience in the courtroom and become involved in the community." He added that beyond gaining legal experience, he has no specific career path in mind at this point.
Outside work he enjoys downhill skiing and hiking. He said, "I know the possibilities for skiing are limited in this area but I'm looking forward to exploring the Bear Paws and Beaver Creek Park." Owens' girlfriend, Stephanie McKnight, is a new Deputy County Attorney in Hill County. She hails from McComb, Mississippi. She and Owens met in law school at Missoula. The "Journal" welcomes Eric Owens to his new position in Blaine County.
