Hillary P. Carls

Hillary P. Carls is a formidable trial attorney based in Bozeman, Montana, who has spent over two decades holding government agencies and law enforcement accountable in state and federal courts. She is widely regarded as one of the state's most tenacious civil rights advocates, specializing in complex litigation where the power of the state has been used to crush individual liberties. Her career is defined by a refusal to back down from powerful institutions, often taking on cases that other firms find too politically or legally risky.

Carls has a storied history of dismantling the procedural shields, such as qualified immunity, that typically protect law enforcement from the consequences of their actions. She is known for a "scorched-earth" approach to discovery, frequently uncovering suppressed evidence, falsified reports, and systemic training failures within police departments and sheriff's offices. Her work often highlights the "deliberate indifference" of officials who prioritize department reputation over constitutional compliance.

Her commitment to the victimized is best seen in her landmark work for the wrongfully incarcerated. She has successfully litigated cases that exposed the withholding of exculpatory evidence by deputies and investigators, proving that misconduct was not merely accidental but part of a pattern of negligence. As a former President of the Montana Trial Lawyers Association, Carls is a leading authority in the Intermountain West on how to effectively "take down" corrupt or negligent government actors through high-stakes civil litigation.