Current Board of Directors’ Biographies

Sherine Blackford, a Montana native, graduated from the University of Montana School of Law. She is a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Montana, Gallatin County Bar Association, and Montana Trial Lawyers Association.  Sherine’s practice focuses on litigation, personal injury, business law, real estate transactions, and liquor licensing.  In addition to her practice, Sherine is a Trustee for the State Bar of Montana (2021-current), past President of the Gallatin County Bar Association (2022-2023), former Chairperson for the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Montana (2015-2017), and former Vice Chair and member of the Board of Directors for Haven (2014-2020).  Sherine is President and Founder of the Loving Loic Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to funding the cure for the rare disease PKAN.  In 2016, she was named a Top 10 under 40 Family Law Attorney by the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys.  Sherine is currently serving her third term on the GCBA Board.

Bjorn Boyer is a 2013 graduate of the University of Oregon School of Law.  He worked for a short time in estate planning and civil litigation in Yakima, Washington and Bozeman before joining the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office in 2014 as a prosecutor.  For the last 11 years, Bjorn has worked as a prosecutor or criminal appellate lawyer for the County Attorney’s Office, the Montana Attorney General’s Office, and now the City of Bozeman.  Bjorn is the GCBA Immediate Past-President and is currently serving his second term on the GCBA Board.

Andrea Collins is a seventh-generation Montanan, and graduate of Lewis & Clark College and the University of Montana School of Law.  Andrea worked in a small law firm that focuses on personal injury, family law, criminal defense, and mediation, and two law firms that focus on insurance defense and healthcare law.  Andrea clerked for the Honorable Justice Michael E Wheat at the Montana Supreme Court and was appointed by the Chief Water Judge as a Water Master at the Montana Water Court in Bozeman prior to opening Collins Law PLLC.  Collins Law is a general practice law firm that assists clients with water law, family law, personal injury, criminal defense, and general civil litigation issues.  Andrea serves on the Board of Directors for the Gallatin County Bar Association, the Water Law Section Council of the State Bar, and the Board of Directors for Tangle Free Montana.  Andrea is the GCBA President and currently serving her first term on the GCBA Board.

Sarah Crawford is a Dakota tribal member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and grew up on her tribal lands near Sisseton, South Dakota.  Sarah is a Managing Attorney for Clause Law PLLC and resides in Bozeman.  Sarah Crawford combines her experience working on both Capitol Hill and in the executive branch with her juris doctor from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University to provide tribal clients with the advice necessary to make informed decisions that reflect legal, political, and public policy realities.  Sarah focuses on providing tribal in-house counsel for numerous key issues including contract, employment law, and federal funding policies.  Sarah has avidly worked on the development and establishment of tribal codes and policies.  She has spent considerable efforts on setting the foundations and building up key tribal programming including tribal housing.  She is also dedicated to the implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act and has represented tribal client interests in state court proceedings. Sarah is currently serving her first term on the GCBA Board.

Anthony Jackson is a fifth-generation Montanan, and graduate with honors from Montana State University–Bozeman, and the University of Montana School of Law.  Anthony clerked for the Honorable Justice Brian Morris at the Montana Supreme Court and joined a well-established Bozeman personal injury firm in 2013, where he later became a partner.  Anthony founded AFJ Law Firm PLLC in 2021.  AFJ Law Firm is a personal injury and insurance coverage law firm that practices catastrophic injuries, auto accidents, class actions, consumer protection law, motorcycle accidents, semi-truck accidents, insurance coverage litigation, insurance bad faith, premises liability, product liability (defective and dangerous products), and workers’ compensation law.  Anthony was awarded the Montana Trial Lawyers Outstanding New Lawyer Award (2018), named to the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 (2018), named to the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers list (2023), recognized by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Lawyers (2023), and recognized by the peer-rated Super Lawyers (2024).  Anthony is currently serving his first term on the GCBA Board.

Maxwell “Max” Kirchhoff is a partner at Western Justice Associates.  Max is a third-generation Montanan, born and raised in Bozeman.  His practice is solely dedicated to civil litigation for plaintiffs, where he focuses on personal injury, insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, and class action litigation.  He is listed in Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers and U.S. World News and Report’s Best Lawyers in America.  Max is currently serving his first term on the GCBA Board.

Rick Landers is a partner in Axilon Law, practicing in the firm’s Bozeman office.  His practice focuses on construction and real estate, business litigation and transactions, and insurance coverage and defense.  In litigation and arbitration Rick represents clients in matters involving construction defect and contract disputes, real estate and business contracts, premises liability, and mortgage lending.  He defends architects, engineers, and other professionals on claims of professional liability.  In transactional matters Rick represents clients in the purchase, sale, and financing of businesses and real estate.  He also provides advice and counsel for business startups, contracts, and other commercial transactions.  Rick is the GCBA Treasurer and is currently serving his first term on the GCBA Board.

Danielle Shyne is from Bozeman and a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the Gonzaga University School of Law.  Danielle is the owner of Shyne Law Group, which focuses on estate planning, elder law, probate, estate, and trust administration, guardian and conservatorship law, and incapacity, disability, and special needs planning law.  Prior to opening Shyne Law Group, PLLC, Danielle worked for Montana Elder Law and clerked for the Honorable Chief Justice Mike McGrath and the Honorable Justice Michael Wheat at the Montana Supreme Court.  Danielle is a member of the Montana State Bar, the Business, Estates, Trusts, Tax & Real Property Section of the Montana State Bar, the Gallatin County Bar Association, and the Washington State Bar.  Danielle is currently serving her first term on the GCBA Board.

Madeleine Weisz is originally from Idaho and graduated from Montana State University with a degree in Economics.  She attended UC Davis School of Law and returned to Montana to work for the Montana Water Court.  Madeleine has worked at the Water Court for over 11 years, first as a law clerk to Chief Water Judge Russ McElyea and currently as a Senior Water Master.  Madeleine is the GCBA Secretary and is currently serving her first term on the GCBA Board.