Newcastle grad practicing law

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent
 
G. Bryan Ulmer III, 1988 Newcastle High School graduate, shared his journey of becoming a lawyer for the Spence Law Firm in a phone interview with the News Letter Journal. 
After graduating from NHS, Ulmer said he had no intention of becoming a lawyer and went to the University of Wyoming to study business. However, after taking a corporate law class, he decided to rethink his future. 
“I thought it was very interesting,” Ulmer said. 
Toward the end of his senior year of undergraduate studies, Ulmer was still undecided as to what his next step would be. He said he considered pursuing a master’s degree in business administration or finding a job and working. But in the end, Ulmer chose law school. 
“It was pretty close to last minute,” Ulmer said. 
Despite not knowing what field of law he would pursue, Ulmer said, he did better than what he expected on the finals exam and interned that summer at the Lawyers and Advocates for Wyoming in Jackson Hole. This law firm works with public interest and civil rights cases, and Ulmer soon discovered his passion.
“I quickly learned that that type of law was more interesting,” Ulmer said. 
After earning his law degree, Ulmer continued working for Gerry Spence at the Spence Law firm and is now a partner in the firm. 
Shortly after becoming a lawyer, Ulmer joined the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association, a group of lawyers that advocate for the Seventh Amendment right to a trial by jury. 
“People in Wyoming are independent people,” Ulmer said. “It’s (Seventh Amendment) is very important to me.” 
He was elected to the board of the association and then became treasurer and later president-elect. From 2010 to 2011, Ulmer served as president of the organization.
Today, he continues serving on committees and is also on the Board of Governors for Administration of Justice, which is a national organization. Ulmer is one of three governors from Wyoming. 
What Ulmer enjoys most about his job, he said, is being able to help “really deserving people” when they need it. 
“That’s the reason I keep doing the cases that I do,” Ulmer said. “They really need it and are really deserving.”
In one case, Ulmer said, he was able to obtain a $28.5 million dollar verdict for a man who had sustained a brain injury due to carbon monoxide poisoning from a boiler that hadn’t been taken care of by the landlord. 
Another success was when he secured a $10.1 million dollar verdict for a man who lost both his legs because of a medical malfunction from a traveling doctor, he said. 
Although those were some of his bigger “success(es) in verdicts,” Ulmer said, he also measures success when he’s able to help others without even bringing it to trial because it helps remove his clients’ stress. 
“It’s hard to pick a favorite case,” Ulmer said. “The cases are satisfying in that you … are helping someone in their time of need.” 
Ulmer credits his career success to his time spent in Newcastle. He enjoyed high school and competing in sports as a Dogie and said he had a good group of friends who helped shape who he is today, he said. The opportunities he had to participate in service projects while in school, he said, led him to pursue a career where he could continue serving others.  
“I really enjoyed high school,” Ulmer said. “My time in Newcastle was instrumental.” 
COVID-19 has changed his normal work schedule a little bit, but he is still busy doing what he can from home. He meets with his co-workers once a week through video conferences, and they’re trying to keep “everyone going” during this stressful time for the state and community. 
“It’s an additional effort to stay socially connected with people you’re working with,” Ulmer said. “We’re doing it 100% from a different location.” 
Ulmer has two active kids that keep him busy, he said, and with time permitting, he would love to attend the all-school reunion to connect with other Newcastle graduates this summer. 
Although it can be a stressful job, Ulmer said that he enjoys being a lawyer. He advises those interested in pursuing a law degree to find something they love because it makes the hard times worth it. 
“It can be a very rewarding career. It can be very difficult and stressful,” Ulmer said. “Take advantage of different areas of law to fit your passions. … You’re really going to feel fulfilled.”