John L Hilts

John Leigh Hilts was a skilled and respected attorney whose legal career spanned four states - Oregon, Nevada, California and Montana. Born February 25, 1945 in Whitewood, Saskatchewan, Canada, he came to the United States with his family in 1954. He graduated from the University of Wyoming and went on to graduate first in his class from the University of Montana School of Law.

He practiced law for many years, with the majority of his active career based in Medford, Oregon. In addition to training with noted trial lawyer Gerry Spence in Jackson, Wyoming, he studied International Law during four months spent in Europe and Scandinavia in 1982. In the last nine years of his career he practiced in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Beyond the law, John was a gifted athlete and musician. He set several pitching records at the University of Wyoming and pitched professionally in the Baltimore Orioles organization, later coaching American Legion baseball. An avid runner who completed four marathons, a pilot, a storyteller and a writer, he passed away April 3, 2006 after a five-year battle with cancer.