Wendy Olson

Wendy J. Olson stepped down as the United States Attorney for the District of Idaho (2010-2017) in February and Stoel Rives LLP announced that Olson has joined the firm as a partner effective Feb. 27, 2017. Olson joins the litigation practice group in the firm’s Boise office. Olson also joined NAFUSA this month.

“I am thrilled to become a part of Stoel Rives, such a highly regarded firm,” said Olson. “After a long career in public service, I look forward to private practice, where I will work with clients on civil and criminal matters, as well as assist them with government regulatory investigations. I know that I am joining a team of incredible lawyers at Stoel Rives who advocate on behalf of a diverse array of clients nationwide.”

A native of Pocatello, Idaho, Olson has served in Idaho’s U.S. Attorney’s Office for more than two decades, serving under four U.S. presidents. In 2010, she was sworn in as Idaho’s top prosecutor by President Barack Obama. As the U.S. Attorney, Olson administered civil, criminal and appellate litigation and office operations throughout the District of Idaho, and as the lead federal law enforcement official in Idaho, she coordinated and collaborated with prosecutors and law enforcement officials at all levels of government. She worked with federal, civil and criminal agency heads in Idaho and participated in tribal consultations with all five federally recognized tribal governments in the state.

“I am excited to welcome Wendy as a partner at Stoel Rives. Wendy brings her years of experience with the U.S. Attorney’s office to all of the Stoel Rives’ markets, and deepens our bench with her civil and criminal litigation experience,” said Nicole C. Hancock, Managing Partner of the firm’s Boise office.

Tim Snider, head of the firm’s litigation practice group, added, “We are honored to welcome Wendy as a partner, and we look forward to adding her considerable talents to our team.”

Prior to being appointed U.S. Attorney, Olson served as Senior Litigation Counsel and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boise. As Assistant U.S. Attorney, she prosecuted and defended on appeal the District of Idaho’s only federal capital case, as well as litigated appeals in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She also served as health care fraud coordinator and liaison to the Idaho Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.

Olson’s reputation as a criminal prosecutor precedes her time in Idaho. She served as a trial attorney in the criminal section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, as well as assistant to the legal director and director of operations for the National Church Arson Task Force.

She also has shared her expertise in the classroom, serving as an adjunct professor of legal writing at George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. and as an instructor and mentor in a week-long intensive trial advocacy program at University of Idaho College of Law.

Olson graduated summa cum laude from Drake University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, and then earned her law degree from Stanford Law School with honors. Following law school, she served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Barbara J. Rothstein in the Western District of Washington.

Stoel Rives LLP: Stoel Rives is a leading U.S. corporate and litigation law firm. One of the largest national firms focused on energy, natural resources, environmental law and climate change, Stoel Rives also serves the agribusiness, food and beverage, health care, life sciences and technology industries. With more than 350 attorneys operating out of 10 offices in seven states and the District of Columbia, Stoel Rives is a leader in regulatory and compliance matters, business, labor and employment law, intellectual property, land use, real estate development and construction law.