Resources
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Lessons from Poland for U.S. Judges on Defending the Rule of Law
A new brief from Piper Fund synthesizes perspectives shared at the “Lessons from Poland for U.S. Judges on Defending the Rule of Law” convening and through participant interviews afterward into…
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Watch the recordings of the Legislature, the Judiciary, and the Rule of Law.
On September 26, 2025, Friends of the Third Branch held a CLE in Missoula, Montana at the Alexander Blewett III School of Law. Now you can watch each of the…
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FACT SHEET: About Friends of the Third Branch
We were founded in 2023 by four retired Montana lawyers who recognized that Montana’s courts and judges are facing increasing pressure from partisan efforts to influence, weaken, or politicize the…
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FACT SHEET: The Importance of Non-Partisan Elections of Judges and Justices
Montana’s Constitution guarantees judicial independence to maintain impartiality and uphold the rule of law. There are many types of courts in Montana. Municipal and justice courts deal with traffic violations…
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The Legislature, the Judiciary, and the Rule of Law
Join Friends of the Third Branch on September 26, 2025 from 1:00 to 4:30 pm for FREE continuing legal education opportunity. Friends of the Third Branch and the Brennan Center…
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2025 Legislative Report
As a nonpartisan legal resource, Friends of the Third Branch monitored 44 bills, actively engaged in 16, and helped block 32 proposals that threatened separation of powers, including attempts to…
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Fact Sheet Senate Bill 42 & House Bill 295: Partisan Election of Judges and Justices
Montana’s judicial elections have been nonpartisan since 1935, when the legislature prohibited political parties from endorsing, contributing to, or making expenditures in support of, or opposition to, judicial candidates. Current…
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Fact Sheet – Senate Bill 45 (SB45)
Create a Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission and System Senate Bill 45 proposes changes that could significantly impact the independence of Montana’s judiciary by altering how judges are selected and retained.…
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Fact Sheet – House Bill 35 (HB35)
Allocating Judicial Standards Commission to the Department of Justice House Bill 35 proposes reallocating the Judicial Standards Commission to the Department of Justice. The Senate Select on Judicial Oversight and…
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Fact Sheet – Senate Bill 21 (SB21)
Allowing Legislative and Executive Leadership to Vacate a Writ of Mandamus Senate Bill 21 proposes a change to state law regarding writs of mandamus-court orders that compel government officials or…