Carrie grew up in New Jersey but immediately headed west after graduating high school. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she graduated cum laude and received the Student Achievement Award for integrating sustainable cleaning products into the University’s purchasing practices. During her undergraduate studies, Carrie took a year off to work in Ecuador and another year off to travel through South and Central America. After graduating in 2005, she moved to Montana to work in Glacier National Park. She spent the next several years running around in the woods and traveling abroad on a meager budget. She and her now husband spent five months traveling from Kenya to South Africa sleeping over 100 nights in their tent.
In 2013, Carrie decided to attend law school at the University of Montana. During law school, Carrie was the Executive Editor of Montana Law Review, a member of the National Moot Court Team, and a teacher’s assistant. Her Moot Court Team won best appellate brief and placed second in the regional oral argument competition. During her third-year of law school, Carrie interned for the Office of the State Public Defender, where she fell in love with the practice of criminal law. After graduating law school, Carrie became a public defender and litigated cases ranging from traffic citations to homicides. Her favorite part of her practice has always been serving her clients, but her frustrations continue to be the imbalances and injustices embedded within the criminal legal system. Carrie continues to work for the Office of the State Public Defender but now for the Appellate Defender Division. Her practice focuses exclusively on appellate criminal law. She lives in Missoula with her husband, Jon, and their beloved cat, Cornflake.