About Briana E.
Briana E. Kottke built a legal foundation through two undergraduate degrees and a law degree. She earned dual B.A. degrees from the University of Great Falls in 2006, completing coursework in paralegal studies with a minor in business administration and in political science with a minor in history. She went on to receive her J.D. from the University of Montana School of Law in 2011.
Her practice is rooted in Montana. Kottke is admitted to practice in Montana state courts, including the Montana Supreme Court and state district courts, as well as city, municipal and justice courts. She is also admitted in federal court for the District of Montana and before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Her credentials list admission in the Federal Circuit as well, allowing her to handle matters at both trial and appellate levels.
Over the years Kottke has joined several professional organizations that align with criminal defense practice. She is a member of the Montana State Bar and participates in its Criminal Section. She belongs to the Western Montana Bar Association and has been a member of both the Montana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers since 2011. She also holds membership in NORML dating from 2017. On the advocacy side, she serves on the HSWM Legislative and Advocacy Committee Board of Directors, a role that places her in discussion about policy and legislative developments affecting criminal law.
Kottke’s courtroom work spans local and federal venues. She has handled matters in municipal and justice courts and tried cases in state district court. At the federal level, she represents clients in the District of Montana and has taken appeals to the Ninth Circuit. That mix of trial and appellate exposure shapes how she approaches evidence, procedure and plea negotiations. Colleagues say she is deliberate in courtroom preparation and attentive to the tactical differences between state and federal practice.
She practices at Stack & Kottke, PLLC, where she represents clients in criminal defense matters across Montana. Her current practice focuses on criminal defense and appellate work at Stack & Kottke, PLLC.
