About John R
John R Kormanik began his legal education at California Western School of Law, earning his J.D. in 1998 after beginning studies in 1995. That formative period set the stage for a career that has moved between public service and private practice. He holds admissions in Idaho, the Ninth Circuit and California, and he has practiced in both state and federal courts.
Early in his career Kormanik entered public service as a Deputy Attorney General in Idaho’s Natural Resources Division in 2000. There he handled matters that intersected state policy and resource regulation. The role required courtroom appearances and work with regulatory frameworks. It also offered a close-up view of the governmental side of litigation and enforcement.
After his time at the Attorney General’s office, Kormanik moved into private practice. In 2003 he joined White Peterson, P.A. as an associate lawyer and later served as a shareholder. That period broadened his trial experience and introduced him to a wider range of civil and criminal work. In 2006 he helped found Kormanik Hallam & Sneed LLP, where he remains a partner. The firm grew from those early years into a practice handling contested matters in court and on appeal.
Kormanik’s professional memberships reflect the mix of his practice. He is a current member of the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association and has belonged to the American Association for Justice since 2003. Since 2008 he has also been a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Idaho Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Those affiliations align with courtroom practice and appellate work in criminal and civil cases.
Colleagues describe his work as practical and direct. He has taken cases through trial and up to appellate courts, including matters filed in the Ninth Circuit. His background in the Natural Resources Division gives him familiarity with regulatory and administrative dimensions that sometimes arise alongside private litigation. He has moved between prosecution and defense roles over the years, a path that has informed his approach to case preparation and courtroom strategy.
Kormanik remains based at Kormanik Hallam & Sneed LLP. He continues to represent clients in state and federal proceedings, handling civil and criminal trials, appeals, and matters that touch on natural resources and regulatory law.
