Llewellyn Link Callaway (December 15, 1868 – August 6, 1951)Supreme Court Commission Is Named By The Justices
, ''The Anaconda Standard'' (March 8, 1903), p. 3. was chief justice of the

Montana Supreme Court The Montana Supreme Court is the supreme court, highest court of the state court system in the U.S. state of Montana. It is established and its powers defined by Article VII of the 1972 Montana Constitution. It is primarily an appellate court w ...

from 1922 to 1935.

Early life, education, and career

Born in Tuscola, Illinois, Callaway moved with his family to Virginia City, Montana Territory, in March 1871, his father, James E. Callaway, having been appointed Secretary of the Territory of Montana by President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

. Callaway was sent to attend West Rugby Academy and Hamilton Preparatory School in Philadelphia from 1884 to 1885. In the fall of 1886, he entered the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, but a devastating winter forced him to return to Madison County to help his father's ranch. Callaway returned to the University of Michigan in the fall of 1889 and received his

LL.B. A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

in 1891. Callaway returned to Montana to practice law in

White Sulphur Springs, Montana White Sulphur Springs is a city in and the county seat of Meagher County, Montana, Meagher County, Montana, United States. The population was 955 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History White Sulphur Springs was originally called ...

, from 1891 to 1894, when he moved back to Virginia City. He was elected as Madison County Attorney "by a large majority", serving from 1894 to 1898. He was elected Mayor of Virginia City in 1900, serving for three terms. He became well regarded as a specialist in Montana

water rights Water right in water law is the right of a user to use water from a water source, e.g., a river, stream, pond or source of groundwater. In areas with plentiful water and few users, such systems are generally not complicated or contentious. In o ...

litigation.

Judicial service

In 1903, Callaway was chosen by the justices of the state to join the Montana Supreme Court Commission, and in 1904, he was elected District Judge for the 5th Judicial District and so resigned the Court Commission in 1905. He served as a district judge for the Montana Fifth Judicial District from 1905 to 1913. He was appointed to chair the Montana Conservation Commission from 1908 to 1909. Callaway next moved to

Great Falls, Montana Great Falls is the List of cities and towns in Montana, third most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, Cascade County. The population was 60,442 according to the 2020 United States census, 2 ...

, in 1913. In 1922, he was appointed by Governor Joseph M. Dixon to become the next chief justice of the Montana Supreme Court after the death of Chief Justice Brantly, served thereafter until his retirement in 1935.

Personal life and death

On December 12, 1894, Callaway married Ellen N. Badger, with whom he had two sons and three daughters. Callaway died on in Helena, Montana, at the age of 83.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Callaway, Llewellyn L. 1868 births 1951 deaths University of Michigan Law School alumni People from Tuscola, Illinois People from Virginia City, Montana Chief justices of the Montana Supreme Court