Legal research for Montana law firms - Billings, Missoula, Bozeman and Great Falls
By LegiMatch Research Team · Published October 16, 2026 · 2 min read
Short answer: a Montana research plan covers the Montana Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit for federal cases, and Montana's rule of modified comparative fault (51% bar).
Montana's courts
| Court | Role |
|---|---|
| Montana Supreme Court | Highest court; binds every Montana court |
| Trial courts | District courts, plus courts of limited jurisdiction |
Local rules worth knowing
Montana has no intermediate appellate court; appeals go directly to the Montana Supreme Court. Its opinions carry public-domain citations such as [year] MT [number], with paragraph pinpoints. The court also issues memorandum (noncitable) opinions; check its internal operating rules before citing one.
The negligence standard
Montana applies modified comparative fault (51% bar): a plaintiff recovers, reduced by their share of fault, as long as their fault isn't greater than the defendants'.
Montana federal courts
| District | Main cities |
|---|---|
| District of Montana | Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, Helena, Butte |
Appeals go to the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco.
Case reporters and codes
Reported Montana decisions are in P.3d. The Montana Code Annotated is the starting point for statutory questions (leg.mt.gov).
Sample matter
Example: "A Bozeman ranch hand was injured when a neighbor's cattle broke through a poorly maintained fence onto the highway." Begin with Montana appellate decisions on similar facts, then confirm the governing law - Mont. Code Ann. § 27-1-702 on comparative negligence - and each case's later treatment.
LegiMatch is built for the first step: describe the matter and get up to 100 similar decisions, ranked by a match score you can inspect, each linked to the court's own text. It's a research tool, not legal advice.
More states: courts in every major US city.
Frequently asked questions
Does Montana have an intermediate appellate court?
No. Appeals go directly to the Montana Supreme Court.
How are Montana Supreme Court opinions cited?
With public-domain citations such as [year] MT [number], and pinpoints to paragraphs.
Which federal circuit covers Montana?
The Ninth Circuit, which sits in San Francisco.
Sources
- Montana court system and legislature websites
- United States Courts, court locator (uscourts.gov)
This article is general information about legal research, not legal advice. Verify every authority before relying on it.
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