AttorneyStephanie Baucus
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Stephanie Baucus in the News
Stephanie Baucus is a shareholder at Moulton Bellingham with over 20 years of experience. She is actively engaged in civil litigation, administrative and regulatory proceedings, appellate work, client counseling, and legislative advocacy across Montana. Her practice focuses on representing individuals, companies, public sector clients, nonprofits, HOAs, and other associations in litigation and in land use and zoning disputes involving property rights, residential covenants and homeowners’ association (“HOA”) issues, and other contractual matters. She has particular expertise in representing property owners and short-term rental operators in complex regulatory and enforcement actions. She is also engaged in litigation and counseling related to employment law, construction disputes, constitutional rights, white collar criminal defense, and probate matters. She regularly works at the intersection of litigation and policy, including state legislative lobbying related to property rights and land use regulation and advising clients on due process, statutory interpretation, and the practical impacts of evolving statutory and regulatory frameworks. In connection with that work, she has been invited to testify and present to interim committees of the Montana Legislature, has taught continuing education classes across the state, and has been an invited presenter at numerous conferences.
Stephanie was born on Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, and she grew up there and in a small town in East Tennessee. After high school, Stephanie attended Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where she majored in both Political Science and Religious Studies, with a concentration on Christian Studies. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, a Class Marshall, awarded a Harry S. Truman Scholarship, elected to College Council and the Student Government Association, and elected Ms. Emory by the Student Body.
After completing her undergraduate studies, Stephanie attended law school at Harvard Law School in Massachusetts, where she was elected to Law School Council for three years and served as a student advocate and Executive Director of the Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project. She was also awarded a Dean’s Award for Community Leadership in her third year.
Upon graduating from law school, Stephanie practiced law in Washington, DC, where her practice centered on international litigation, white collar criminal defense, internal investigations, and compliance planning. In Washington, DC, Stephanie represented Fortune 50 companies, foreign sovereigns, individuals, and pro bono clients in various industries, including aviation, banking, insurance, mortgage lending, real estate, management consulting, energy, and technology. In her client work, she gained experience with those industries and with other discrete areas of law, including criminal and civil fraud, federal enforcement proceedings before the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), regulatory proceedings by federal and state government agencies, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”), the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), antitrust, intellectual property, privacy, healthcare, Medicare and disability benefits, bankruptcy, and government contracts and procurement.
Stephanie left private practice to accept an appointed position at the U.S. Department of Justice, where she served as an Associate Director, focusing on intergovernmental relations and public engagement. At the Department, Stephanie supported the White House and agency leadership through outreach, relationship-building, and advocacy efforts with state and local governments, other federal agencies, external constituency groups, and the public. In particular, Stephanie served as the Attorney General's principal representative to state legislators and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and to county officials and the National Association of Counties (NACo). Further, Stephanie worked closely with a number of national groups like the American Bar Association, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association, and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. In her work with these and other external constituency groups, Stephanie worked on a number of key federal policy issues, including civil rights, immigration, judicial nominations and executive appointments, attorney client privilege, juvenile justice, human trafficking, federal sentencing and corrections policy, indigent defense, wrongful convictions, mental health care, federal grants, and federal diversity initiatives.
After leaving the U.S. Department of Justice, Stephanie joined Perennial Strategy Group where she served as General Counsel and Vice President of Government and Public Affairs. As General Counsel, her practice focused on transactional work, contract drafting and negotiations, lobbying and regulatory compliance, trademarks and intellectual property, joint venture and contractor agreements, and human resources. Stephanie also advised the firm’s clients in their government and external affairs, helped design corporate social responsibility programs, managed relationships with government officials, assisted clients with their corporate communications and public affairs, developed strategic community affairs and corporate social responsibility programs for clients, built strategic coalitions, and coordinated philanthropic events. She led the firm’s efforts in human resource and diversity training, particularly in developing courses on unconscious and implicit bias.
In addition to her legal practice, Stephanie has been actively involved in philanthropic and civic activities in Billings, across Montana, and around the country. She has served as a leader and fundraiser with a number of local and national organizations that are dedicated to helping at-risk children and adolescents, reducing homelessness, supporting victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, fighting heart disease, promoting youth involvement in politics and civic life, encouraging women to run for office, providing access to the arts, celebrating Montana’s history, and cleaning up the National Mall.
Stephanie lives in Billings with her husband Zeno and her two daughters.
Stephanie was born on Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, and she grew up there and in a small town in East Tennessee. After high school, Stephanie attended Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where she majored in both Political Science and Religious Studies, with a concentration on Christian Studies. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, a Class Marshall, awarded a Harry S. Truman Scholarship, elected to College Council and the Student Government Association, and elected Ms. Emory by the Student Body.
After completing her undergraduate studies, Stephanie attended law school at Harvard Law School in Massachusetts, where she was elected to Law School Council for three years and served as a student advocate and Executive Director of the Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project. She was also awarded a Dean’s Award for Community Leadership in her third year.
Upon graduating from law school, Stephanie practiced law in Washington, DC, where her practice centered on international litigation, white collar criminal defense, internal investigations, and compliance planning. In Washington, DC, Stephanie represented Fortune 50 companies, foreign sovereigns, individuals, and pro bono clients in various industries, including aviation, banking, insurance, mortgage lending, real estate, management consulting, energy, and technology. In her client work, she gained experience with those industries and with other discrete areas of law, including criminal and civil fraud, federal enforcement proceedings before the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), regulatory proceedings by federal and state government agencies, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”), the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), antitrust, intellectual property, privacy, healthcare, Medicare and disability benefits, bankruptcy, and government contracts and procurement.
Stephanie left private practice to accept an appointed position at the U.S. Department of Justice, where she served as an Associate Director, focusing on intergovernmental relations and public engagement. At the Department, Stephanie supported the White House and agency leadership through outreach, relationship-building, and advocacy efforts with state and local governments, other federal agencies, external constituency groups, and the public. In particular, Stephanie served as the Attorney General's principal representative to state legislators and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and to county officials and the National Association of Counties (NACo). Further, Stephanie worked closely with a number of national groups like the American Bar Association, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association, and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. In her work with these and other external constituency groups, Stephanie worked on a number of key federal policy issues, including civil rights, immigration, judicial nominations and executive appointments, attorney client privilege, juvenile justice, human trafficking, federal sentencing and corrections policy, indigent defense, wrongful convictions, mental health care, federal grants, and federal diversity initiatives.
After leaving the U.S. Department of Justice, Stephanie joined Perennial Strategy Group where she served as General Counsel and Vice President of Government and Public Affairs. As General Counsel, her practice focused on transactional work, contract drafting and negotiations, lobbying and regulatory compliance, trademarks and intellectual property, joint venture and contractor agreements, and human resources. Stephanie also advised the firm’s clients in their government and external affairs, helped design corporate social responsibility programs, managed relationships with government officials, assisted clients with their corporate communications and public affairs, developed strategic community affairs and corporate social responsibility programs for clients, built strategic coalitions, and coordinated philanthropic events. She led the firm’s efforts in human resource and diversity training, particularly in developing courses on unconscious and implicit bias.
In addition to her legal practice, Stephanie has been actively involved in philanthropic and civic activities in Billings, across Montana, and around the country. She has served as a leader and fundraiser with a number of local and national organizations that are dedicated to helping at-risk children and adolescents, reducing homelessness, supporting victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, fighting heart disease, promoting youth involvement in politics and civic life, encouraging women to run for office, providing access to the arts, celebrating Montana’s history, and cleaning up the National Mall.
Stephanie lives in Billings with her husband Zeno and her two daughters.
Practice Areas
- Administrative Law
- Appellate Practice
- Civil Litigation
- Constitutional Law
- Employment/Labor
- Insurance/Financial Services
- Real Estate/Land Use
- White Collar Criminal Defense
Bar Admissions
- Montana State Bar
- Washington, DC Bar
Education
- Harvard Law School, J.D.
- Emory University, B.A., Political Science, Religious Studies, summa cum laude
Awards And Honors
- Martindale-Hubbell© AV Preeminent Rating
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Dean’s Award for Community Service, Harvard Law School, 2002
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Summa cum laude, B.A., Emory University, 1999
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Harry S. Truman Scholar, 1998
- Junior League of Billings, Summit Award Winner, 2026
Community And Professional Involvement
- Montana Human Rights Commission
- Commissioner, 2018-2021
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Yellowstone County Area Human Trafficking Task Force
- Federal Bureau of Investigation Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) Winner (nominated for the Salt Lake City Region) (Task Force received the award in 2022)
- Co-Founder, 2016
- Co-Chair and Vice President, 2016-Present
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Billings YWCA
- Board of Directors, 2016-2022
- Vice-Chair, Salute to Women Event, 2017
- Board Secretary, 2017-2018
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CASA of Yellowstone County
- Trained as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, 2016
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Junior League of Billings
- Member, 2016-Present
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Helena 150th Anniversary
- Gala Co-Chair, 2014
- Student Competition Founder and Co-Chair, 2014
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Holter Museum of Art, Helena, MT
- President, Board of Directors, 2013-2015
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American Heart Association
- AHA PULSE DC Committee Co-Chair, 2013
- AHA PULSE DC Events and Development Chair, 2011-2012
- Paint the Town Red Gala, Host Committee Chair, 2011
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Children's National Medical Center
- Child Health Advocacy Institute, Congressional Awards Event Co-Chair, 2012
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Trust for the National Mall
- Women’s Committee, 2013
- L'Enfant Society, Ball on the Mall Steering Committee Member, 2009-2012
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Smithsonian Museum's Freer Sackler Galleries
- 25th Anniversary Event, Club Caravan, Host Committee member, 2012
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Back on My Feet
- Baltimore-DC Advisory Board Member, 2011-2016
- Washington, DC Annual Dinner Gala, Host Committee Co-Chair, 2012
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Southern Center for Human Rights
- Annual Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner, Host Committee member, 2012-2014, 2016, 2017
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Courtney's House
- Fundraising and Events Committee Member, 2011-2013
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Courage for Kids
- Secretary, 2010-2016
- Board of Directors, 2010-2016
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Capital City Ball
- Host Committee Member, 2011-2013
- Funniest Celebrities Charitable Fund
