UW Alumni Profile: Judge Melvin Okamoto

By Anetra D. E. Parks, J.D.

It is always interesting to learn about former graduates of the University of Wyoming College of Law: where they are now, what motivated them to go to law school, and what advice they might have for current law students. Most recently, I visited with Judge Melvin Okamoto, a 1975 graduate of the UW College of Law.

Judge Okamoto, a Wyoming native who grew up in Cheyenne, completed a B.S. at the University of Wyoming in 1969. His parents were interned at a relocation camp during WWII. And while they rarely spoke about the horrors of that experience, it touched Okamoto in that he has dedicated his career to a pursuit of due process and justice. Judge Okamoto presides in the 2^nd Judicial District in Denver County.

Judge Okamoto served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era. He lived in Washington, D.C. prior to returning home to Wyoming to come to the UW College of Law. He says of the time and his decision to go to law school, “It seemed that the best avenue to pursue social reform was through the law.”

During his time at University of Wyoming College of Law, Judge Okamoto enjoyed criminal law taught by Professor Gerald M. Gallivan (ret. 1996).

Okamoto’s first job out of law school was with the Weld County District Attorney’s Office in Greeley, Colorado. “Then I went from the frying pan into the fire when I was appointed as a magistrate in Denver Juvenile Court,” says Okamoto. He moved to Greeley in 1976, just before the Big Thompson River flood. “Because Greeley is a small and friendly town, it was an easy transition from Wyoming,” says Okamoto.

When asked what the challenges are to being a judge, Judge Okamoto said, “Being responsible for decisions involving such things as deprivation of freedom, best interests of children, or eviction from a residence is a compelling endeavor that has changed my life in unimaginable ways.”

Okamoto also has a passion for travelling the globe, having visited such destinations as the People’s Republic of China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Israel, Kenya, Venezuela and parts of Europe, including Scandinavia. His wish-list destinations include India, Egypt and Russia. 

His advice to those in the legal field and students pursuing that career path is the same.  “The practice of law and the experience of being a human being are always challenging.  Incorporate balance into both.”