Judge Lavery was born and raised in Rock Springs, Wyoming. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting and law degree from Creighton University. He practiced law in Evanston, Wyoming, for 31 years until taking the bench on June 30, 2012. He was the part-time municipal court judge for Evanston, Lyman, Mountain View and Bear River, Wyoming, from 1997 to 2012. He was a member of the Board of Officers and Commissioners for the Wyoming State Bar and served as President in 2009. In May of 2012 he was appointed District Judge for the Third Judicial District in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, and began his service as District Judge in July 2012. He is a member of the Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics, Civil Pattern Jury Instruction Committee, Courtroom Technology Committee and the Access to Justice Commission.
