Gregory Alan Phillips

Gregory Alan Phillips, born in 1960, is a United States circuit judge on the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Prior to his appointment to the federal bench, he served as Wyoming’s attorney general and held positions in private practice, state‑level representation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. His career spans civil litigation, criminal prosecution, and governmental advocacy, culminating in a federal judicial role that began in 2013.

Early life and legal career

Gregory Alan Phillips was born on August 17, 1960, in Littleton, Colorado, and spent his formative years in Evanston, Wyoming. He pursued higher education at the University of Wyoming, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1983. Continuing at the same institution, he obtained his Juris Doctor cum laude in 1987 from the College of Law, graduating with membership in the Order of the Coif, an honor recognizing academic excellence.

Following law school, Phillips clerked for Judge Alan Bond Johnson of the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming from 1987 to 1989. This early exposure to federal judicial processes provided a foundation for his subsequent legal work. In 1989 he entered private practice by joining a family‑run general law firm in Evanston, where he handled a broad spectrum of civil matters. His practice areas included construction law, bankruptcy proceedings, Social Security Disability Insurance claims, employee benefits disputes, and the defense of white‑collar criminal allegations.

From 1993 through 1999 Phillips also served as counsel for the Fifteenth District of the Wyoming State Senate in Uinta County, representing legislative interests within that jurisdiction. Building on his experience in both private and public sectors, he founded the law firm Mead & Phillips in 1998. The firm’s portfolio emphasized civil litigation and the prosecution of Medicaid reimbursement claims on behalf of the state, reflecting a focus on governmental financial matters.

In 2003 Phillips transitioned to federal service by joining the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming. As an Assistant United States Attorney, he was responsible for prosecuting criminal cases and handling appeals for the United States government, thereby gaining extensive courtroom experience at both trial and appellate levels. His tenure in that role lasted until his appointment as the chief legal officer of Wyoming.

Governor Matt Mead appointed Phillips as Wyoming’s attorney general in March 2011. In this capacity he represented the state before both state and federal courts, overseeing a range of legal issues affecting Wyoming’s agencies and citizens. He remained in the position until July 9, 2013, when he assumed his judicial commission.

Federal appellate service

President Barack Obama nominated Phillips to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit on January 31, 2013. The nomination was intended to fill the vacancy created when Judge Terrence L. O’Brien took senior status on April 30, 2013. After a review by the Senate Judiciary Committee, his nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote on April 18, 2013.

The full United States Senate confirmed Phillips on July 8, 2013, with an 88–0 vote, indicating unanimous support among voting members. He received his judicial commission the following day, July 9, 2013, and has served as an active circuit judge ever since. In this role he participates in panels that review appeals from federal district courts within the Tenth Circuit’s jurisdiction, which includes Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming. His responsibilities encompass hearing oral arguments, evaluating written briefs, and contributing to the drafting of majority, concurring, and dissenting opinions that shape the interpretation of federal law across a multi‑state region.

Jurisprudence and legacy

As a member of the Tenth Circuit bench, Judge Phillips contributes to the development of precedent on a wide array of legal issues, ranging from constitutional questions to statutory interpretation, administrative law, and civil rights. While specific opinions authored by him are not detailed here, his participation in appellate panels reflects the collective responsibility of the circuit to ensure uniform application of federal statutes and Supreme Court rulings within its jurisdiction.

Phillips’s extensive background—spanning private practice, state legislative counsel, Medicaid reimbursement advocacy, federal prosecution, and executive representation as a state attorney general—provides him with a multifaceted perspective on both civil and criminal matters. This diversity of experience informs his approach to appellate review, where he must balance deference to district court findings with the duty to correct legal errors and clarify ambiguous statutory language.

His tenure on the bench follows a career marked by service at multiple levels of government and in private law practice. The trajectory from local attorney to state chief legal officer and ultimately to federal judge illustrates a professional path grounded in both advocacy and public service. By adjudicating appeals that affect millions of residents across six states, Judge Phillips plays an integral role in the administration of justice within the federal judiciary.

The legacy of his judicial work will be measured by the durability and influence of the opinions he helps craft, as well as by his contributions to the efficient functioning of the appellate system. Through consistent participation in panel decisions, opinion drafting, and legal reasoning, Judge Phillips upholds the responsibilities entrusted to him by the Constitution and by the appointing authority, thereby reinforcing the rule of law within the Tenth Circuit and beyond.