At 40 years old, Jordan Vann decided it was time to redirect his life.   

Vann, owner of the newly opened Vann Law Firm in Evergreen, left Florida and a 20-year career as an electrician to arrive in Montana as a private practice lawyer at 45 years old. 

His firm specializes in criminal defense, personal injury and wills and trusts, offering free consultations and flat fees for service.  

“My goal is to take care of the client and not charge an arm and leg to get what they need done,” he said.  

Because the business is in its infancy, Vann said he aims to offer a range of services before finding his own niche. He hopes to dive into construction law, provided his extensive background in contracting.  

“There’s a big need for protection on both sides of the aisle for contracts and contractors and individuals and homeowners,” he said.  

After graduating from the University of Florida’s law school, Vann passed the bar exam in Missoula over the summer and was recently sworn in by a local judge.   

Vann and his wife had been planning to move out west for some time, finally settling on the Flathead Valley after vacationing in Kalispell over the years. Their original plan was to move after Vann retired, but that changed when he decided to go back to law school. 

Reshaping his career so late in the game was no easy task, and doubt sometimes flickered in his mind.  

“There were times when I was sitting in the classroom and looking around and they are all mid-20s and I am mid-40s and I am thinking to myself, ‘What are you doing?’”  

But after spending four years earning a bachelor’s degree and three years getting his law degree, Vann said he’s excited to leave the studying and exams behind to serve the Flathead community. 

“You go out there and you do a good job for somebody, and you take care of them,” he said. “I’ve been that way my whole life for my electrical business, and I plan on staying that way for my legal business.”   

He hopes that his background in electrical consulting will give him an edge when representing those tied into disputes, contracts and other legal matters over construction. 

“You’re going to meet very few lawyers or attorneys that have been in the construction industry for 20 plus years,” he said. 

While right now Vann is a one-man team, he aims to expand, taking on board a legal assistant and paralegals.  

His old home is a couple thousand miles away, but the community Vann found in Kalispell is nothing but familiar. “Take the weather and the views out of the equation. Montana is eerily similar to North Florida,” he said, noting a shared love of fishing and hunting between both communities. 

Vann Law Firm is at 100 Cooperative Way Ste 202, Kalispell. Reach Vann at 406-826-6529 or at vannlawfirm.com.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and [email protected].