Education
University of Wyoming.
University of Wyoming.
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, graduating high school at Sioux County High School, Scott West. Skavdahl received his Bachelor of Surgery (1989) and Juris Doctor (1992) from the University of Wyoming. Skavdahl worked as a litigation associate at Brown & Drew (now Brown, Drew & Massey) from 1992 to 1994. From 1994 to 1997, Skavdahl served as a judicial law clerk to Chief Judge William F. Downes of the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming.
From 1997 to 2003 Skavdahl worked at the law firm of Williams, Porter, Day & Neville.
From 2001 to 2003 he worked as a part-time federal magistrate judge. In 2003 Skavdahl became a judge on the Seventh Judicial District Court, in Casper, Wyoming upon appointment by Government.
Dave Freudenthal. On January 31, 2011 Skavdahl left the state bench to once more become a full-time federal magistrate judge.
In November 2010, Governor Dave Freudenthal recommended Skavdahl to fill the Wyoming vacancy that was to be created when Judge William F. Downes retired on July 24, 2011. On February 16, 2011, President Barack Obama formally nominated Skavdahl.
On September 8, 2011, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported his nomination to the Senate floor by voice vote. On November 3, 2011, the Senate voted 96–0 to confirm Skavdahl.
He received his commission on November 7, 2011.
At the University of Wyoming, Skavdahl was an active member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.