Justice Katherine M. Bidegaray was born and raised in Sidney, Montana.  She earned her undergraduate degree and her law degree from the University of Montana.  She practiced law for 17 years -- three of those with the Montana State Auditor's Office and the remainder in general practice in eastern Montana -- before being elected District Court Judge for the Seventh Judicial District in 2002.  She served on the District Court until joining the Montana Supreme Court in 2025.