Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) is a method of raising funds to increase access to justice for low-income individuals, provide civil legal aid to the poor, promote public understanding of the law, and improve our justice system.

When a lawyer receives funds that belong to a client or a third party, the lawyer must hold those funds in a trust account and keep it separate from the lawyer’s funds.  When funds that need to be held in trust cannot earn more income than the cost of holding the funds, the money can be deposited in an IOLTA program account with the pooled interest going to the IOLTA program.

All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands, operate IOLTA programs.  The Wyoming IOLTA program was established in 1989 by the Wyoming Supreme Court to help fund the unmet legal needs of Wyoming’s citizens.  The Equal Justice Wyoming Foundation administers Wyoming’s IOLTA program and provides funding and support to legal aid service providers in the state through grants.

Lawyers and financial institutions seeking information about the Wyoming IOLTA program or how to establish an IOLTA program account may contact the Equal Justice Wyoming Foundation by email or phone at 307-777-8383.

Attorneys may complete the Wyoming IOLTA Participation Form for Attorneys and return it to an IOLTA eligible institution to open an account.  Please review the IOLTA Eligible Institutions.

For IOLTA compliance questions, please contact Mark Gifford, Bar Counsel for the Wyoming State Bar, at 307-432-2106.

For more information about trust accounts, including IOLTA, please visit the Wyoming State Bar’s website and see the Trust Account Handbook. 

Prime Partner Financial Institutions

Wyoming attorneys and law firms can help advance access to justice in Wyoming by establishing and maintaining their IOLTAs at financial institutions that commit to offering favorable interest rate treatment on IOLTAs.  Prime Partner financial institutions support access to justice by paying a prime rate on IOLTAs held at their institutions.  Banking at a Prime Partner institution is a great way for attorneys to help support access to justice for low-income individuals in our state.

Gold Level Prime Partners

Annual IOLTA rate of 1.5% or higher

First Federal Bank & Trust

First National Bank of Omaha

Rock Springs National Bank

Trona Valley Community Federal Credit Union

Wells Fargo

Western Vista Credit Union

Zions Bank

Silver Level Prime Partners

Annual IOLTA rate of 1.0% to 1.49%

Cheyenne State Bank

First Republic Bank, a division of JPMorgan Chase

Bronze Level Prime Partners

Annual IOLTA rate of 0.5% to 0.99%

First Interstate Bank

Jonah Bank

Platte Valley National Bank

Riverstone Bank

Sundance State Bank

US Bank

Wyoming Bank & Trust

Thank you for your continued support for legal aid and access to justice through the IOLTA Prime Partner Program.