Elicia Montoya

Bar / Professional Activity

• Equal Access to Justice Board Member. (2025-Present)  Equal Access to Justice provides unrestricted, noncompetitive funds to New Mexico civil legal aid organizations. , 2026
• Hearing Officer, New Mexico Disciplinary Board of the NM Supreme Court , 2026
• Trustee for the Santa Fe Preparatory School in Santa Fe, N.M.  Board Chair 
• New Mexico Ethics Review Board, Hearing Officer
• American Association for Justice
• New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association, Board Member, 2026
• New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association, Member, Board of Directors, 2000 - Present, 2026
• NM State and Federal District Courts

Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)

• Hospital corporation's failure to properly train and supervise lab technicians resulting in the mishandling and mislabeling of biopsy tissue specimens.  The mislabeling caused a patient who did not have cancer to be informed in error that he did have cancer and he underwent the needless removal of his prostate gland resulting in incontinence and impotence.  The case resolved for a confidential amount. , 2022
• Failure to properly label specimen containers after biopsy resulting in a patient's cancer not being timely diagnosed or treated.  The case resolved for a confidential amount. , 2023
• Bowel obstruction ignored even as patient continued to vomit fecal matter.  The hospital corporation failed to ensure proper communication between and among the various providers and ultimately, our client's husband went into respiratory and then cardiac arrest after fecal matter obstructed his airway.  He died after nearly 2L of fecal matter were suctioned from his airway. The case resolved for a confidential amount. , 2019
• Patient was improperly discharged from the hospital while having an aortic dissection.  She died hours later at home in bed with her husband. The case resolved for a confidential amount on the eve of trial. , 2023
• Trucking crash resulting from the failure of a trucking company to properly train and supervise drivers and from the driver's failure to operate a semi-truck and its trailer safely.  The conduct of the trucking company and its driver resulted in the death of a child and caused serious and permanent injuries to the other passengers in the vehicle.  The case resolved for a confidential amount. , 2018
• Chiropractic manipulation resulting in vertebral artery dissection, ischemic stroke and death.  The case resolved for the maximum amount of coverage available. , 2023
• Failure to diagnose heart attack in a woman because of the refusal to take her symptoms and reports of pain seriously.  Resulting in a verdict of $9 million and appeal and then ultimately the case was resolved by the parties. , 2019

Representative Clients

• We represented a young woman who was sexually assaulted on her college campus at a college that had a pattern of criminal conduct on campus.  The University failed to conduct a timely investigation and continued its reckless conduct in perpetuating criminal conduct on campus.  The case was litigated and ultimately resolved for $1,000,000.00 when the University agreed to implement mandatory sexual assault training on an annual basis for all students. The case was also settled against the assailant on confidential terms. , 2025
• I represented a young man who sustained a traumatic brain injury and nearly lost his life in a roadway crash with a semi-truck that had failed to stop at a stop sign. The case settled with the trucking company, but the State Highway Department refused to see its own culpability in failing to maintain the signage and warnings in proper condition.  We took the highway department to trial.  The jury found our client's damages to total $25,567,103.37 and apportioned 30% of the fault to the highway department.  Our client and his family were vindicated and were thrilled that the jury held the highway department accountable for its own share in contributing to cause this devastating crash.  They were also thrilled to have effectuated change as the highway department finally fixed the roadway and added in the appropriate signage to the area.  , 2025

Pro bono / Community Service

• City of Santa Fe Commissioner appointed by my City Councilor to serve the City by making recommendations along with my fellow Commissioners regarding suggested modifications to the City Charter (the Constitution of our City) 
• New Mexico Activities Association- Board Member , 2026
• I serve as a Hearing Officer for the New Mexico Disciplinary Board.  I have served in this capacity for well over a decade.  I review cases and also serve to make recommendations to the Disciplinary Board regarding attorney discipline.  , 2025
• I am a mentor with the New Mexico State Bar.  We apply to be mentors and then, once approved, are paired with young lawyers to provide career and case support.  , 2025
• Notre Dame Hesburgh Woman of Impact-(2024-Present) I mentor young women at the University of Notre Dame to provide academic and career support throughout the year.  I review resumes, internship applications and essays to help ensure these remarkable women obtain careers in their chosen fields.  , 2026
• Pegasus Legal Services for Children, Member, Board of Directors 2004 - 2007
• City of Santa Fe - Ethics Review Board, Mayoral Appointee , 2004 - 2007

Educational Background

• University of Notre Dame, B.A., Government, 1996

Scholarly Lectures / Writings

• Taught trial skills to law students as part of their Evidence and Trial Practice class. , Adjunct Law Professor, University Of New Mexico Law Students
• Invited speaker to educate attorneys on trial skills  , Presenter, When the Defense Drives your Damages, New Mexico Trial Lawyers' Association -Daniel Rivera, New Mexico Trial Lawyers' Association, 2026
• Lecturer and Panelist - Addressing and Preventing Violence Through the Intersection of Law, Policy and Community Collaboration  , Presenter/Panelist, 5th Annual Women in the Law Symposium, nmdoj.gov, New Mexico State Bar, 2026

Other Outstanding Achievements

• Top 10 Trucking Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers , 2025

Honors

• Hesburgh Woman of Impact, University of Notre Dame
• Southwest Super Lawyers, www.superlawyers.com, 2026
• SuperLawyers Rising Star
• Margaret Keiper Dailey Award for Social Justice, Clinical Honors, 1999
• Top 100 Trial Attorneys, National Trial Lawyers
• AV rated by peers at highest level of professional excellence, Martindale Hubbell-Preeminent
• Top 25 Medical Malpractice Trial Lawyers, Attorney, National Trial Lawyers, 2017

Industry Groups

• Catastrophically injured individuals and their families

“Ms. Montoya is an outstanding attorney in all respects. I have not encountered a lawyer more tenacious in her pursuit of justice for her clients, or a lawyer more persuasive to a jury.”

“Ms. Montoya is an outstanding plaintiffs' personal injury attorney.”

“Elicia is the most talented and fearsome plaintiff's litigator in the state. Elicia's ability to connect with jurors and to simplify the most complex issues is remarkable. She has achieved incredible trial results, including a recent $25 million verdict for her clients, in the most complex and vigorously contested cases. Elicia possesses the intelligence, creativity, and analytical ability to develop and effectively try any type of case, as demonstrated by her long history of trial verdicts across multiple practice areas.”