Prior to founding Gjording Fouser, Trudy served as a law clerk to the Late Honorable Charles R. Donaldson, Chief Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court and then was a shareholder at Elam & Burke for 17 years. 

• Recipient, Award of Legal Merit, University of Idaho College of Law (2023) – This award recognizes the outstanding contribution of a University of Idaho College of Law graduate whose career exemplifies the best in the legal profession. This annual award is based on demonstrated standards of integrity, competence, service, and leadership.
• Selected as a “Local Litigation Star” and “Labor & Employment Star” in Idaho by Benchmark Litigation 
• Ranked as one of the leading litigators in Idaho by Chambers USA 
• Named “Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants ‘Lawyer of the Year'” in Boise by Best Lawyers® (2021)
• Named “Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants ‘Lawyer of the Year'” in Boise by Best Lawyers® (2015, 2019, 2022, 2024)
• Recognized by Best Lawyers in the field of Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (Boise), Litigation – Insurance (Boise), and Medical-Malpractice Law (Boise) (2014 – current)
• One of the top 100 lawyers in the Mountain States (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada), Super Lawyers (2016-2017,
  2019-2024)
• One of the top 50 women lawyers in the Mountain States (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada), Super Lawyers  (2008-2012, 2014-2024)
• Martindale-Hubbell “AV” rating
• Recipient, Idaho State Bar Distinguished Lawyer Award (2022) – This award is given to an attorney (or attorneys) each year who has distinguished the profession through exemplary conduct and many years of dedicated service to the profession and to Idaho citizens.
• Recipient, Idaho State Bar Professionalism Award (2009) – This award is given to a few select Idaho lawyers each year and is one of the highest honors Idaho lawyers can receive during their careers.  The award is an expression of respect, commendation and appreciation from the recipient’s peers.
• Honored as one of the Idaho Women of the Year, Idaho Business Review  (2009)
• Recipient, Kate Feltham Award, Idaho Women Lawyers (2014) – This award is given to an individual who has made extraordinary efforts to promote equal rights and opportunities for women within the legal community in Idaho.
• Recipient, Exemplary Service Award, Idaho Chapter of the Federal Bar Association (2009)

• American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), Fellow (2004 – Present) – Fellowship to the ACTL is by invitation only and the membership can never be more than 1% of the total lawyer population of Idaho. 
• Idaho State Committee, American College of Trial Lawyers, Chair (2015-2016)
• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Advocate (2012 – Present) – Membership is by invitation only and a lawyer must serve as lead counsel in at least 50 civil trials that are tried to jury verdict to become an Advocate of ABOTA. 
• Defense Research Institute (DRI), Member
• Federal Bar Association (FBA), Member
• Idaho State Bar, President (February – July 2016)
• Idaho State Bar, 4^th District Bar Commissioner (2013 – July 2016)

• Idaho State Bar, Health; Litigation; Professionalism & Ethics sections, Member

• United States District & Bankruptcy Court, District of Idaho, 9^th Circuit Lawyer Representative (2011 – 2013)
• Idaho Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, President (2006-2008)
• Idaho State Pro Bono Commission, Member (2008 – 2012)
• Idaho Association of Defense Counsel (IADC), Member
• Boise Philharmonic, Women’s Leadership Circle (2017 – 2021)
• Idaho Women Lawyers (IWL), Board of Directors (2019-2022)
  
• Federal Defender Services of Idaho, Board of Directors (2014 – May 2019)

• Presentation: “The State of Civil Litigation in Idaho,” Idaho District Judges’ Conference (May 2023)
• CLE Presenter: “Expert Disclosures: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly,” Idaho State Bar annual meeting (July 2022)
• CLE Co-Presenter: “Lessons from the Masters,” Idaho State Bar annual meeting (July 2021)
• Co-Author, “The Internal Appellate Alert,” The Advocate, Vol.63, Issue 9, pg. 16-19 (September 2020)
• CLE: “Holistic Trial Work: Viewing Your Case with an Eye Towards Appeal and Viewing Your Appeal with an Eye Toward Remand,” Idaho State Bar annual meeting (July 2020)
• Presentation: “Anatomy of a Medical Malpractice Case in Idaho,” University of Idaho College of Law Torts class (November 2019)

• She had the largest head circumference in her high school graduating class
• She has been on Segway tours of the streets of Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago, Seattle and Bruge
• As an Idaho native, she has lived in four Idaho counties.  1A – Ada County, where she has spent all her time practicing law and raising her three children, 1B- Bannock County, where she attended Idaho State University before transferring to and graduating from Georgia State University with a degree in journalism, 1O – Oneida county where she was born and raised and awarded the Malad High School best actress award two years in a row! and 1L – Latah County where she graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law.
• Her whistle not only brought children running home but also won several contests.  (Now her husband claims that using a thumb and forefinger lessens this accomplishment but she begs to differ.)
• She happens to be very good at parallel parking
• She was enrolled in baton, tap, ballet, guitar, piano and flute lessons before her mother realized her only talent was talking!

• Georgia State University, B.A. in journalism with English minor, magna cum laude. Recipient of the Outstanding Young Journalist Award presented by the Atlanta Press Association.
• University of Idaho College of Law, J.D.