Dakota Datebook: Dakota Women for Suffrage in 1888

Prairie Public: "Since a first attempt at suffrage in Dakota Territory occurred in 1868, you might think that came about thanks to a concentrated effort. However, this was not the case."

Job Announcement - Deputy Director

A job announcement for Deputy Director of the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents in Valley City has been posted.

Job Announcement - Lead Attorney

A job announcement for a Lead Attorney (Attorney II) with the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents in Devils Lake has been posted.

Law Review to hold North Dakota constitutional law symposium April 16

The North Dakota Law Review will present a symposium on North Dakota constitutional law April 16 at the Heritage Center and State Museum in Bismarck.

Job Announcement - Indigent Defense Contractor

A job announcement for an Indigent Defense Contractor with the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents in the South Central Judicial District has been posted.

Job Announcement - Attorney II

A job announcement for an Attorney II with the Department of Human Services in Bismarck has been posted.

Dakota Datebook: Suffrage, the League of Women Voters, and Abraham Lincoln

Prairie Public: "On this date in 1920, more than 2,000 women from across the United States, including a delegation from North Dakota, were attending a convention set up through the National American Woman Suffrage Association at the Congress Hotel in Chicago."

Job Announcement - Legal Assistant

A job announcement for a Legal Assistant with the Bismarck City Attorney's office has been posted.

Dean McGinniss discusses UND law school mission

Valley News Live recently interviewed Dean Michael McGinniss of the University of North Dakota School of Law about the school's mission and its achievements in the state and region. Here is the video.

Job Announcement - Paralegal

A job announcement for two paralegals with the Attorney General's office in Bismarck has been posted.

State to study juvenile justice system

KFYR News: "When a juvenile ends up in the criminal justice system, best case scenario is that it's a one-time thing."

Job Announcement - Assistant Attorney General

A job announcement for an Assistant Attorney General with the Attorney General's office in Bismarck has been posted.

N.D. Attorney General opinion: Feb. 6

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has issued an opinion that the Board of Accountancy violated the open records law when it withheld an entire email string as attorney work product when only the email from the Board’s litigation attorney to its general counsel was exempt.

Attorney General provides information on marijuana offense pardons

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has prepared a memo for attorneys that explains how their current and former clients may apply for a marijuana offense pardon.

Rights of accused drive efforts of defense attorneys

Bismarck Tribune: "They get handed cases on short notice. They don’t have the option of refusing them. They don’t get to pick their clients. And people sometimes wonder how they can do what they do, especially when the court of public opinion can muster strong emotions."

'Brains of the NPL' in ND was America's first state attorney general to be recalled

G.F. Herald: "The first state attorney general to be removed from office through a recall election in America was North Dakota's William Lemke."

Job Announcement - Assistant Attorney General

A job announcement for an Assistant Attorney General with the Attorney General's Office in Bismarck has been posted.

New director aims to help North Dakota Ethics Commission make rules

Dickinson Press: "The North Dakota Ethics Commission has a new executive director who says he will try to help navigate the board through the choppy waters ahead."

Dakota Datebook: Early attempts at suffrage

Prairie Public: "The attempt to pass woman’s suffrage in the Dakota Territory was first made in 1868 and 1869 as one of the earliest of its kind in the United States."

Dakota Datebook: The Coal Lands Act of 1909

Prairie Public: "On this date in 1909, the Golden Valley Chronicle alerted readers to a bill pending in Congress that would deny mineral rights to homesteaders."

North Dakota panel sees progress but more to do for missing, murdered Native people

Bismarck Tribune: "A new federal task force holds promise for the tragedy of missing and murdered Native women and girls."

'Rebel' Republican congressman from North Dakota ran for president as a third-party candidate

G.F. Herald: "Many North Dakotans may know that Theodore Roosevelt was the presidential candidate on the Bull Moose, or Progressive Party, ticket, in 1912. There are also some who are aware that Gary Johnson, who was born in Minot, N.D., was the presidential candidate in 2012 and 2016 for the Libertarian Party."

Job Announcement - Assistant Attorney General

A job announcement for an Assistant Attorney General with the Attorney General's Office in Bismarck has been posted.

Dakota Datebook: 1868 Suffrage Attempt

Prairie Public: "Multiple attempts for women’s suffrage were made in Dakota Territory and North Dakota before the approval and passage of the 19th Amendment in 1919. One of the first occurred during the eighth territorial session, held December 1868 to January 1869."

N.D. Law Review seeking submissions for spring issue

The North Dakota Law Review is now accepting submissions for its spring publication and is proud to announce that its upcoming issue will feature all North Dakota based authors.

Law firms, UND work to combat shortage of rural attorneys

G.F. Herald: "When Josh Wolfe was a teenager living on his family’s farm in a rural North Dakota community, he picked up a book that pointed him to his career. By the time he finished reading 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' the modern classic by Harper Lee, he knew he wanted to become a lawyer."

New chief public defender named for Divide, McKenzie and Williams counties

Williston Herald: "The North Dakota Commission for Indigent Defense has selected Donald A. Sauviac, Jr. to serve as the supervising attorney for the Northwestern District of North Dakota, covering the counties of Williams, McKenzie and Divide."

Big Muddy Bar Association sets 2020 meeting schedule

The Big Muddy Bar Association will again be hosting luncheons and providing CLE opportunities for its members in the South Central Judicial District. Big Muddy meets on the fourth Thursday of most months for a noon luncheon at the Elks Club located on South Washington Street in Bismarck.

Courthouses to close for Christmas holiday

The Supreme Court and all county courthouses will be closed Dec. 25, Christmas Day. On Dec. 24, the Supreme Court and most country courthouses will close at noon. Courthouses in Adams, Barnes, Benson, Bottineau, Bowman, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Grand Forks, Golden Valley, Morton, Oliver, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Rolette, Steele, Stutsman, Towner, and Traill counties will be closed all day Dec. 24.

Does juvenile crime peak during the holidays in North Dakota?

KX News: "From 2017 to 2018, juvenile crime went down 5 percent statewide. 10,089 kids under 18 were referred to their local court for any sort of crime."

Bismarck woman shares journey of how an illness took her from lawyer to laureate

KFYR News: "Jackie Stebbins was a partner at a law firm in Bismarck and a successful trial attorney. She describes herself as a huge Elton John fan, even dedicating much the office space in her house to someone she draws inspiration from."

New ruling means Supreme Court dodges Obamacare showdown, but legal fight rolls on

CNN: "After a long-awaited ruling from a US appeals court on the fate of the Affordable Care Act, this much is clear: the wait will only be longer, and uncertainty over the future of the law that provided new coverage for millions of Americans will only linger."

New dean says UND School of Law seeing brighter days

G.F. Herald: "Though it was a sometimes rocky path to get there, times are bright at the UND School of Law, says Dean Michael McGinniss."

New issue of N.D. Law Review now available

The North Dakota Law Review recently published Volume 94, Issue 3, which includes articles on Lake Sakakawea and the Takings Clause and on the future of voter ID.

North Dakota's lone female police chief retiring, says it's been a great ride

KFGO News: "Jeanette Persons is calling it quits. The Lisbon police chief, the state's only female police chief, is retiring."

North Dakota's 2019 homicides may have hit a high not seen in four decades

Fargo Forum: "The number of criminal homicides committed in North Dakota in 2019 could be the highest in four decades."

Dakota Datebook: North Dakota's ratification of the 19th Amendment (Part 2)

Prairie Public: "Governor Lynn Frazier had called a special session in late November 1919 that addressed, among other issues, the proposed 19th Amendment to the US Constitution to grant women the right to vote. The House and Senate both voted in favor by December 1st, and it was signed by both branches on December 4th."

Job Announcement - Hearing Officer

A job announcement for a Temporary Hearing Officer with the N.D. Department of Transportation in Bismarck has been posted.

75% of ND counties have fewer than 10 attorneys, leaving rural residents without legal help nearby

G.F. Herald: "When Delvin Losing - the only attorney in Casselton - was asked why he’s kept his office in the town of nearly 2,500 residents, he jokingly replied, 'Sometimes, I wonder.'"

Dakota Datebook: North Dakota's Ratification of the 19th Amendment

Prairie Public: "The right for women to vote was disputed for decades. Women and men alike populated both sides of the debate. Proponents united in rallying behind the push for change, which eventually resulted in the passage of the 19th Amendment."

State Court Administrator announces interest rate on judgments for 2020

The State Court Administrator is required by law to set the interest rate on judgements annually. For judgments entered in 2020, the interest rate will be 8 percent.

Dakota Datebook: The Open Range Doctrine

Prairie Public: "In the early days, when the eastern states were still colonies of Great Britain, farmers were bound by the doctrine of common law. Farmers who owned animals that were likely to roam, like cattle or horses, were responsible for any damage done by those animals."

ND ratified 19th Amendment 100 years ago, granting women full voting rights

G.F. Herald: "One hundred years ago Sunday, a group of men gathered in the House chambers at the Capitol in Bismarck to decide whether to allow their wives, mothers, daughters and sisters the right to vote."

Celebrating 100 years of votes for women

Ceremonies marking North Dakota Ratification Day will be held Sunday, Dec. 1, at the Heritage Center in Bismarck. A program featuring Supreme Court Justice Lisa McEvers as guest speaker will begin at 2 p.m. on Dec. 1.

Women Lawyers Section networking gathering in Jamestown

On Thursday, Nov. 21, ten members of the SBAND Women Lawyers Section from the Southeast Judicial District gathered for networking and conversation. Judge Cherie Clark, the WLS Regional Representative for the SEJD, hosted the event.

Job Announcement - Staff Attorney

A job announcement for a Staff Attorney with Legal Services of North Dakota's Native American Program in Minot has been posted.

Job Announcement - Paralegal Specialist

A job announcement for a Paralegal Specialist with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Fargo or Bismarck has been posted.

North Dakota to launch program to keep inmates from coming back

G.F. Herald: "As the state prison system fights a surge of inmates — and the pressures of the opioid and addiction crisis — North Dakota corrections leaders say they plan to launch a new program at the state penitentiary next year teaching young adults the skills they need to stay out of prison."

State pen prisoners discuss solitary confinement

KXNet News: "Last August, we took you on a tour of the North Dakota State Penitentiary’s revamped solitary confinement unit. A year later, we look at the real changes prisoners are experiencing. We spoke with a few, who compared the old with the new."

Law review plans symposium on North Dakota constitutional law

The North Dakota Law Review will be conducting a symposium on state constitutional law on April 16, 2020, at the Heritage Center in Bismarck.

Not paying your child support? North Dakota, tribal nation buckle down to improve collections

G.F. Herald: "Child support enforcers in North Dakota and the Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Nation are looking into why some parents don't pay across state and tribal lines."

Law dean shares good news about enrollment, bar passage rates

UND Today: "Prospects are looking very good. There is a demand and need for lawyers in our state and region. We’ve successfully placed a high percentage of our students in legal positions, primarily in North Dakota and Minnesota, but also in other states and in Canada."

LSND to hold winter CLE Dec. 6 in Bismarck

Legal Services of North Dakota will hold its annual winter continuing legal education seminar in Bismarck on Dec. 6.

North Dakota inmates sometimes sent back to prison for 'technical' reasons

G.F. Herald: "According to state data, North Dakota’s ex-state prisoners are headed back behind bars at about the same rate they were 10 years ago. But during that decade, that number has varied -- and the statistics themselves are said to be bound up in questions of prison capacity, criminal law and the opioid crisis."

N.D. Attorney General opinions: Oct. 23-24

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has issued an opinion that the skilled workforce student loan repayment program is available to graduates of four-year institutions if all other eligibility requirements are met and an opinion that Jamestown's Frontier Village Association violated multiple requirements of the open meetings law.

Job Announcement - Contract Attorney

A job announcement for a Contract Attorney with the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents in the Southeast Judicial District has been posted.

Job Announcement - Assistant State’s Attorney I

A job announcement for an Assistant State’s Attorney I with the Stark County State’s Attorney Office has been posted.

Job Announcement - Legal Assistant GS-7

A job announcement for a Legal Assistant GS-7 with the USAO, District of North Dakota in the Bismarck, ND office has been posted.

ND DOCR receives grant for drug court

KFYR News: "The North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation received a $486,253 grant through the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance. This is a three-year grant that will increase drug court services statewide."

Job Announcement - Insurance Healthcare Enforcement Attorney

A job announcement for an Insurance Healthcare Enforcement Attorney with the Insurance Commission in Bismarck has been posted.

Burgum announces members of newly established Children's Cabinet

G.F. Herald: "Gov. Doug Burgum on Friday, Oct. 11, announced the 12 members of the newly established Children’s Cabinet, which will study and coordinate care for children across the three branches of state government and tribal nations."

States put Norway-style prison reforms to work in U.S.

Detroit News: "U.S. prison officials and academics are increasingly looking to Norway's approach to incarceration for ideas to reduce recidivism rates that are higher in the United States than anywhere else in the world."

Western Dakota Association of Legal Assistants celebrates 35th Anniversary

The Western Dakota Association of Legal Assistants recently celebrated its 35th Anniversary. WDALA presented its Legacy Award to Penny Miller, Clerk of the North Dakota Supreme Court; Judith Howard, Minot attorney; Lori Hauge, court reporter; and Vicki Kunz, founding member of WDALA.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for Attorney III with the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents in Williston has been posted.

Job Announcement - Assistant City Attorney

A job announcement for an Assistant City Attorney with the City of Bismarck has been posted.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for a Paralegal/Legal Assistant with Legal Services of North Dakota in Bismarck has been posted.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for an Attorney II with the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents in Minot has been posted.

UND School of Law sets schedule for Homecoming 2019

The UND School of Law is hosting a CLE program (with ethics credits), an awards luncheon, a parade watch party and an all-school reunion and open house during Homecoming 2019 on Oct. 4-5.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for an Attorney for Legal Services of North Dakota with the Medical Legal Partnership in Fargo has been posted.

Task force to form for North Dakota juvenile justice study

Bismarck Tribune: "The Legislature's interim Judiciary Committee on Wednesday approved the formation of a task force for a study of North Dakota's juvenile justice system. Rep. Larry Klemin, R-Bismarck, who chairs the committee, will organize the task force comprising lawmakers as well as judges, attorneys and state agency members who work in the juvenile justice process."

Job Announcement

A job announcement for a Paralegal with Legal Services of North Dakota in Grand Forks has been posted.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for a Legal Secretary with the Burleigh County State’s Attorney’s office in Bismarck has been posted.

Dakota Datebook: A cleanup in Devils Lake

Prairie Public: "There was a great deal of excitement in Devils Lake on [Sept. 23], 1910. Dan Brennan of the law firm Brennan and Brennan had been shot following a raid to clean up the city’s blind pigs and bawdy houses."

Dakota Datebook: Golden Valley County affirmed

Prairie Public: "Politics has been chaotic in North Dakota history, even on the local level. Such was the case for the creation of Golden Valley County in far western North Dakota."

N.D. Law Review seeks submissions

The Board of Editors of the North Dakota Law Review invites submissions of written work for future editions of the publication. The Law Review serves as the exclusive journal of the State Bar Association of North Dakota and is dedicated to providing critical analysis of legal issues and developments in the state and region, as well as the national and international platforms.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for an Assistant Attorney General to represent the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks has been posted.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for two Legal Assistant II positions with the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents in Williston and Dickinson has been posted.

UND Law faculty member Denitsa Mavrova Heinrich named Webb Professor

UND News Release: "Assistant Professor Denitsa Mavrova Heinrich has been named the Rodney & Betty Webb Professor at the University of North Dakota School of Law."

Bar passage rate up 10 percent on July 2019 exam

The State Board of Law Examiners have announced the results of the July 2019 bar examination. Of the 82 applicants who sat for the bar examination in Bismarck, 60 applicants achieved a passing score. This is a 73 percent overall pass rate, compared to 63 percent a year ago.

UND to celebrate Constitution Day Sept. 17

The University of North Dakota will celebrate Constitution Day on Tuesday, Sept. 17, by hosting a lecture featuring Professor Richard F. Duncan of the University of Nebraska College of Law at the UND School of Law in the Baker Courtroom beginning at noon.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for an Appellate Contractor with the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents has been posted.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for an Assistant City Attorney with the City of Bismarck has been posted.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for an Attorney II with the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents in Fargo has been posted.

Workforce shortage in North Dakota impacting both prosecutors and public defenders

Bismarck Tribune: "In 2018, the average caseload per attorney in the Burleigh County office was 640, up 5% since 2015. Misdemeanor cases often are closed after one appearance by the defendant, but felonies require at least two appearances, more if a case goes to trial or if there are bail issues."

New N.D. Attorney General opinions

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has issued an opinion that the Fargo City Commission does not have authority to adopt a resolution to replace the existing airport authority with members of the city commission and an opinion that an applicant for appointment to the Board of Higher Education must have been a resident of the state for at least five consecutive years.

North Dakota man first to have felonies sealed from record

Valley News Live: "On August 1st, a law was introduced, giving people with criminal histories a second chance. A Fargo man is reaping the benefits just one month later, as he is the first person in North Dakota to have four felonies sealed from his public record."

UND Law excited to welcome strong class of first-year students

News Release: "The University of North Dakota School of Law welcomed an eager and diverse class of 84 first-year students for a week-long orientation program that began Aug. 18. The Class of 2022, which grew by 33 percent this year, includes students representing 18 states, Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and China."

Job Announcement

A job announcement for a Legal Secretary with Legal Services of North Dakota in Fargo has been posted.

Welcome program for new UND law dean set for Friday

The UND School of Law will welcome new dean Michael S. McGinniss, recognize the Law Class of 2022, and thank alumni and friends who have generously supported the law school at a program and reception on Friday, Aug. 23.

North Dakota inmates train future service dogs

My ND Now: "Inmates from the Missouri River Correctional Center are putting their time and talent to good use. MRCC resident David Gunderson says, 'It’s nice to give back. You know, working with the dogs, seeing them grow, helps me grow.'"

N.D. Attorney General opinion: Aug. 14

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has issued an opinion that the Fargo Park District violated the law because the meeting notice for a special meeting of its Board of Commissioners did not sufficiently describe the specific topic the commission clearly knew it would be discussing.

Who owns the bones? A conversation about dinosaurs in North Dakota

KFGO News: "The national news has been covering the story of Harrison Duran, a college student who uncovered a 65 million year old Triceratops skull in western North Dakota."

What is ‘Good Time’? Is it Good for North Dakota?

KX News: "Simply put, good time is granted to inmates who follow the rules. Burleigh County State’s Attorney Julie Lawyer explains, 'There’s time that’s taken off the sentence they have to serve so that they actually serve less time than what they’re given in court.'"

Inaugural Justice Sandstrom Lecture set for Sunday

The inaugural Justice Dale V. Sandstrom Lecture will take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019, in the Russell Reid Auditorium of the North Dakota Heritage Center. The lecture is on Judge Charles F. Amidon's role in enforcing the Espionage Act of 1917 in North Dakota. The lecture has been approved for 1.0 ND Ethics credit or 1.0 ND CLE credit.

‘Not enough’: How will North Dakota balance budgets and criminal justice?

G.F. Herald: "Every year, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem’s office releases a report on crime data from around the state. Running dozens of pages, it’s a mountain of information, with spreadsheets of murders, kidnappings and arsons, indexed to population, cross-tabulated against drug use — often described in granular detail, jurisdiction by jurisdiction."

N.D. Federalist Society to hold Supreme Court Round-Up Aug. 20-21

The North Dakota Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society will be holding Supreme Court Round-Up seminars in Bismarck and Fargo on Aug. 20-21. CLE credit has been applied for.

Ready for change: Is North Dakota’s criminal safety net too thin?

G.F. Herald: "The first thing Adam Martin ever stole was a bouncing balloon from a drug store in Breckenridge, Minn. He says he doesn’t know why he did it. He just did."

Too big too fast: North Dakota’s other housing problem

G.F. Herald: "Pat Bohn has spent a long time working in corrections — long enough to climb from a rank-and-file parole and probation officer in the 1990s to a job heading North Dakota’s entire parole and probation operation today. He’s seen a lot of things change."