Second vote set in Chief Justice election

Ballots in the election for Chief Justice were opened Nov. 25. Because no candidate received a majority of the votes cast, there will be a second vote between Justice Jon Jensen and Justice Lisa Fair McEvers.

Pro hac vice fee payments due Jan. 1

Under Rule 3, Admission to Practice rules, lawyers who continue to appear in 2020 in a North Dakota proceeding for which they have already filed a motion for pro hac vice admission are required to pay a fee of $380 by January 1, 2020.

3 justices will contend for top job on North Dakota Supreme Court

G.F. Herald: "Justices Daniel Crothers, Lisa Fair McEvers and Jon Jensen filed paperwork before the midnight deadline on Wednesday, Nov. 6, to vie for the top position on the five-member court, according to state court administrator Sally Holewa."

This year, all clerks at the North Dakota Supreme Court are UND Law grads

UND Today: "Katie Carpenter says she has the best job in the world. Carpenter, a recent UND Law grad, is serving as a law clerk with the North Dakota Supreme Court."

Justices, judges volunteer at Banquet

The Supreme Court justices, district court judges, judicial referees, municipal judges, and a federal judge hosted the Banquet on Nov. 5. The Banquet is a free community dinner served at Trinity Lutheran and hosted by community groups. Here are the photos.

Clerk of ND Supreme Court set to retire

KFYR News: "A long serving member of the state Supreme Court is set to retire at the end of the year. Clerk of the Supreme Court Penny Miller has been in her position for nearly 30 years. She's the fourth Supreme Court clerk for the state."

Website upgrade work scheduled for today

On Thursday, Oct. 24, the information technology department will be upgrading the ND Courts hardware. Users may experience brief slowness from 6-8 p.m. CST. Between 8-9 p.m. CST., users may experience connection issues to the ND Courts websites as NDIT will be upgrading the network at this time.

Court chooses law clerks for 2020-2021 term

The North Dakota Supreme Court is pleased to announce the following individuals who have been selected to serve a one-year clerkship with the North Dakota Supreme Court beginning August 1, 2020: Logan Carpenter, Moffit, Alexandra Carthew, Fargo, Matthew Keller, Fargo, Katelyn Krabbenhoft, Fargo, and Erica Skogen, Mandan.

Court to offer fiduciary training Nov. 4

The North Dakota Court System will present training for people who manage other people’s money on Nov. 4 in Bismarck. Speakers from the Veterans Administration, Social Security Administration, and Medicaid will be presenting.

Chief Justice VandeWalle honored by Association of Counties

The North Dakota Association of Counties presented Chief Justice Gerald VandeWalle the Excellence in Government Dedicated Partner Award on Oct. 7. In accepting the honor, VandeWalle said he considered it recognition of the entire court system rather than an individual award.

Justice Jensen, Judge Louser visit Minot High School

Judge Stacy Louser and Justice Jon Jensen recently visited Minot High School at the invitation of Chauncy Hendershot, the Advanced Placement Government & Politics teacher.

Legal assistants honor Miller with Legacy Award

Penny Miller, Clerk of the North Dakota Supreme Court, has received the Legacy Award from the Western Dakota Association of Legal Assistants. The Legacy Award is presented to those who have shown commitment to advancing the paralegal profession with dedication and distinction.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for a Staff Attorney with the Supreme Court Central Legal Staff in Bismarck has been posted.

Court seeks comment on proposed procedural rule amendments

The Supreme Court is seeking comment on proposed amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rules of Evidence, and the Supreme Court Administrative Rules. Comments are due Oct. 30.

Remote public access approved for ND court records in 'major sea change'

Bismarck Tribune: "Remote, electronic access will soon be available for North Dakota court system records. The state Supreme Court on Wednesday adopted a rule governing public access to court documents."

North Dakota chief justice won't seek another term at the helm, but will stay on state's high court

G.F. Herald: "The chief justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court said Thursday, Sept. 26, that he won't seek reappointment to the post he's held since 1993 but will stay on the court for the 'immediate future.'"

Court approves changes to juvenile rules

The Supreme Court has adopted new Rules of Juvenile Procedure 11.1 on child competency and 18.1 on reviews of child placement. The Court also adopted amendments to Rules of Juvenile Procedure 2, 6, and 9. The changes take effect Oct. 1.

Court adopts new rule on access to court records

The Supreme Court has adopted new Administrative Rule 41 on access to court records. The new rule takes effect Jan. 1, 2020.

The North Dakota Chief Justice is making history

My ND Now: "Have you ever wondered who’s working hard inside the state capitol? I’m talking about the heavy hitters, those making decisions year-round. One of those people is Chief Justice Gerald VandeWalle."

Job Announcement

A job announcement for a Chief Deputy Clerk with the Office of the Clerk of Supreme Court in Bismarck has been posted.

Dakota Datebook: Justice Spalding

Prairie Public: "On this date in 1912, Burleigh Folsom Spalding arrived in Bismarck with his family and all their household goods. They moved into their rented house on the corner of 5th and Avenue B. The Spaldings intended to make Bismarck their permanent home."

Court annual reports from '70s to '90s now posted on website

The 1971 and 1975 through 1997 State Court Annual Reports have been added to the court system website.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for a Citizen Access Paralegal with the Supreme Court Law Library in Bismarck has been posted.

Justice Jensen presents at North Dakota Training Academy

On Aug. 9, Justice Jon J. Jensen presented at the North Dakota Law Enforcement Training Academy located in Bismarck. Justice Jensen provided an overview of the North Dakota judicial system, juvenile court, and the jurisdiction of federal and state courts within North Dakota.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for a Staff Attorney with the Office of Supreme Court Central Legal Staff in Bismarck has been posted.

Miller announces retirement as Clerk of the North Dakota Supreme Court

Penny Miller advised the Justices in July that she will be retiring as Clerk of the Supreme Court at the end of the year. Miller has served as Clerk of the Supreme Court for the State of North Dakota since July 1, 1992. She is the fourth clerk in the history of the state.

Supreme Court welcomes new law clerks

The North Dakota Supreme Court is pleased to announce the following individuals who began their one-year clerkship with the North Dakota Supreme Court on August 1: Katie Carpenter, Cassandra Frederickson, Alexander Hunt, Nicholas Samuelson, and Nick Surma.

July bar examination underway

The North Dakota Bar Exam began Tuesday, July 30, with 82 applicants, 67 of whom are University of North Dakota School of Law graduates, sitting for the exam. This is an increase from last year, and the highest number of July examinees since 2013. The exam ends Wednesday, July 31.

Court seeks comment on chambering of new South Central judgeship

The Supreme Court has issued a notice of comment on the chambering of a new district judgeship in the South Central Judicial District. Comments are due August 1.

Court seeks comment on proposed rule amendments

The Supreme Court has issued a Notice of Comment on proposed amendments to N.D.R.Civ.P. 11 and N.D.R.Crim.P. 3, 4, and 41. Comments are due August 12.

Justices Jensen and Tufte share insight at leadership seminar

Justice Jon Jensen and Justice Jerod Tufte spoke at the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar held in Bismarck on June 21. Approximately 40 high school students and 30 volunteers from across North Dakota participated in the seminar.

Court seeks applicants for law clerk positions

The Supreme Court is seeking applicants for five law clerk positions for a one year term commencing Aug. 1, 2020. Applications are due July 12.

Amendments to court records rule effective July 1

Amendments to N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 19 on the court records management program and to the case records retention schedule took effect July 1.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for a Citizen Access Paralegal with the Supreme Court Law Library in Bismarck has been posted.

Supreme Court seeks staff attorney

A job announcement for a Staff Attorney - Central Legal with the Supreme Court in Bismarck has been posted. The closing date is June 20, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.

Court computer network maintenance set for Tuesday evening

The court system's computers will experience some outages as work is being performed by ITD on the court’s network circuits on Tuesday, June 4 beginning at 6:30 p.m. The work should be completed by 8:30 p.m. All court systems will experience some form of downtime during this period.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for a Citizen Access Paralegal with the Supreme Court Law Library in Bismarck has been posted.

Supreme Court E-Filing Portal now available

An e-filing portal is now available for attorneys to electronically file and serve documents in the Supreme Court. Attorneys are encouraged to use the portal to file documents. Documents submitted for filing can be uploaded directly to the Clerk’s office through the portal and they can be served on the other parties through the portal.

ND jurists visit Rugby High School

Pierce County Tribune: "Two North Dakota judges visited Rugby High School last week to meet with students in the Tillman Hovland Auditorium for an informal question and answer session."

CPA society profiles Justice Jon J. Jensen in newsletter

Justice Jon J. Jensen, a CPA, was profiled in the May 2019 of the North Dakota CPA Newsletter, a quarterly publication issued by the North Dakota Society of Certified Public Accountants. The North Dakota CPA Society is the statewide association of Certified Public Accountants that has more than 1,800 members.

Justice Jensen, Judge Hurly speak at Rugby High School

Northeast Judicial District Judge Michael Hurly and Supreme Court Justice Jon Jensen visited Rugby High School on May 3. Judge Hurly and Justice Jensen spoke with the junior and senior classes about the North Dakota Judicial System, the Bill of Rights and answered questions from the students.

North Dakota judicial budget passes with new judge, library remodel

Bismarck Tribune: "As the House and Senate passed provisions for a Theodore Roosevelt presidential library at Medora, they also OK'd a $970,000 remodel of the North Dakota Supreme Court Law Library in the judicial branch budget."

Justice Crothers teaches in Ukraine

North Dakota Supreme Court Justice Daniel Crothers recently participated in two days of training for 38 newly appointed judges on the Ukraine High Anti-Corruption Court. Last week Crothers presented educational sessions in Kyiv, Ukraine on the rule of Law, fair and independent Courts and judicial decision-making.

Judicial system 2018 annual reports now available

The 2018 annual reports for the North Dakota Court System have been posted. The North Dakota Courts Annual Report provides statistics and information on all court system activity while the Juvenile Court Annual Report looks specifically at activity in the state's juvenile courts.

Job Announcement

A job announcement for a Judicial Assistant with the Supreme Court in Bismarck has been posted.

Justice Crothers teaches at National Judicial College

Justice Dan Crothers lectured last week at the National Judicial College in Reno, Nev. He taught topics including ethics of independent investigations, discovery and admission of electronically stored information, and ethics of social media as part of the college's course for new judges.

Catching up with North Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerald VandeWalle

UND Today: "Even beyond the legal realm, the name of Gerald VandeWalle is a familiar one. Chief Justice of North Dakota Supreme Court, VandeWalle strikes a revered figure in the state’s Capitol, where he has dedicated over six decades of his career – 20 years with the Attorney General’s office and 40 on the highest court in the state."

Law library adds new titles to print collection

The North Dakota Supreme Court Law Library has recently added titles to its print collection that may be of interest to the bench and bar. These include books on unbundling, evidence, child custody jurisdiction and the Indian Child Welfare Act.

North Dakota Supreme Court justice living a pipe dream

Bismarck Tribune: "Lisa Fair McEvers blew air into her bagpipes, careful not to be too loud as the drones began to sound. 'I don’t want to be bothering Al Jaeger. He’s right next door to me,' the North Dakota Supreme Court justice said, standing in her office near the wall she shares with the secretary of state at the Capitol."

Finley-Sharon, Hope-Page high school students visit the Supreme Court

On March 5, junior and senior students from Finley-Sharon and Hope-Page high schools visited the capitol. As part of their visit Justice Jon Jensen and Justice Dan Crothers visited with the students, answered questions and gave them a tour of the court's facilities.

Updated bar exam application instructions available

Updated bar examination application instructions have been posted on the Board of Law Examiners webpage.

Amendments to procedural rules now in effect

Amendments to the Rules of Appellate Procedure, Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Court and the Administrative Rules took effect March 1. Here is a synopsis of the amendments.

Changes to Rules of Civil Procedure, Evidence, Court effective March 1

On March 1, amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure, Evidence and Court become effective. Here is an explanation of these upcoming changes.

Court adopts amendments to Rules of Appellate Procedure effective March 1

Lawyers should be prepared for significant changes in appeal procedure effective March 1, 2019, due to rule amendments recently adopted by the Supreme Court. The new procedures will apply to all cases in which the Notice of Appeal is filed after March 1. Attorneys who plan to commence appeals after March 1 should review the rule amendments carefully.

Judge Tom Olson, Justice Jon J. Jensen visit Shanley High School

On Feb. 25, Judge Tom Olson, East Central Judicial District, and Supreme Court Justice Jon J. Jensen visited students at Shanley High School in Fargo to speak to students about the North Dakota judicial system, jury trials and the role of the judges in the justice system.

North Dakota court system to roll out new website

Bismarck Tribune: "North Dakota's court system will soon reveal a "refreshed" website updating its 20-year-old platform. State Court Administrator Sally Holewa said the new NDcourts.gov will likely roll out in the next week."

Justice Jensen visits Woodrow Wilson High School

On Jan. 23, Justice Jon J. Jensen visited Woodrow Wilson High School in Fargo at the invitation of social studies teachers Elizabeth Hazeldine and Breanne Blomquist. Justice Jensen spoke about the North Dakota judicial system to classes of new Americans and high school students.

Chief Justice VandeWalle celebrates 85th birthday, 40 years on court

Chief Justice Gerald VandeWalle celebrated his 85th birthday and 40 years of service on the Supreme Court on Aug. 15. VandeWalle was appointed to the Court in 1978 by Governor Arthur Link to fill the unexpired term of Justice Robert Vogel, who resigned. He has served longer than any other North Dakota Supreme Court justice.

Indian Youth Leadership Academy students attend court

The North Dakota Indian Youth Leadership Academy is being held June 4-8 at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck. As part of the academy, the students attended oral arguments with the Supreme Court. After the arguments the Court's justices met with the students, answering their questions about the case and explaining how the state's judicial system works.