University of North Dakota School of Law
Encyclopedia
The University of North Dakota School of Law is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota
at the University of North Dakota
(UND) and is the only law school in the state of North Dakota. Established in 1899, the law school is home to approximately 235 students and has more than 3,000 alumni. It has one of the smallest student populations among the American Bar Association
accredited law schools.
The institution offers the J.D. degree and a joint degree programs in law and public administration (J.D./M.P.A.)and also business administration (J.D./M.B.A.). The school is also home to the Northern Plains Indian Law Center. In addition, UND Law students can participate in the school's summer Norway Exchange Program (at the University of Oslo, Norway
).
, Norway
and other countries.
. Facility upgrades and enhanced fundraising efforts may attract a wider range of law school candidates in the future.
The three-story Thormodsgard Law Library adjacent to the School of Law building at UND is named in honor of Olaf H. Thormodsgard, who was Dean of the University of North Dakota School of Law from 1933 to 1962.
The library underwent a renovation in 2003 that added mobile compact shelving. The upgrade increased the shelf-space for the library's growing collection of legal materials (which includes a core collection of 312,000 volumes). WestLaw
and LexisNexis
are a part of the library's electronic collection.
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
at the University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
(UND) and is the only law school in the state of North Dakota. Established in 1899, the law school is home to approximately 235 students and has more than 3,000 alumni. It has one of the smallest student populations among the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
accredited law schools.
The institution offers the J.D. degree and a joint degree programs in law and public administration (J.D./M.P.A.)and also business administration (J.D./M.B.A.). The school is also home to the Northern Plains Indian Law Center. In addition, UND Law students can participate in the school's summer Norway Exchange Program (at the University of Oslo, Norway
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
).
Admissions
In 2006, the median GPA for incoming UND Law students was 3.50, while the median LSAT score was 152. The School of Law received 630 applications for its J.D. program, of which 197 were accepted and 77 were enrolled. In recent years, the school has increased its student diversity through partial tuition waivers for members of minority groups. In addition, the school attracts a number of international students from CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and other countries.
Ranking
In its 2010 ranking of American law schools, U.S. News and World Report ranked UND Law as a tier four school. UND Law is a strong regional school and a necessary legal fixture in the state of North DakotaNorth Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. Facility upgrades and enhanced fundraising efforts may attract a wider range of law school candidates in the future.
Thormodsgard Law Library
The library underwent a renovation in 2003 that added mobile compact shelving. The upgrade increased the shelf-space for the library's growing collection of legal materials (which includes a core collection of 312,000 volumes). WestLaw
Westlaw
Westlaw is one of the primary online legal research services for lawyers and legal professionals in the United States and is a part of West. In addition, it provides proprietary database services...
and LexisNexis
LexisNexis
LexisNexis Group is a company providing computer-assisted legal research services. In 2006 it had the world's largest electronic database for legal and public-records related information...
are a part of the library's electronic collection.
Notable alumni
- Rep. Earl PomeroyEarl PomeroyEarl Pomeroy is a lobbyist and former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1993 until 2011. He is a member of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party.- Early life, education and career :...
- (J.D. 1979), U.S. Congressman (D-ND) (1993-Present) - Hon. Olger B. BurtnessOlger B. BurtnessOlger Burton Burtness was a U.S. Representative from North Dakota and a North Dakota District Court Judge.-Background:...
- (LL.B 1907), U.S. Congressman (R-ND) (1921-1933), North Dakota District Judge (1950-1960) - Hon. Kermit Edward ByeKermit Edward ByeKermit Edward Bye is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.- Early life and education :Born in Hatton, North Dakota, Bye earned a B.S...
- (J.D. 1962), Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (2000-present) - Hon. Ralph R. EricksonRalph R. EricksonRalph Robert Erickson is a United States federal judge.Born in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, Erickson received a B.A. from Jamestown College in 1980 and a J.D. from the University of North Dakota in 1984. He was in private practice in West Fargo, North Dakota from 1984 to 1994. He was a Magistrate...
- (J.D. 1984), North Dakota District Judge (1994-2003), Chief United States District Judge for the District of North Dakota (2003-present) - Hon. Daniel L. HovlandDaniel L. HovlandDaniel Lee Hovland is a United States federal judge.Born in Moorhead, Minnesota, Hovland received a B.A. from Concordia College in 1976 and a J.D. from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1979. He was a law clerk, Hon. Ralph J. Erickstad, North Dakota Supreme Court from 1979 to 1980...
- (J.D. 1979), United States District Judge for the District of North Dakota (2003-present) - Hon. Rodney S. Webb - (J.D. 1959), United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota (1981-87), United States District Judge for the District of North Dakota (1987-2009)
- Hon. Edward J. Devitt - (LL.B 1935), U.S. Congressmen (1947-49) (R-MN), United States District Judge for the District of Minnesota (1954-1992)
- Hon. James R. CarriganJames R. CarriganJames R. Carrigan is a former United States federal judge.Born in Mobridge, South Dakota, Carrigan received a Ph.B. from the University of North Dakota in 1953, a J.D. from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1953, and an LL.M. from New York University School of Law in 1956. He was in...
- (J.D. 1953), United States District Judge for the District of Colorado (1979-1995) - Hon. H.F. Gierke III - (J.D. 1966), Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (1991-present), elevated to Chief Judge in 2004
- Hon. Gerald W. VandeWalleGerald W. VandeWalleGerald Wayne VandeWalle is the Chief Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court. Justice VandeWalle was born in Noonan, North Dakota and graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1955 with a bachelor of science degree in Commerce. He then received a juris doctor degree from the University...
- (J.D. 1958), Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court (1978-present), elevated to Chief Justice in 1993. - Hon. Daniel J. Crothers - (J.D. 1979), Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court (2005-present)
- Hon. Mary Muehlen MaringMary Muehlen MaringMary Muehlen Maring is a Justice on the North Dakota Supreme Court. Mary Muehlen Maring was born and raised in Devils Lake, North Dakota. She graduated with B.A. degree in Political Science and German from Moorhead State University in 1972 and in 1975 a juris doctor degree from the University of...
- (J.D. 1975), Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court (1996-present) - Hon. Dale V. SandstromDale V. SandstromDale V. Sandstrom is a North Dakota Republican Party politician who served as a North Dakota Public Service Commissioner from 1983 to 1992, and as a Justice on the North Dakota Supreme Court since 1992.-Biography:...
- (J.D. 1975), North Dakota Public Service Commissioner (1983-1992), Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court (1992-present) - William LangerWilliam LangerWilliam "Wild Bill" Langer was a prominent US politician from North Dakota. Langer is one of the most colorful characters in North Dakota history, most famously bouncing back from a scandal that forced him out of the governor's office and into prison. He served as the 17th and 21st Governor of...
- (LL.B 1906), Attorney General of North Dakota (1919-20), Governor of North Dakota (1933-34, 1937-39), U.S. Senator (R-ND) (1940-1959) - John MosesJohn MosesJohn Moses was the 22nd Governor of North Dakota from 1939 to 1945, and served in the United States Senate in 1945 until his death that year.-Biography:...
- (LL.B. 1915), Governor of North Dakota (1939-45), U.S. Senator (D-ND) (1945) - Allen I. OlsonAllen I. OlsonAllen Ingvar Olson is a Republican politician and attorney who served as the 28th Governor of North Dakota from 1981 to 1985. He defeated incumbent Arthur A. Link in the 1980 race for governor and served one term....
- Governor of North Dakota (1981-85) - Hon. Rosanna M. PetersonRosanna M. PetersonRosanna Malouf Peterson is a United States district judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington and a former professor at Gonzaga University School of Law.- Early life and education :...
- (J.D. 1991), United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Washington (2010-present) - Keithe E. Nelson - (J.D. 1959), Judge Advocate General of the United States Air Force (1988-91)
- Bryan G. Hawley - (J.D. 1967), Judge Advocate General of the United States Air Force (1996-99)
- Peter S. Pantaleo - (J.D. 1976), Managing Partner, DLA PiperDLA PiperDLA Piper is a global law firm with 76 offices across 30 countries and more than 4,200 lawyers. As of May 2011, it was the largest law firm in the world by number of attorneys. The firm's global revenues were $1.92 billion in 2009-2010. The firm is composed of two partnerships, DLA Piper...
New York Office