University of North Dakota School of Law

Infobox University
name = University of North Dakota
School of Law


motto = "Lux et Lex"
(Latin: Light and Law)
established = 1899
type = Public
students = 225
faculty = 13 professors, 2 visiting professors and 22 affiliated members
head_label = Dean
head = Paul A. LeBel
city = Grand Forks
state = ND
country = USA
coord|47|55|17|N|97|04|14|W|type:edu
campus = urban
website = [http://www.law.und.edu www.law.und.edu]

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.Fact|date=February 2007

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).

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 Canada, Norway and other countries.

Ranking

In its 2007 ranking of American law schools, U.S. News and World Report ranked UND Law as a tier three school. However, recent facility upgrades and enhanced fundraising efforts may attract a wider range of law school candidates in the future. Overall, UND Law is a strong regional school and a necessary legal fixture in the state of North Dakota. In the most recent survey, UND School of Law dropped to the fourth tier in the US News and World Report rankings.

Thormodsgard Law Library

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.

Notable alumni

*Rep. Earl Pomeroy - (J.D. 1979), U.S. Congressman (D-ND) (1993-Present)
*Hon. Olger Burton Burtness [http://www.court.state.nd.us/court/bios/burtness.htm] - (LL.B 1907), U.S. Congressman (R-ND) (1921-1933), North Dakota District Judge (1950-1960)
*Hon. Kermit E. Bye - (J.D. 1962), Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (2000-present)
*Hon. Ralph R. Erickson - (J.D. 1984), North Dakota District Judge (1994-2003), United States District Judge for the District of North Dakota (2003-present)
*Hon. Daniel L. Hovland - (J.D. 1979), Chief 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-present)
*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. Carrigan - (J.D. 1953), United States District Judge for the District of Colorado
*Hon. H.F. Gierke III - (J.D. 1966), Chief Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
*Hon. Gerald W. VandeWalle - (J.D. 1958), Chief Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court (1993-present)
*Hon. Daniel J. Crothers - (J.D. 1979), Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court (2005-present)
*Hon. Mary Muehlen Maring - (J.D. 1975), Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court (1996-present)
*Hon. Dale V. Sandstrom - (J.D. 1975), North Dakota Public Service Commissioner (1983-1992), Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court (1992-present)
*William Langer - (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 Moses - (LL.B. 1915), Governor of North Dakota (1939-45), U.S. Senator (D-ND) (1945)
*Allen I. Olson - Governor of North Dakota (1981-85)
*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)

External links

* [http://www.law.und.edu University of North Dakota School of Law website]
* [http://www.und.edu/ University of North Dakota website]
* [http://www.law.und.nodak.edu/Library/index.php Thormodsgard Law Library at UND website]
* [http://www.law.und.nodak.edu/LawReview/ University of North Dakota Law Review]
* [http://www.law.und.nodak.edu/npilc/index.php Northern Plains Indian Law Center website]
* [http://www.law.und.edu/Clinics/index.php UND Clinical Legal Education Program website]
* [http://www.law.und.edu/Programs/norway.php UND Norway Exchange Program website]