North Dakota Supreme Court Justices

Supreme Court State Capitol Bismarck, ND 58505-0530 701-328-2221 701-328-4480 Fax VandeWalle@court.state.nd.us Opinions Separates Lawyer record

Born and raised in Noonan, ND. Awarded a J.D. Magna Cum Laude from UND Law School in 1958. Editor of North Dakota Law Review in senior year. Served as an assistant attorney general from 1958 to 1975. Appointed first assistant attorney general in 1975. As an assistant attorney general, held portfolios for elementary, secondary, and higher education; oil and gas; state retirement system, and served as the North Dakota delegate to the Interstate Oil Compact Commission. Appointed to the Supreme Court in August 1978 and elected to serve the unexpired term in November 1978. Elected for a full ten-year term in 1984 and reelected for another term in 1994. Elected chief justice in January 1993 by vote of the district court judges and supreme court justices. Reelected as chief justice January 1995 and January 2000. Chaired ND Judicial Conference 1985-87. Former co-chair ABA Bar Admissions Committee. President-elect of Conference of Chief Justices. Vice Chairperson of the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. Member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association.