HEY, I KNOW YOUR CHIEF!
D A N T R AY N O R
ABA Delegate
The 2019 Annual Meeting of the American
Bar Association (ABA) was likely the last
one Chief Justice Gerald VandeWalle will
attend. He announced as much to our small
delegation at dinner one evening.
VandeWalle is widely known and admired
in American legal circles. Whenever our
delegates encounter someone from another
state, it is common to hear, “Hey, I know
your Chief!” And for that person to share
some meaningful interaction with our Chief.
For all the time I have served in the House
of Delegates (HOD), VandeWalle has been
the HOD delegate for the Conference of
Chief Justices (CCJ). His North Dakota-
borne humility causes him to quip that he
has the assignment because none of the other
Chiefs want it. But the honest answer is, the
duty calls because of his high regard amongst
his fellow Chiefs.
annually to an individual who has made
significant contributions to the academy, the
bench, and the bar. In 2008, the American
Inns of Court awarded our Chief the Eighth
Circuit Professionalism Award. standards for character and fitness that have
been embraced throughout the country. His
leadership developed the rules for admission
on motion that were adopted by the ABA
and numerous jurisdictions.
But the Chief ’s recognitions go beyond the
trophy case; his service has had real impacts
in our country’s legal system. After more than a decade of involvement
in bar admissions, VandeWalle was selected
to serve on the Section Council for Legal
Education and Admissions to the Bar,
including as chair of the Council. His service
coincided with the proliferation of many new
law schools, where he was on the site visit
team determining accreditation.
The reason why so many lawyers and judges
outside of North Dakota know our Chief
is because of the impact he has had on the
education, admission, and work of lawyers in
the United States.
For many years, he was co-chair of the
ABA Bar Admissions Committee. Through
that service, VandeWalle helped craft the
In 2000 and 2001, VandeWalle served as
president of the CCJ. This coincided with his
service as chair of the National Center for
State Courts. The National Center for State
Even though he represents his fellow Chiefs
in the HOD, he sits with our small three-
person delegation because he is from North
Dakota. His presence has given North
Dakota an out-sized presence in the ABA.
It is more than just the extra vote. We have
been sitting with a legend in American law.
In 2009, VandeWalle was awarded the
prestigious Kutak Award, which is presented
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THE GAVEL
The North Dakota delegation at the August ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco. From left to
right, Andrew Askew, Chief Justice Gerald W. VandeWalle, Dan Traynor, and Judge James Hill.