Courts is an independent, nonprofit court
improvement organization founded at the
urging of Chief Justice Warren Burger.
Mary McQueen is president of the National
Center for State Courts. In reflecting on
leadership and VandeWalle’s decades of
service, McQueen observed, “Our nation’s
courts and the justice people find there has
definitely been inspired by Chief Justice
VandeWalle. He challenged us to envision
equal access, to learn from one another, to do
more to ensure justice for all and to preserve
the Rule of Law. From North Dakota to
Washington, D.C., and beyond, his influence,
his wisdom, and his courage has defined
justice – he is a leader.”
The adoption of the Uniform Bar Exam
(UBE) throughout the country was aided by
the support of VandeWalle. In 2011, North
Dakota was one of the first states to adopt
the standardized bar exam. VandeWalle was
very influential in advocating for an exam
that offered new law grads portability as to
where they practice.
Erica Moeser was the longtime president of
the National Conference of Bar Examiners
and a strong proponent of the standardized
exam. In recalling the impact of VandeWalle
on acceptance of the UBE, Moeser stated,
“Chief Justice VandeWalle has had a
profound impact on the Uniform Bar
Examination through his leadership among
his colleagues who are the chief justices
in other jurisdictions. His willingness to
embrace the UBE sent an important signal
that paved the way for over two-thirds of
U.S. jurisdictions to follow suit.”
As a Chief Justice himself, VandeWalle
was able to discuss it with his fellow chiefs.
The makeup of the bar exam is generally
determined by the highest court of the
licensing jurisdiction. Earlier this year, the
UBE had been adopted in 35 jurisdictions,
33 states, the District of Columbia, and the
U.S. Virgin Islands.
For many years, VandeWalle chaired the
Amicus Brief Review Team for the CCJ.
That group decides when the country’s Chief
Justices should comment on matters pending
before the United States Supreme Court.
When they do, the briefing is often cited in
Supreme Court opinions.
Iowa Chief Justice Mark Cady is the
current president of the CCJ. In discussing
the enormous impact VandeWalle has
had on the CCJ, Cady noted, “Jerry is the
embodiment of all of the best qualities of
a judge. It is the way that all of the Chiefs
feel. Each one of us has so much respect
for him and how he lifts us up as an
organization. I just love him.”
Despite being a generation older than most
of the Chiefs, Cady observed VandeWalle
has boundless energy. Chief Justice Cady
noted VandeWalle is at the forefront of
issues affecting courts throughout the
nation.
Among those issues is the ability of American
lawyers to practice in other countries.
VandeWalle served on the ABA’s Task Force
on International Trade in Legal Services, the
precursor to the Standing Committee on
International Trade in Legal Services. The
Standing Committee monitors ongoing trade
negotiations and other initiatives that impact
trade in legal services and the implications
for the regulation and practice of law in the
United States and abroad.
So, when someone from outside of North
Dakota says, “Hey, I know your Chief,”
it is because of the monumental impact
VandeWalle has had on American law.
And that’s pretty good for a kid from
Noonan, North Dakota.
LAWRENCE KING
Lawrence has been handling cases
involving Workforce Safety and
Insurance (WSI) (North Dakota’s Workers
Compensation carrier) for 25 years. He
represents employers interests in all
workers compensation matters including:
• Employee/independent
contractor classifications
• Employer premium disputes
• Employers challenging or
contesting an employee claim
• Out of state employers and compliance
with Workers Compensation matters
NORTHERN PLAINS WEATHER SERVICES
Dr. Matthew Bunkers of
Northern Plains Weather
Services is a certified
consulting meteorologist
(CCM) and forensic
meteorologist with over 25
years of weather analysis and
forecasting experience. He
can provide reports, depositions, and testimony in the areas of weather
and forecasting, severe summer and winter storms, flooding, applied
climatology and meteorology, agriculture meteorology, and statistics.
More information is provided at http://npweather.com, and you can
contact Matt at [email protected] or 605.390.7243.
FALL 2019
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