FALL 2021 UPDATES FROM THE UND SCHOOL OF LAW
MICHAEL S . MCGINNISS Dean , University of North Dakota School of Law
As I write this column , we have just finished the seventh week of our Fall 2021 classes at the University of North Dakota ( UND ) School of Law . It has been wonderful to see our hallways again really buzzing with conversations and activity , with classes now back to being substantially in-person for all levels of our student body . I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some of the highlights and other points of interest from this semester thus far .
• Our new first-year law students , the Class of 2024 , are 88 strong , the highest 1L enrollment we have had at the School of Law since 2016 . The class consists of an equal number of women and men from 19 states and two Canadian provinces . Almost half are North Dakota residents . Their educational journey at UND Law began with a Convocation ceremony at the Chester Fritz Auditorium attended by their family and friends . The keynote speaker was the Honorable Stephannie N . Stiel , North Dakota District Court Judge for the East Central Judicial District , who provided an inspiring message for our future lawyers . In her remarks , Judge Stiel noted being a good professional requires being collegial and being a good human . She emphasized the importance of working with an attitude and behaviors that are respectful and dignified ; being committed to creating and sustaining positive relationships with colleagues and members of the public ; and cooperating with other lawyers within both your workplace and your community .
• Eric Link , UND ’ s new provost and vice president for Academic Affairs , has launched the search for the next Dean of the School of Law . The Search Committee is co-chaired by North Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice Jon J . Jensen and Amy Henley , dean of UND ’ s Nistler College of Business and Public Administration . The committee consists of members of the legal and alumni community ; faculty , staff , and student representatives from the School of Law , and a member from the UND Alumni Association & Foundation ; and , as a representative from the SBAND Board of Governors , Taylor Olson , who practices law in Williston . I encourage all members of SBAND and the North Dakota legal community to reach out to Provost Link ( eric . link @ UND . edu ) and the Dean Search Committee leadership in the coming months to provide input on the qualities you believe are important for them to look for in selecting the next Dean of the UND School of Law .
• On September 29 , I had the privilege of speaking at the North Dakota Bar Admissions Ceremony at the Capitol in Bismarck to congratulate and welcome our newest members of the North Dakota Bar , including many members of the UND
School of Law Class of 2021 . Regrettably , our graduates ’ first-time North Dakota July bar pass rate ( 65 %, 20 / 31 ) is down from the prior two years ( 87 % in July 2020 and 84 % in July 2019 ). Although our results are better percentage-wise when accounting for firsttime North Dakota takers in February 2021 and out-of-state takers thus far in 2021 ( i . e ., at this writing our all-jurisdictions firsttime pass rate for the year is 71.4 %), we are concerned for and have reached out to our graduates who have not yet fulfilled their goals of bar passage and licensure .
The School of Law is fully committed to supporting them in achieving these critically important milestones . Notably , North Dakota is just one of many jurisdictions that have reported July 2021 bar exam results thus far that have seen significant , double-digit declines in bar pass rates from the prior year . For example , Nebraska , New Mexico , Alabama , and West Virginia all saw declines in their pass rates approaching 20 %. Legal educators around the country , who have been studying bar passage issues for years , have identified potential likely contributors to this phenomenon , especially the significant disruptions that the Class of 2021 experienced for almost half of their law school education due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Those impacts include the rapid shift to all remote learning in March 2020 for the remainder of their 2L year , and the challenges some students have had with adapting to online modes of education
24 THE GAVEL