THE FOUNDATION IS STRONG FOR THE UND SCHOOL OF LAW
BRIAN PAPPAS Dean , University of North Dakota School of Law
It is my honor to be the new dean at the University of North Dakota ( UND ) School of Law . There are six (!) primary reasons I applied for the job . First , the law school has a long history of caring deeply about teaching and in innovating to develop our wonderful students into great lawyers . Second , the law school has deep egalitarian roots – doctrine and practice are equally important , and our legal writing faculty are essential to our mission . Third , we have a close relationship with the State Bar Association of North Dakota ( SBAND ) and our incredible alumni , and we value the opportunity to collaborate and work together . Fourth , as North Dakota ’ s only law school , we have a strong obligation and dedication to serve the entire state . Fifth , our law graduates have amazing opportunities here . Graduates can gain immediate experience , including the opportunity to apply and be selected for federal clerkships . Finally , at UND we have incredible leadership . President Armacost and Provost Link are excellent leaders , and I knew this was a place where I could continue to grow and develop as a leader under their example .
There are certainly law schools that share two or three of these attributes , but I know
24 THE GAVEL of no place that embodies all six . The UND School of Law is indeed a very special place . There is not one moment while serving in this role that I will not appreciate and feel fortunate to hold this position .
In addition , I will always feel a great appreciation for the people who held this role before me . Our past deans , Michael McGinnis , Bradley Myers , and Kathryn Rand , all did a terrific job of leading the law school through challenging times . Over the past 10 years , with the help of so many , we overcame difficult financial challenges while also renovating and expanding our building . I have a deep respect and admiration for all three , and I appreciate their support and willingness to be a resource for me . Thanks to them , the foundation is strong for the law school to continue growing and advancing .
While I am honored to have this opportunity , we also have work to do . As I write this , it is nearly three months since my first day on the job . In that time , I met with every faculty and staff member at the law school , and I started to evaluate our challenges and opportunities . Problems are opportunities , and I am only worried about the things I do not know about . If we know about a problem , we can work together to fix it .
Our recent bar passage numbers , for example , are something we will intently focus on and improve . In the next year , we will work to create a stronger internal team that can enable us to better achieve our core mission . We will work on our internal communications structures and develop greater transparency with our policies and procedures . We will encourage greater faculty shared governance and greater participation from all staff . We will develop a stronger community that can do an even better job of disagreeing productively and collaborating effectively to improve . We will engage in a strategic planning process that enables us to reaffirm our core mission , develop key performance indicators , identify strategies designed to make an impact , and discover the resources necessary to reach our goals .
As a part of my first three months , I began the process of getting to know North Dakota . This is an amazing place , where people have a “ can do ” attitude and a fierce loyalty to their communities and one another . I am in the process of visiting all 53 North Dakota county courthouses by the end of 2022 . I am also planning to visit each Tribal Nation . After visiting 17 counties , I knew the tour was something I will do every year .
During my visits , I met with court staff , judges , lawyers , legislators , and state ’ s attorneys . I observed county commission meetings , court hearings , and even a flock of turkeys at a gas station . I met with faculty and students at United Tribes Technical