An Ambassador for the UND School of Law:
McGinniss named Dean of North Dakota’s law school
By Kylie Blanchard, Clearwater Communications
As a faculty member at the University of North Dakota (UND)
School of Law for nearly a decade, Michael McGinniss is very
familiar with both the accomplishments and challenges the school
has experienced in recent years. As he steps into the role of dean
of the UND School of Law on July 1, McGinniss says he remains
steadfast in his commitment to the school and its quality of
education for students in North Dakota. “From the time I joined
our faculty, I have considered it my responsibility to serve our North
Dakota legal community and act as an ambassador for the UND
School of Law. I am deeply committed to ensuring the qualities that
have made us so distinctive and special among law schools endure for
the future of our state.”
McGinniss begins his
role as dean of the
School of Law on July 1.
Choosing a Career in Law
Born and raised in Milford, Del., McGinniss attended
Washington College, a small liberal arts college in Maryland,
graduating at the top of his class with a major in English.
“In college, I took courses in political science, economics, and
constitutional and business law that piqued my interest,” he says.
“I cared a lot about issues involving law and public policy and saw
a career in law as a way to use my knowledge and skills to make
a positive difference. I had also known lawyers in my community
growing up, who I greatly admired.”
McGinniss attended law school at the College of William &
Mary in Williamsburg, Va., graduating third in his class. He then
clerked for Justice Randy J. Holland of the Delaware Supreme
Court and practiced law for four years with a private Delaware
firm. In 1998, the Delaware Supreme Court appointed him to the
position of Disciplinary Counsel, which he held for 12 years.
Joining the UND School of Law
In 2010, McGinniss joined the faculty at the UND School of
Law as an assistant professor. He was promoted to associate
professor in 2014 and received tenure in 2016. He has served
as the faculty advisor to the North Dakota Law Review and the
student chapter of the Federalist Society for Law & Public Policy
Studies, as well as on numerous committees including chair of
the Promotion, Tenure, and Evaluation Committee, vice chair of
the Curriculum and Assessment Committee, and member of the
Law School Building Committee.
McGinniss says teaching and getting to know his students has
been at the heart of his experience at the UND School of Law.
“The relationships I have formed with our students and graduates
have meant the world to me.”
“I consider my role as a law teacher to be analogous to that of a
fiduciary,” he continues. “Students place trust and confidence in
us to care about their learning and to devote ourselves to teaching
them effectively, both in and out of the classroom.”
McGinniss has been honored annually with the J. Phillip
Johnson Faculty Fellow Award, given to promote professional
responsibility, leadership, and ethics, both in the legal profession
and in the community, and, in 2017, he was elected to
membership in the American Law Institute. Among his other
honors while at UND are selection as a Fellow of the National
Institute for the Teaching of Ethics and Professionalism, the
UND Foundation North Dakota Spirit Faculty Achievement
Award, and Honorary Member of UND Law’s Phi Delta
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THE GAVEL