Spring 2020 Gavel 268650 SBAND Gavel Magazine_web | Page 18

support having an office in the state, but in
2004, efforts were started to establish an office
in North Dakota. In 2005, the state consolidated
offices with South Dakota and federal public
defenders were placed in Fargo and Bismarck.
Since 2005, both offices have expanded to meet
changing demands on the federal court system.
“The federal public defenders have significant
resources to make sure defendants receive a fair
trial and can provide training to lawyers who
handle court appointed cases,” says Hovland.
“It’s a really valuable resource in the defense of
criminal cases.”
His professional involvements included serving on the national
Court Administration and Case Management Committee (CACM),
as well as the Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference, the Eighth Circuit
Chief Judges Committee, and several circuit subcommittees. He was
a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association and SBAND,
having served on various SBAND committees. In the Bismarck
community, he was the former president and served on the Bismarck
Park Board from 1994 to 2006; former president and member of the
Missouri Valley YMCA Board of Directors from 1992 to 1998; and
served on the North Dakota Parole Board from 1999 to 2002.
Advice
Hovland says his success as a federal judge can also be attributed to
excellent support staff and law clerks, which include one permanent
law clerk and three law clerks on two-year rotations. “All of my law
clerks have been graduates of the UND School of Law. Without top
notch law clerks, most federal judges would not function very well.
I have been very fortunate to have had a wonderful contingent of
law clerks, as well as other fine professional staff in the courthouse,
all of whom have made my job easier and more enjoyable,” he notes.
“And having had the opportunity to work with former federal judges
Patrick Conmy and Rodney Webb was an honor and a privilege.”
The career advice he shares with law students, recent graduates,
and his law clerks focuses on the people surrounding them in their
professional lives. “Find yourself some great mentors, colleagues,
and other lawyers you can surround yourself with and learn from
them about the practice of law. Surround yourself with people who
are honest, straight forward, hardworking, ethical, and respectful to
others,” says Hovland. “Trust your instincts and follow your moral
compass.”
“In every job I’ve had, I have been fortunate to have been
surrounded by really excellent lawyers, judges, and colleagues that
were willing to mentor and teach, and provide sound guidance and
direction along the way,” he continues. “I could not have had better
people to work with as a young lawyer.”
He also recommends law students find work in their areas of
interest in the summer months to get an inside look into what
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THE GAVEL
Judge Hovland enjoying time
at his lake cabin in Minnesota.
it takes to be a lawyer. “It’s all about having a strong work ethic
and working diligently and with civility to serve your client’s best
interest. More important, it’s about fairness and treating all people,
regardless of their station in life, with dignity, respect, humility, and
kindness,” Hovland says. “Those are the underlying tools to success.
Professional excellence does not come from a book, a computer,
or the internet. I have found that the best lawyers are respectful to
everyone they deal with. The lawyers you deal with on the other side
of a case will always remember professionalism, civility, and courtesy.
They will never forget those who practice otherwise.”
Retirement Plans
Hovland has been married to his wife, Kristen, for 32 years. “She
is a wonderful woman and mother, and a very caring, loving, and
compassionate person,” he says.
They have three kids, Brandon, who works in the bar and restaurant
business in Bismarck; Mark, a medical doctor and second-year
resident in Iowa; and Lexi, who works as a marketing specialist at
North Dakota State University and is pursuing an MBA in Fargo.
“They have all done very well for themselves and I am extremely
proud of their accomplishments and the life path they have chosen,”
he notes, adding he also has two grandchildren.
There is a plan to cut back “a little” once the caseload settles down,
he says, to enjoy additional time at their lake cabin near Detroit
Lakes, Minn. “I hope to spend more time there. I love to sail my
Hobie Cat and there is a never-ending list of things to do, but it
doesn’t feel like work when you are at the lake.”
Hovland is also looking forward to more time to work out, play golf,
and enjoy life. “I enjoy playing golf and would like to tune-up my
golf game, which is a never ending, life-long task. We also hope to
do a bit of traveling.”
“I feel very blessed and fortunate to have this position and to be able
to work as a federal judge in North Dakota for the last 18 years. I
have never been bored and the job is intellectually challenging and
enjoyable every day,” he says. “I have loved the job every day. It is,
without question, the greatest job I have ever had. It is a real honor
to serve in this capacity.”