Spring 2020 Gavel 268650 SBAND Gavel Magazine_web | Page 19

U.S. District Court Judge
Daniel M. Traynor:
A Family Tradition in Law
By Kylie Blanchard,
Clearwater Communications
U.S. District Court Judge Daniel M.
Traynor is new to his position on the bench
in the U.S District Court District of North
Dakota, but the practice of law has been a
tradition in his family for generations. “I
am the tenth member of my family to be a
licensed lawyer in North Dakota, and I was
the third generation of my family to practice
law in Devils Lake,” he says.
Traynor was confirmed for the federal
judgeship in December 2019, and hit the
ground running in Bismarck in his efforts
to help alleviate a heavy caseload created by
the North Dakota oil boom and vacancies in
the state’s other federal judgeships. “I hope
to help clean up the significant caseload
left from the oil boom and the delay in
approving a judge for Fargo and Bismarck.
Unfortunately, the federal court didn’t
have the judicial resources to deal with the
caseload,” he notes. “On the criminal side, I
hope to keep the caseload moving so every
defendant is given a speedy trial.”
Background
Traynor earned a bachelor of arts from the
University of North Dakota (UND) and
his juris doctor, with distinction, from the
UND School of Law. Following graduation
from law school, he served as a law clerk to
North Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice
Gerald W. VandeWalle. “My father and
oldest brother, Tom, inspired me to go to
law school,” he says. “I resisted the idea for
many years by saying to my father, ‘There are
too many lawyers.’ My dad’s response was,
‘There’s always a need for good lawyers.’”
Traynor was a shareholder at Traynor Law
Firm in Devils Lake, where he had an active
general litigation practice, focusing on
insurance defense, personal injury, business
litigation, and Indian Law. “I believe the
diversity of my career will be helpful in my
new position. When I started practicing law,
I prosecuted criminal cases for the City of
Devils Lake for about
a dozen years. When I
Judge Traynor was sworn
was nominated, I had a
in as the state's newest
pretty busy civil practice,”
federal judge in January.
he notes. “I’ve had some
experience in both
criminal and civil cases.
In my new job, the learning curve will be
With Traynor’s appointment, he fills the role
greater in criminal matters as it’s been some
of Judge Daniel Hovland, who entered senior
time since I’ve handled a criminal case.”
status in November 2019. North Dakota’s
other U.S. District Judge, Peter Welte, filled
The Nomination
the seat vacated by Judge Ralph Erickson
in 2017 when the Senate confirmed his
In August 2019, Traynor was nominated
nomination in July 2019.
by President Donald Trump for the federal
judgeship. In September, his nomination was
sent to the U.S. Senate. “When I learned I
was going to be nominated, I was excited
and somewhat apprehensive of the next
steps in the process.”
Traynor says the path from appointment to
confirmation was extensive. “It is a process. I
had to disclose everything I’ve ever written
or said in public, including on social media.
You never really know where you stand
until you are actually nominated,” he notes.
“Even then, there is a certain amount of
uncertainty as to when the next steps in the
process will occur. Senator Kevin Cramer
and Senator John Hoeven, and their staff,
were very helpful in explaining the process
and guiding me through it.”
Judge Traynor with
his family after being
sworn in as a U.S.
District Court Judge.
Professional Involvement
“During my career, I’ve been involved in
volunteer opportunities to improve the
practice of law, including serving on the
Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court.
In 2018, Governor Doug Burgum appointed
me to the State Board of Higher Education,”
says Traynor, noting he is also an elected
member of the American Law Institute.
Traynor also represents SBAND in the
American Bar Association House of
Delegates and serves on the SBAND Board
of Governors. “I’ve enjoyed the opportunity
to do so and hope to continue serving the
lawyers in North Dakota,” he says.
In his free time, Traynor says he enjoys
exercise and walks with his family, which
include his wife and three children. “During
the winter months, I spend most of my
evenings and weekends at various rinks in
the state. In the summer, I enjoy fishing and
relaxing at our family lake home.”
In his new role as a U.S. District Court
Judge, he says it is important he give his
best effort to fulfill the duties that have been
entrusted to him. “I pray every day that my
service will be pleasing to God and to my
family.”
SPRING 2020
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