Spring 2020 Gavel 268650 SBAND Gavel Magazine_web | Page 8

Jensen says pursing a law degree provides many career options, information he likes to share when talking to students about a career in law. “It’s a profession that allows you to provide service to others and it’s a very satisfying profession,” he notes. “You can use your law degree to pursue all sorts of professions, not just to serve as a lawyer.” He encourages students to focus on learning and memorizing the basics of law, which will lead to success in their careers. “Master the basics,” notes Jensen. “If you look at the North Dakota Supreme Court decisions, many are decided on basic rules of evidence and basic rules of court.” Outside of the Courtroom Jensen is married to a retired attorney and CPA, Linda Bata, and resides in Bismarck. In his spare time, he says he enjoys remaining active. “I like to stay physically active, and especially enjoy bicycling,” he notes. “I also tag along with my spouse when she is doing dog shows and dog performances.” Chief Justice Jensen and his wife, retired attorney and CPA, Linda Bata. He would also like to streamline some of the court’s technology processes. “We have computer systems that don’t interact well with other agencies and updating these could help to reduce the burden on our clerks of court.” In addition, Jensen would like to improve filing in the Odyssey system and integrate criminal cases into that system. In February, Jensen announced his candidacy for election for a 10-year term on the Supreme Court to retain his current seat, a plan that was in place prior to his election as Chief Justice. “Serving on the trial court bench and on the Court has been a privilege,” he stated. “I hope that I have served well and have an opportunity to continue.” Malpractice and Professional DISCIPLINARY DEFENSE He says a challenge as the administrator of the state’s court system is to continue to improve public access to records, which he hopes to enhance through some of the goals he has set. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented many new challenges for the state’s judicial system. “We can cancel a lot of things, but there are essential functions of the judicial system. Our role in protecting children and protecting the rights of those in the judicial system are essential and we still need to do those things.” A Look Back Jensen says some of the most memorable cases he has been involved in were during his career in private practice. “There are a number of cases in which I prevailed in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the IRS issued a letter of non-acquiescence,” he notes, adding these cases included a self-employment tax case for farmers, a self-employment tax case for hot oil workers, higher education tenure buyouts, and a Minnesota case involving presumptive residency. He says two significant accomplishments mark his career on the bench, being elected the presiding judge of the Northeast Central Judicial District and his election as Chief Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court. 8 THE GAVEL RONALD H. M�LEAN PETER W. ZUGER [email protected] [email protected] Experienced in defending lawyers with disciplinary complaints and malpractice actions. 7 0 1 -2 3 2 -8 9 5 7 • serklandlaw.com Fax: [phone] • 10 Roberts St. N., PO Box 6017, Fargo ND 58108-6017