to Tony Weiler , SBAND ’ s executive director , for all of his time , thoughtfulness , enthusiasm , patience , insight , and fortitude – I could go on – in support of the School of Law and of my work as its dean . Long before my deanship , Tony and I were friends and professional collaborators on a variety of bar-related projects and initiatives in which we were both involved : the SBAND Annual Meeting and planning for the Mart Vogel Lecture on Professionalism and Legal Ethics ; rule and policy issues addressed by the Joint Committee on Attorney Standards ; and the Joint SBAND / School of Law Committee , among others . But when I was named as dean in February 2019 , Tony provided me with positive support , helpful advice , and assistance with outreach to key external stakeholders that exceeded all possible hopes .
him as a member of the SBAND Board of Governors , I observed over and over again how passionate he is about what makes our legal community in North Dakota so special , and how important it is to preserve the relationships and formation of close bonds between members that will make it possible to carry those traditions forward for many years to come .
After I finish my service as our dean , I am genuinely excited to continue partnering with Tony to serve the North Dakota legal community and enjoy those supportive relationships that make our state such a wonderful place to be a lawyer .
There are so many others in the North Dakota legal community about whom I
do not have enough words to adequately express my appreciation . Judges Ralph Erickson , Peter Welte , and Dan Traynor are three of the finest jurists and people I have ever known . I am truly grateful not only for their support and encouragement in my professional role as dean , but also for their sustaining friendship to me in persevering through the difficulties and challenges that have arisen in the course of this journey . To them and to all ( and you know who you are !) who have emailed , called , taken me aside at a meeting to offer kind and understanding words , or prayed for me along the way ( or any combination of those ): Thank you . I will always be grateful to God for you , and I look forward to continuing to be your good colleague and your good friend in the North Dakota bar .
Tony and his active and dedicated involvement with our strong efforts in navigating the 2019 Legislative Assembly , and rallying North Dakota bar support , were instrumental to the success of our requests for critically needed funding increases to the School of Law . Since that time , Tony has continued to be my “ go-to ” collaborator in the North Dakota bar for guidance on how UND Law can be an even better partner with the legal community in educating even better lawyers , and in providing public service through SBAND and other opportunities to make the practice of law in our state and its quality and camaraderie stronger every year . He provided instrumental leadership and advocacy for SBAND in creating its new Energy Law Committee in 2019 ; in supporting my efforts then and recently to recruit and retain expert faculty for our curriculum in Oil & Gas Law and Energy Law ; and in our launching in fall 2021 our new J . D . certificate program on Energy , Environment , and Natural Resources .
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020 , Tony worked tirelessly to find new and creative ways SBAND could continue providing outstanding service to its members , including virtual continuing legal education opportunities and virtual and hybrid annual meetings . Collaborating with
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