GET TO KNOW YOUR BOARD MEMBER
Michael McGinniss SBAND Board Member
What is your current position ? I am the dean and a professor of law at the University of North Dakota ( UND ) School of Law . I joined our faculty in 2010 , and I ’ ve been the dean since 2019 .
What is your hometown , college attended , and law school attended ? I was born and raised in Milford , Del ., in the southern , more rural part
of the state . I attended Washington College , a small liberal arts college on the Eastern Shore of Maryland , and graduated with a bachelor of arts majoring in English . I then attended law school at the College of William & Mary , Marshall-Wythe School of Law in Williamsburg , Va .
What professional work did you do before law school ? I went straight from college to law school .
What led you to a career in law ? When I started college , I had tentative aspirations of becoming an English professor . But when I took pre-law courses outside my major , they really intrigued me , and I started again seriously considering a legal career . Growing up in Milford , I also had a wonderful role model in Delaware Supreme Court Justice Randy J . Holland , who recently passed . I will always be so grateful for Justice Holland ' s invaluable mentorship and profound example of a life of integrity in the legal profession .
How long have you been on the SBAND Board ? Since 2019 , when I became the dean of the UND School of Law .
What other involvement have you had with SBAND prior to being on the board ? Prior to being on the board as the dean , I was quite active with SBAND in a number of ways . I ’ ve presented the Vogel Lecture for the SBAND Annual Meeting four times and coordinated the lecture program in other years as well . I served as a member of the Joint Committee on Attorney Standards for nine years , including two years as chair . I ’ ve provided multiple trainings and presentations for members of the District Inquiry Committees and the Disciplinary Board , drawing on my knowledge and experience from working as a Disciplinary Counsel for the Delaware Supreme Court for 12 years before I came to North Dakota . As a member of our faculty , I also served on the Joint SBAND / School of Law Committee .
What is your favorite quote ? “ Trust in the Lord with all your heart , and do not rely on your own insight . In all your ways acknowledge him , and he will make straight your paths .” Proverbs 3:5-6
What is the last book you read ( good or bad )? The Four Cardinal Virtues , by Josef Pieper . It is a classic and deeply insightful work of Catholic moral philosophy .
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