“ Our entire legal community is lucky to have someone so dedicated to championing and fostering learning opportunities for junior lawyers , as well as modeling excellence in practice and the profession ,” concluded Datzov .
About Judge Erickson
Judge Erickson was born in Thief River Falls , Minn . He moved with his family to North Dakota before starting elementary school . Erickson is a 1977 graduate of Rugby High School . He received his bachelor ’ s degree in 1980 from Jamestown College ( now the University of Jamestown ) and his J . D . from the UND School of Law in 1984 .
Following law school , Erickson was in private practice in West Fargo , practicing primarily in the areas of Dean Brian Pappas presents Judge Erickson with a crystal gavel in recognition of personal injury litigation , family law , criminal law , and being the 2024 Rodney S . Webb Distinguished Jurist-in-Residence . worker ’ s compensation . During this time , Erickson also served as an assistant city attorney for West Fargo , where he About the Jurist-in-Residence Program prosecuted in both municipal and county court .
In 1993 , Erickson was appointed a Cass County Magistrate , presiding over cases involving mental health , misdemeanors , infractions , and small claims . In 1994 , he was appointed county judge serving a multi-county district including Traill , Steele , Nelson , Griggs , and Cass Counties in eastern North Dakota , with his chambers in Hillsboro . In 1994 , Erickson was selected
Judge Ralph Erickson to the East Central Judicial District bench where he sat primarily in Fargo . He served in that capacity until his appointment to the federal bench in 2003 .
Erickson was nominated by former President George W . Bush to be a U . S . District Judge for the District of North Dakota on Sept . 12 , 2002 . His nomination died with the expiration of the 107th Congress . He was re-nominated by President George W . Bush on Jan . 7 , 2003 , confirmed by the U . S . Senate on March 12 , 2003 , and assumed office on March 14 , 2003 . Erickson served primarily in the Eastern Divisions of North Dakota . He served as district judge until Oct . 12 , 2017 .
Erickson has long been active in issues related to Native Americans in the federal courts as well as ethics and judicial conduct . He formerly served as the chair of the Judicial Conference of the U . S . Committee on Codes of Conduct . He is the chair of the Tribal Issues Advisory Group to the U . S . Sentencing Commission . Erickson is a member of SBAND and the Cass County Bar Association .
The Rodney S . Webb Distinguished Jurist-in-Residence program brings prominent judges from across the state and the country to UND School of Law to engage with the law school community and share their expertise .
Jurists visit for either a single day or a multi-day engagement that includes class visits , informal receptions , a presentation by the judge on a topic of their choice , and a dinner honoring the distinguished jurist . The Jurist-in-Residence program provides a unique and varied opportunity to learn about the bench and greatly adds to the law school experience of students , faculty , and staff .
The Rodney S . Webb Distinguished Jurist-in-Residence Program was established in 2007 . The inaugural jurist in 2007 was the late Rodney S . Webb , United States District Judge for the District of North Dakota . Through the encouragement and financial contributions of UND School of Law alumni and Judge Rodney S . Webb ’ s former clerks , the program was permanently named in his honor .
Past Jurists-in-Residence
Hon . Rodney S . Webb ( Feb . 2007 ) U . S . District Court Judge Hon . H . F . “ Sparky ” Gierke ( Sept . 2007 ) Chief Judge of the U . S . Court of Appeals for the Armed Services Hon . Myron H . Bright ( Mar . 2008 ) U . S . Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Hon . Wade L . Webb ( Feb . 2013 ) District Judge of the East Central Judicial District
This article originally appeared on the University of North Dakota ( UND ) School of Law blog “ North Dakota Law ” on March 6 . It is reprinted with permission from the UND School of Law .
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