resumes and cover letters , but having indepth conversations with them to learn about their career aspirations so she can provide tailored assistance . Additionally , she has proactively reached out to active attorneys in North Dakota to introduce herself and connect quality School of Law students with potential employers . She has also invited prospective employers to the School of Law for a series of “ meet and greet ” sessions . Feller has been instrumental in reinvigorating our career development services to benefit not only our students , but the North Dakota legal community at large .
Webb Faculty Achievement Award – Awarded to Professor Alexandra Sickler . The annual award is presented to one or more faculty members in recognition of outstanding scholarship . Sickler ’ s scholarship is attracting the attention of scholars , practitioners , the judiciary , and the media . Her article , “ Big Banks & Small Consequences in Chapter 13 ,” was named the best paper in the Professional Category of the American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers ’ ( ACCFSL ) Annual Writing Competition . For the past year , Sickler served as the academic reporter for the American Bankruptcy Institute ’ s Subchapter V Task Force task for small business reorganization . Sickler organized , convened , and moderated public hearings and industry roundtables , helped to compile data , and is the primary drafter of both a preliminary and a final report .
Professor Dan Lewerenz , Randy H . Lee Faculty Service Award winner , left , pictured with Dean Pappas .
Sickler has represented UND School of Law with distinction on this important task force and her work is a true testament of her commitment to making a long-lasting impact on the field of bankruptcy law .
Randy H . Lee Faculty Teaching Award - Awarded to Professor Carolyn Williams . Awarded to a faculty member in recognition of outstanding teaching . Williams is an outstanding teacher . During five hours of orientation , Williams lays the foundation for 1Ls for the year to come . She volunteered to teach two sections of Lawyering Skills I and II during the 2023-24 school year . Williams teaches using team-based learning ( TBL ), which includes individual out-ofclass preparation and in-class teamwork focused on applying the principles taught in directed readings . This spring , Williams was awarded an ALWD Teaching Grant from the Association of Legal Writing Directors to develop a new set of team-based learning materials for use in her classrooms . Further , Williams had two full-length law review articles on the scholarship of teaching and learning ( SOTL ) accepted for publication this year . Finally , every eligible student from her lawyering skills courses applied to work with her as a teaching assistant this year . Students find her to be an extremely effective teacher , saying they gained confidence in their writing and were “ deeply impressed by ” her teaching style , the work she puts in to help students , and her care for the wellbeing of students . Williams ’ excellence in teaching was also recognized in fall 2023 when she was nominated for the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award at UND .
Randy H . Lee Faculty Service Award – Awarded to Professor Dan Lewerenz . This award is given to a faculty member who has provided outstanding service to UND School of Law and the legal profession . Lewerenz has provided outstanding service to our community . During the 2023- 24 academic year , Lewerenz engaged in substantial tribal outreach efforts , vital to the success of our Indian and Tribal Law Certificate program . In addition , Lewerenz has engaged in substantial service at the university level through his leadership on two committees relating to UND ’ s effort
Randy H . Lee Faculty Teaching Award winner Professor Carolyn Williams , left , with Dean Pappas .
with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act ( NAGPRA ). Lewerenz has been an invaluable resource in UND ’ s efforts to responsibly oversee our repatriation effort . As part of that work , he participated in regular meetings with the UND NAGPRA Compliance and Policy committees . Lewerenz was also the principal organizer and moderator of a universitywide program at the law school on April 11 , 2023 : “ It Belongs to Them , Let ’ s Give it Back : A Conversation about Wrongs , Rights , and Repatriation .”
Outstanding Service to UND School of Law – Awarded to Joe LaPorte . Joe LaPorte has served as the law school ’ s custodian for more than 20 years . He is consistent , helpful , friendly , and we could not do what we do without him doing what he does . We congratulate him on his retirement .
And finally , and most significantly , the Floyd B . Sperry Professorship is awarded to Professor Julia Ernst . Floyd Sperry loved North Dakota , where he was born and raised , and where he practiced law for more than 60 years in Bismarck and Golden Valley . He was an active member of the bar , serving as president in 1956-57 . Professor Julia Ernst embodies Sperry ’ s lifelong devotion to the profession of law and his desire to strengthen the University of North Dakota School of Law .
SPRING 2024 23