Summer 2018 Gavel Summer 2018 Gavel | Page 23

Rand worked with SBAND and the courts to develop the Rural Justice Program, which encourages law students to pursue legal careers in rural communities in North Dakota. In 2017, the program was nominated for a national award. She also helped to increase access to affordable legal assistance by partnering with Legal Services of North Dakota to open an office in the law school. “All of the people I’ve worked with over the past decade – our faculty and staff, our alumni, the bar association, the state courts, and the entire bench and bar – I cannot thank them enough for their support, helpful suggestions, constructive criticism, patience and kindness, and above all, their generosity of spirit,” said Rand. She felt the time was right for her return to the faculty, but Rand will be missed. “She has been at times our coach, our quarterback, and our cheerleader, and she has done it all with good humor and optimism,” said assistant dean Brad Parrish. “We have been privileged and fortunate to have had her guidance and leadership to follow through the years.” Rand has put her heart and soul into the success of the UND Law School. Although her tenure as dean has come to an end, thanks to her passion, commitment, and drive, the School of Law is well positioned for the future and is in good stead for the next dean. One of her great pleasures as dean was the connection she had with the students. Rand is pictured here with her mom, A.J., and students from the Black Law Students Association. Legal Advocates for Health Legal Services of North Dakota (LSND) was awarded a Community Innovation grant from the Bush Foundation to support and develop a cross-border Medical Legal Partnership (MLP) in collaboration with Family HealthCare and Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota (LSNM). The Legal Advocates for Health attorney is embedded in Family HealthCare and is an integral part of the healthcare team. The goal of Legal Advocates for Health is to improve the social determinants of health for vulnerable patients. Research indicates that while only 40 percent of an individual’s health is determined by genetics, medical care, and personal choices, 60 percent of health is determined by social and environmental factors such as income, access to health care, access to enough healthy food, housing, education, job stability, and personal safety. In other words, all the things that influence an individual’s well-being in the places where one i