SBAND 119th Annual Meeting Wrap-Up
By Tony Weiler
The State Bar Association of North Dakota (SBAND) recently
held its annual meeting in Bismarck June 13-15. Once again,
SBAND staff and many volunteers put on a great event. Most of
the continuing legal education seminars were held at the Bismarck
Ramkota Hotel, and the fundraiser for the Bar Foundation was held
at Sixteen03 Main Events Center. Close to 350 attendees and guests
enjoyed time socializing and taking in CLE programs.
The meeting’s opening plenary session was a program by Lisa
Montanaro. Titled “Crazy Busy is not a Badge of Honor,” her session
helped attendees learn to better manage their time. She stressed the
need to be productive and not just busy. Many attendees put her tips
to use during their time at the annual meeting.
This year’s format featured several different tracks, with the
opportunity to hear a speaker at different times during the day.
The speakers covered a wide range of topics. This year’s Mart Vogel
Lecture on Professional
and Legal Ethics, titled
“Advice in the Lawyer-
Client Relationship,”
covered how lawyers
can read between the
lines. UND School of
Law Professor Michael
McGinniss presented
the lecture and was
joined by attorneys
Mike Williams and
SBAND Executive Director Tony Weiler
Lisa Edison-Smith of
with former UND School of Law Dean
Fargo who discussed
Kathryn R. L. Rand.
the necessary steps to
take in entering the attorney-client relationship and certain pitfalls
that can trap the unwary.
session on “Justice at Dachau” by Professor
Joshua Greene, which focused on the trials
of Nazi war criminals.
Social Gatherings
Attendees at this year’s annual meeting were treated to an opening
night social at the Ramkota Hotel, where lawyers and guests had a
chance to see old friends and meet new ones. Many attendees then
took in the hospitality room hosted by President-Elect candidate
Aubrey Fiebelkorn-Zuger and ABA State Bar Delegate candidate
Dan Traynor.
The North Dakota Bar Foundation Social and Silent Auction were
held at Sixteen03 Main Event Center, where attendees bid on
hundreds of items. Bismarck lawyers Jill Martin Grossman, Casey
Furey, and Sarah Wall led a team that put on a memorable event.
The Casemaker CLE, given by Rebecca Skeeles, and the Legal
Services of North Dakota annual CLE were again presented. For the
first time in a long time, SBAND’s Lawyer Assistance Program also
hosted a free training seminar, giving attendees the chance to learn
more about addiction in the profession and ways to help. Finally, the
Women’s Lawyer Section put on a speed mentoring event that was
well attended and beneficial to both new and experienced lawyers.
New SBAND Officers Elected
Zack Pelham became SBAND President at the end of the 2018
General Assembly on June 15. Darcie Einarson is now the
immediate past-president and will continue to serve on the Board of
Governors until June 2019. Aubrey Fiebelkorn-Zuger was elected as
president-elect and will assume duties as president in June 2019.
Other CLE programs included more time management help from
Paul Unger, whose program “How to Better Manage Your Workload
and Your Time” continued along the line of what Montanaro
presented. Professor Gary Marchant discussed “Emerging
Technologies and the Law,” and Mark Lanterman helped us
understand the “dark web” in his presentation “Easiest Catch: Don’t
be Another Fish in the Dark ‘Net.’”
SBAND is committed to providing CLE presentations that focus
on its ethics requirements, including programs that qualify for
Elimination of Bias credits in Minnesota. Michael Roosevelt’s
presentation on “Implicit Bias, Decision-Making and What Can be
Done About It” qualified for these credits. In continuing a theme
of wellness, Carol Falkowski presented on the history of the opioid
epidemic and what individuals can do to look for this issue in the
profession. Finally, the annual meeting concluded with a plenary
8
THE GAVEL
Newly elected SBAND President Zack Pelham, left, and Tony Weiler,
right, thank Immediate Past-President Darcie Einarson for her service
to SBAND.