Young Lawyer representative on the Board of
Governors. I have been on the board since that
time, serving for five years as the secretary-
treasurer and most recently as president-
elect. My law firm, Fredrikson & Byron, has
always been supportive of my role in the bar
association, and I could not have been as
involved as I have been without my colleagues’
unwavering support.
How does it feel to be one of the
youngest SBAND presidents on
record? Why is it important for young
lawyers to become involved in SBAND?
In 2008, the SBAND members recognized
the importance of developing young leaders
and voted, at that time, to add a seat for
a young lawyer to the SBAND Board of
Governors. That decision provided a voice
and the perspective of a young lawyer on the
board, as well as opportunities for our young
attorneys to enhance their leadership skills.
Our association must engage new lawyers to
be sustainable.
With respect to being one of the youngest
presidents, I never thought I would be the
president of the state bar association at any
age. When I was asked to run for the Young
Lawyers’ seat on the Board of Governors, I
said “yes” because I thought it would be helpful
to understand how the bar association works
and because I believed the bar association
would benefit from a diversity of viewpoints.
I received strong support and mentoring from
some of the long-time members of the board
who had a wealth of institutional knowledge.
When different committee, task force, and
leadership positions opened, I continued to say
“yes” to the new roles and challenges. Some
have been more challenging than others, but
I have greatly enjoyed my eight years on the
board and look forward to working with the
SBAND staff and members to improve our
association.
What are your goals as SBAND
president this year? My focus as
SBAND president is on sustainability:
sustainability of our association, our
practices, and our members. Certainly,
SBAND faces legal challenges to the manner
in which it operates, but those challenges
have created opportunities. I am eager to
explore ways we can make SBAND better
for the next generation of lawyers. SBAND
members maintain busy private and public
practices, and it is incumbent on SBAND to
provide services, programs, and education to
enhance our members’ legal practices. Finally,
while practicing law can be engaging and
fulfilling, it can also be stressful. SBAND
should continue to provide resources to our
members to promote attorney well-being.
What are the challenges you see in
the legal profession in general and in
North Dakota? I think attorneys wonder
if they can maintain their practices over the
course of their entire lifetime. Technology
and client demands require immediate
responses and constant access, which
can be difficult to manage. How do
we ensure professional satisfaction in
difficult circumstances? Although
there is not one easy answer, I am confident
that staying connected, collegial, and civil
with each other is part of the solution.
How have you been involved in
community service outside of your
legal career? Most recently, I served for
six years on the board of directors for the
Ronald McDonald House Charities of
the Red River Valley. I loved the mission
– providing families a place to stay so they
can be near their sick child – and enjoyed
working with the board members and staff
to fulfill that mission. I have also volunteered
with the YWCA and served as a mentor for
Bio Girls.
What do you do for fun? Spending
summer weekends at the lake with my
family, watching kids’ activities, and early
morning workouts with my close friends.
Fiebelkorn-Zuger
enjoying time
with her family.
SUMMER 2019
5