Distinguished Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award, created in 1980 by the Board of
Governors, is the most prestigious award given by the association.
The award recognizes the efforts of its most outstanding members,
and honors a member of the profession who has provided
outstanding service to the state and legal community over an
extended career. The Distinguished Service Award plaque, which
hangs outside the courtroom of the North Dakota Supreme Court,
is intended to permanently honor recipients and remind us of their
dedication the work.
This year’s award was presented to John M. Olson, a long-time chair
of the North Dakota Lawyer Assistance Program. As part of that
service, he has devoted hundreds of hours to the service of lawyers
and our profession.
Olson is a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. He
received his juris doctorate degree from the University of North
Dakota School of Law in 1972. Upon graduation from law school,
he was employed as an Assistant North Dakota Attorney General.
He was elected Burleigh County State's Attorney and served two
terms from 1974 to 1982. He then entered the private practice of law
and served two terms in the North Dakota State Senate from 1982
to 1990. His skill as a legislator was quickly recognized and he was
selected as Republican leader in his second term.
After retiring from legislative service, Olson specialized in litigation,
administrative law, and government relations. The major emphasis of
his practice has been legislative lobbying activities for various clients
before the North Dakota Legislature. He has also provided practical
legal work representing the North Dakota Board of Medicine. He
served five years as general counsel for Med Center One/Sanford
West.
Olson has served in various volunteer positions, including as past-
president of the North Dakota Mental Health Association; chairman
of the North Dakota Parole Board; chair of the North Dakota
Lawyers Assistance Program; and several church counsels. He
currently serves as chair of the Judicial Nominating Committee and
on the North Dakota Utility Shareholders board and Ministry on
the Margins advisory board.
Olson has devoted countless hours assisting SBAND in various
lobbying activities as an unpaid volunteer. His most significant
and selfless service, however, has been his leadership of the Lawyer
Assistance Program providing guidance and support for those in
the profession stricken with the disease of alcoholism or other
addictions.
receive it. I also want to
thank Dan Traynor for
nominating me. It reminds
me of my first run for public
office, which ended in a tie
when the votes were tallied
on election night. I became
Burleigh County State’s
Attorney after the recount
only because my opponent had
four more votes invalidated
than I did. So Dan, if there
was a recount with the Board
of Governors, thank you for
guiding me through.
There are two very important John M. Olson
people in my life here with me today, and I am so grateful for their
presence. My partner in our lobbyist and consulting firm, Kayla Effertz
Kleven, joined with me three years ago and is such a great addition to our
venture. She truly gives the word “lobbyist” a good name. Also, my loving
daughter, Dana, is here from Colorado, while my other daughter, Kirsten,
was unable to attend because of her young children. Dana and I have
supported each other through life’s challenges over the years and I am so
grateful that she was able to spend this wonderful time with me. Finally,
there are many lawyers and judges, as well as classmates, many are here in
this room today, who have had a positive impact on me and my career, and
I thank them as well. I know they know who they are.
As a lawyer, lobbyist and ex-politician, for many years I have been in the
business of winning and losing. Like you, especially litigation lawyers, I
know the joy of winning, but also the pain that comes with losing. Our
egos are always on the line. One of the most inspiring graduation speeches I
have ever heard was given by Dr. Rick Rigsby to the California Maritime
Academy. He talked about the lessons he learned from his father, a 3rd
grade dropout who quit school to help his family. I encourage you to listen
to his speech, available on YouTube. Dr. Rigsby is a former ordained
minister, a journalist, and college professor and credits his father as the
wisest person he ever met. One of the lessons his father taught him was
to make sure his servant’s towel is heavier than his ego, for the ego is the
anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity. How true! In our business,
our egos can get in our way.
He has been a significant and vital contributor to the success of
SBAND and the improvement of the legal profession in North
Dakota. In his acceptance speech, transcribed below, he speaks of the
importance of serving others in the profession and community. When it comes to public and community service, our servant’s towel is
always a winner. I am so very proud to be among you and so many in our
association who serve. There are lawyers across this state, in communities
big and small, who are elected or appointed to public positions, or who are
on the front lines as volunteers for various endeavors, giving unselfishly
of themselves to improve the lives of others. It was noted in this morning’s
session that North Dakota lawyers seem happier than elsewhere. Perhaps
part of the reason for that is the amazing service contributed by our
lawyers in this state.
I want to thank all of you, especially the Board of Governors, for this
award. This is an incredible honor for me and I feel very humbled to On behalf of all our servant towels and servant hearts, please accept my
heartfelt thanks for this great honor.
SUMMER 2019
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