YOUNG LAWYER SHOWCASE
The Young Lawyer Section (YLS)
welcomed its new board in June. Jarrod
(J.R.) Steele has taken over the role of
president for 2020-2021. Trent Barkus
is the new president-elect, and Challis
Williams is the secretary/treasurer.
Brady Pelton is the association’s
Board of Governors representative,
and Zach Eiken is the American Bar
Association representative. Please be
on the lookout for their YLS Showcases
throughout the year in The Gavel.
YLS will continue to host luncheons
and happy hours across the state for
great social networking opportunities
again starting in the fall, in person, or
virtually. If you are interested in hosting,
please contact YLS Secretary/Treasurer
Challis Williams at challis@reichertlaw.
com. In addition, the YLS Education and
Professionalism Committee will continue
to host webinars featuring various legal
topics. Young lawyers, as well as other
licensed attorneys, are encouraged
to participate in these educational
opportunities to earn continuing legal
education credits.
YLS is specifically looking for
individuals interested in co-chairing
and participating in the YLS
Community Service Committee and
the YLS Education and Professionalism
Committee. The YLS Community
Service Committee is responsible
for organizing and implementing
the annual spring food drive. The
YLS Education and Professionalism
Committee is responsible for planning
and hosting the webinars. If you are
interested in participating in either
of these committees, please contact
Trent Barkus at [email protected].
If you would like to recommend
young lawyers for future showcases
or if you would like to get involved in
YLS, please contact YLS President J.R.
Steele at [email protected].
NICOLE BREDAHL
Nicole Bredahl is an
associate attorney at
Bredahl & Associates, P.C.,
in Fargo. She is licensed to
practice law in state and
federal courts in North
Dakota, and primarily
focuses her practices in the
area of criminal law.
Bredahl grew up in
Fargo. She attended
the University of North
Dakota (UND), where she graduated in 2011. Upon
graduation, Bredahl continued her education at
the UND School of Law, where she pursed her law
degree. During her law school career, she took a year
off to work on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
After returning to law school in 2013, Bredahl assisted
her father, Jeff Bredahl, in his representation of clients
in some of North Dakota’s largest Federal drug
conspiracy cases. During the summer of 2014, she did
an internship with the Fargo Public Defender’s Office
assisting three public defenders representing clients in
a wide variety of cases.
Bredahl resides in West Fargo with her husband, Trent
Barkus, and two children. She spends her free time
with her family and attempting to golf.
CONOR KENNELLY
Conor Kennelly currently
works as a law clerk for
Judge Daniel Traynor at the
United States District Court
in Bismarck. Prior to that,
he worked as an assistant
Burleigh County state’s
attorney and clerked for
Judge Ralph Erickson at the
U.S. District Court in Fargo.
He grew up in Fargo and
graduated from Shanley
High School. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from
the University of St. Thomas, double majoring in Catholic
studies and philosophy and minoring in English. Kennelly
then worked for three years at Holy Spirit Catholic
Church in Fargo coordinating the Parish’s adult education
programming.
Kennelly attended law school at the University of North
Dakota. While there, he participated in moot court,
including competitions in Minneapolis, Minn., and Buffalo,
N.Y. He also had a judicial externship and worked at a law
firm during the summers.
He currently resides in Bismarck with his wife and five
children. When not at work, he enjoys spending time with
his family, reading, cooking, and playing banjo in a local
folk band, Asher.
28 THE GAVEL