much of his career working to make the Court more accessible and better understood by the public.
Reaching the Younger Generation
In the last 20 years, the Court has traveled to schools across the state to educate students and community members on the justice system.“ This is an opportunity for students to get a positive view of the Court,” he notes.
He says it is vitally important for students and all North Dakotans to better understand the Court.“ That is one of the big reasons civic education is also so important.” Sandstrom has been active in the We the People program, a program on the principles of the U. S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights for high school students. He was also instrumental in organizing the Boy Scouts Centennial Celebration at the Capitol, which included a mock legislative program, mock Court case, and 3,000 Scouts camping on the Capitol grounds.
Sandstrom says he also enjoyed working with his law clerks and appreciated the contribution they made to the court system.“ I hope they are better lawyers because they have seen both good and bad briefs and good and bad arguments,” he says.“ Being a clerk is a great background, and I believe they are all doing well. I am proud of them all.”
Technology
“ We’ ve really changed the practice of law through technology,” says Sandstrom of the work done at the Court to make court records and the law more accessible. Sandstrom was responsible for developing the Court’ s website, as well as many of its resources.“ I understand both technology and the law,” he notes.“ The website is all program driven, and I’ ve written the programs.”
Available on the website are Court opinions and rulings, as well as briefs and oral arguments. In addition, he programmed the electronic records to automatically update, so timely information is always available to lawyers and the district courts.“ It really has dramatically changed the practice of law,” says Sandstrom, noting North Dakota
( L to R) Former State Auditor Bob Peterson, Judge Jim Hill, Justice Dale Sandstrom and Kathy Peterson
was the first state in the nation to have all its trial courts on an electronic record.“ This makes it easier for lawyers, trial courts, and the public. And it’ s been helpful to us in the Court. When I was on the bench, I had everything available.”
Sandstrom says he also enjoyed creating and sending“ Appellate Tips,” a practice he started to reach those in the law field with short pieces of courtroom and practice advice sent via email.“ I wanted to help lawyers do their job better and share things that I think would be helpful,” he says.“ I’ ve enjoyed making the law accessible to the public.”
Service
A graduate of the National Judicial College, Sandstrom also sat in many leadership positions while serving on the Court. He chaired the Joint Procedure Committee, the North Dakota Advisory Commission on Cameras in the Courtroom, the Court Technology Committee, the North Dakota Judicial Conference, and the North Dakota Judges Association. He also served as a member of the Joint Committee on Attorney Standards.
A lifelong supporter of Boy Scouts, Sandstrom has also remained active in the organization, serving on the executive board of the Northern Lights Council. He also serves his church and is a member of the Masons and Rotary Club.
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