SBAND PRESIDENT
SBAND AIMS TO ENHANCE
LEGAL AND CIVIC EDUCATION
IN NORTH DAKOTA
year in a row, more countries declined, rather
A U B R E Y F I E B E L K O R N - Z U G E R than improved, in the overall rule of law
performance.
SBAND President
As attorneys, we rely on the judicial system
to resolve disputes between parties. At
the core of our system is the fundamental
premise that all cases are decided by an
independent judiciary, with appropriate
limits on government powers, and individual
rights are protected throughout the process.
An independent judiciary is critical to
making sure the rule of law is respected and
followed.
While attorneys might take for granted
the law will be applied fairly and equally
to all, parties involved in the process, most
who never believed they would have a
case pending in court, may not share that
same level of confidence in our system.
The public also may not realize the rule of
law is necessary to ensuring our rights and
well-being are protected. As Judge Thomas
Hardiman of the Third Circuit Court of
Appeals explained, “We can’t have peaceful
interactions with one another without the
rule of law.”
The need to educate and promote the rule
of law is not only vitally important in the
United States. Rather, respect for the rule of
law is critical to an orderly society in every
country. Unfortunately, the World Justice
Project recently evaluated the performance of
126 countries with respect to their adherence
to the rule of law. That study, which
considered responses from 3,800 experts and
120,000 households, showed for the second
4
THE GAVEL
While this recent data is concerning,
efforts are underway to improve education
to the public about the importance
of an independent, accountable, and
well-functioning judiciary. To that end,
organizations such as the American Bar
Association (ABA) provide assistance
and resources to train judges and court
personnel; implement codes of judicial
ethics; facilitate dialogue on judicial reform
and independence; and strengthen court
administration and transparency. The ABA
has also implemented programs designed
to improve the criminal justice system by
eliminating bias, enhancing the protection
of rights for the accused, and providing
technical assistance to prosecutors, police,
defense counsel, and judges. This work is
being done within the United States and
around the world.
Work is also ongoing in North Dakota to
improve civics and public education. To
that end, SBAND publishes a booklet,
titled “Living in an Adult World - Your
Legal Rights and Responsibilities at
18,” to educate high school seniors and
young adults about the legal system. This
publication is available to all high school
seniors in North Dakota. Electronic access is
also available at https://www.sband.org/page/
graduating_into_an_adult_world.
SBAND also partners with the Center for
Civic Education and Humanities North
Dakota to sponsor the “We the People”
program. “We the People” is the most
extensive program in the nation designed
to educate youth about the Constitution
and the Bill of Rights. The “We the People”
program conducts local teacher professional
development related to civics education,
holds conferences, and organizes simulated
congressional hearings for elementary and
secondary students.
SBAND also recently started hosting
its own high school mock trial program.
This program brings high school students
together with attorneys and judges from
across the state to learn more about the
American legal system, especially trial
process and procedures. This year’s state
mock trial tournament will be held March
28 in Bismarck, with the winner advancing
to the national competition. This is a
great opportunity for SBAND members
to become more involved in our public
education efforts. Attorneys and judges
are encouraged to partner with their local
schools to help coach a team or volunteer to
judge the competition.
These SBAND programs, as well as
others such as Law Day and SBAND’s
Constitution Award, are significant
programs aimed at enhancing legal and civic
education in North Dakota. These efforts
teach the importance of the judicial system
and how critical the rule of law is to ensuring
the fair and just determination of disputes. If
you have any interest in learning more about
these programs or volunteering to assist with
any of them, please let SBAND know.