CHIEF JUSTICE GERALD W . VANDEWALLE :
A career marking more than six decades of service to North Dakota
By Kylie Blanchard , Clearwater Communications
When asked of the greatest accomplishment in his nearly 65-year career serving the state of North Dakota , both in the North Dakota Attorney General ’ s office and on the North Dakota Supreme Court , Chief Justice Gerald W . VandeWalle humbly answered , “ My ability to be surrounded by people that made me look good .”
VandeWalle began his career with the state of North Dakota in the Attorney General ' s office , where he served for 20 years .
He attributed the longevity of his career to , first , his genes , noting his mother lived to 103 , as well as his ability to live day-by-day . But he said he realized things would change when he no longer headed to the state Capitol ’ s Judicial Wing on a daily basis . “ It is going to be a bit of a shock when I wake up at the end of January and I don ’ t have to go to work ,” he noted .
VandeWalle officially retired from the North Dakota Supreme Court on Jan . 31 , but his legacy remains rooted in the work he did and the positive influence he has had on the state , the judiciary , and the many people he called coworkers , comrades , and family during his impressive career .
LAW CAREER
When VandeWalle started as a student at the University of North Dakota ( UND ), he had no intention of pursuing a career in law . It wasn ’ t until he took an accounting class from a business law instructor that his career outlook changed . “ I knew from then on I wanted to study law ,” he said .
He continued his studies at the UND School of Law , graduating magna cum laude with his juris doctor in 1958 . “ When I was a senior in law school , I already had a job lined up with a firm in Williston , however , one senior was chosen each year to work at the Attorney General ’ s office for a year following graduation and I was chosen . I ended up staying 20 years ,” said VandeWalle .
He worked at the Attorney General ’ s office as an oil and gas lawyer , noting a new line item in the office ’ s budget during the 1959 State Legislature was to fund his position . He served as a special assistant attorney general from 1958 to 1978 and held the position of first assistant attorney general from 1975 until his appointment to the Supreme Court . While serving as an assistant attorney general , VandeWalle held portfolios for elementary , secondary , and higher education , oil and gas , and the state retirement system . “ We stayed very busy , but it was rewarding work ,” he noted .
VandeWalle , center , served as Chief Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court from 1978 to 2019 . Also pictured , left to right , are current Chief Justice Jon J . Jensen , Justice Daniel J . Crothers , Justice Lisa Fair McEvers , and Justice Jerod Tufte . Photo courtesy of state of North Dakota
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