Community Service Awards
Hon . Sonna M . Anderson
The Hon . Sonna M . Anderson has been an active volunteer her entire life . Following law school , she returned to Bismarck and became active in the Bismarck Jaycees . She has also been an active member of the Kiwanis club for 28 years and served on the Bismarck School Board for 10 years . She is a member of the Big Muddy Bar Association and has been a member of the North Dakota Women ’ s Lawyer Section and National Association of Women Judges . She has served as volunteer legal counsel for various nonprofit organizations and served on the boards of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Big Brothers Big Sisters Program . Since becoming a South Central Judicial District Judge in 2004 , she has served on the Judicial Education Committee ,
Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee , Judicial Conduct Commission , and as a member of the Commission to Study Racial and Ethic Bias in the Courts . She is currently vice president and president-elect of the North Dakota Judge ’ s Association .
Lori Conroy
Lori Conroy was nominated for her volunteer efforts in bettering the law profession , students , and women in law . She currently serves as president of the SBAND ’ s Women ’ s Lawyer Section and planned and served as moderator for a new program , “ Judicial Service : A Guide to Judicial Application , Selection , and Appointment ,” which attracted more than 80 people . Conroy also organized small group luncheons , bringing women lawyers together
from across the state . She co-directed the UND School of Law and SBAND ’ s hosting of the regional rounds of the National Trial Competition at the Cass County Courthouse and is also a coach for Concordia College ’ s new Mock Trial Team .
Alex Reichert
Alex Reichert has demonstrated a long-term commitment to volunteer service in the Grand Forks community and throughout North Dakota . He currently serves as vice chair of the Grand Forks Planning and Zoning Commission and serves on the Grand Forks Downtown Development Board and Grand Forks Foundation for Education . In addition , he serves on the North Dakota Attorney Standards Board and the Reappointment Committee for Federal Magistrates . Reichert has served on the North Dakota Museum of Art board and the North Valley Arts Council and was a founder of the Passport to Culture and Grand Fork ’ s Friends of Downtown . Reichert has been an active member of the Greater Grand Forks Bar Association and has served on the SBAND Board of Governors .
Distinguished Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award , the most prestigious award the association bestows , 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 North Dakota Supreme Court , permanently honors recipients and reminds lawyers and the public of their dedication and work .
This year ’ s award was presented to retired District Court Judge M . Richard Geiger for his dedication to the North Dakota Trial Court Bench Book . Prior to his retirement , Judge Geiger served the Judiciary by making significant contributions to the Bench Book , the authoritative “ how to ” manual for conducting hearing and trials presented to every District Court Judge in North Dakota .
In the early 1990s , Geiger was on the Education Commission and was assigned chair of the task force to rework the Bench Book . Following the task force ’ s rewrite of the book , Geiger took it upon himself to edit and update the Bench Book every two years until his retirement in 2017 . A Trial Court Bench Book Oversight group is now charged with the editorial management of the Bench Book , dividing the work of Judge Geiger among three District Judges and an administrative staff attorney . Judge Geiger ’ s dedication to keeping the Bench Book a timely and useful tool for District Judges was truly remarkable .
Retired Judge M . Richard Geiger recieves his award from Darcie Einarson .
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