The State Bar Association of North Dakota Winter 2015 Gavel Magazine | Page 20

CHIEF JUSTICE VANDEWALLE

IS PRESENTED STATE’S THEODORE
ROOSEVELT ROUGH RIDER AWARD

On January 7, North Dakota Chief Justice
Gerald VandeWalle became the 41st recipient of
the North Dakota Theodore Roosevelt Rough
Rider Award, the state’s highest commendation
for its citizens. He is the fifth lawyer to receive
this award.
The award was presented by Governor Jack
Dalrymple, following VandeWalle’s State of the
Judiciary Address, which is presented at a joint
session at the beginning of each North Dakota
Legislative Assembly.
Other speakers at the ceremony included South
Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice David
Gilbertson; Erica Moeser, president of the
National Conference of Bar Examiners; and
North Dakota Supreme Court Justice Dale
Sandstrom.
In his remarks, Dalrymple said, “When you
think about visionary leaders having a significant
impact on our state, Justice VandeWalle stands
out among the rest. Throughout his tenure, he
has been instrumental in strengthening North
Dakota’s judicial system and enhancing the
safety and quality of life for our communities.”
Dalrymple said VandeWalle’s commitment to
“upholding the laws of our state and protecting
the fundamental rights of our people has shaped
his service over the past three decades. His
numerous accomplishments will leave a lasting
legacy on our state court system and the state of
North Dakota.”
In accepting the award, VandeWalle said, “The
idea that I would ever receive the Theodore
Roosevelt Rough Rider Award from the state
and people I love was never even in my wildest
dreams or imagination. I cannot believe it is real.
But if it is, I hope the focus is not on me as an
individual, but rather appreciation and respect
for the rule of law and our judicial system.”
20 THE GAVEL

An honorary rank of Colonel in the
Theodore Roosevelt Rough Riders was
established during the 1961 Dakota
Territory Centennial. The award
recognizes present and former North
Dakotans who have been influenced
by the state in achieving national
recognition in their fields of endeavor,
thereby reflecting credit and honor
upon North Dakota and its citizens.
VandeWalle has served on the North
Dakota Supreme Court for more than
36 years and was recently re-elected to
his fourth 10-year term. He has served
as the court’s Chief Justice for the past
21 years, making him the longestserving Chief Justice in North Dakota
history and the longest-serving of all
sitting Chief Justices across the nation.
Throughout his career, VandeWalle
has made important contributions to
the North Dakota Supreme Court and
the state court system. He played an
integral role in the unification of the
court system, establishing a unified,
statewide approach to court proceedings
and the administration of justice. He
was instrumental in redefining North
Dakota’s judicial districts and increasing
the number of judges to accommodate
growth in the state’s economy and
population. He also promoted the
establishment of a mediation program
for family law cases and created a trial
court administration system to place
administrators within the judicial
districts to oversee court procedures.
VandeWalle was born in 1933 and
raised in Noonan, North Dakota.
He attended the University of North
Dakota, and in 1955, received a
bachelor of science degree in Commerce
from the School of Business. In 1958,
he received a juris doctor degree magna
cum laude from the University of North
Dakota School of Law.

He was admitted to the State Bar of
North Dakota in 1958 and accepted
an appointment as Special Assistant
Attorney General. In 1975, he was
appointed First Assistant Attorney
General. During his 20 years in the
Attorney General’s office, VandeWalle
held several portfolios, including
elementary, secondary and higher
education; the North Dakota Industrial
Commission oil and gas division; and
the State Retirement System.
In August 1978, VandeWalle was
appointed to the North Dakota
Supreme Court. That November, he
was elected to serve an unexpired term
and was re-elected to 10-year terms in
1984, 1994, 2004 and 2014. In 1993,
he was elected Chief Justice of the
North Dakota Supreme Court, and
has been re-elected to that post for five
consecutive terms. His more than two
decades as Chief Justice makes him the
state’s longest-serving and the nation’s
longest-serving of all sitting Chief
Justices.
Between 1985 and 1987, VandeWalle
served as the first chair of the North
Dakota Judicial Conference. He also
served as co-chair of the American Bar
Association (ABA) Bar Admissions
Committee and past chair of the
Federal-State Tribal Relations
Committee of the Conference of Chief
Justices. He is past chair of the Council
of the Section of Legal Education and
Admissions to the Bar of the ABA, past
President of the Conference of Chief
Justices, past chair of the National
Center for State Courts, and past chair
of the National Center for State Court’s
Research Advisory Council.
VandeWalle has received several
national awards and recognitions,
including the Kutak Award from the
ABA Section of Legal Education and
Admission to the Bar recognizing
substantial contributions toward