North Dakota

Both Dakotas consider widely different public service options to bar exam, law school

In efforts to ease the shortage of lawyers in rural areas, North and South Dakota are each considering public service options that impact bar admission, though each offers very different requirements—including whether going to law school is necessary.

Jan 28, 2025 3:54 PM CST

GOP states sue to end Biden’s student loan forgiveness rule

Seven Republican-led states sued on Tuesday to block President Joe Biden’s new policy to reduce or eliminate the student loan balances of millions of borrowers, claiming the Education Department is illegally preparing to start debt cancellation before the rule is finalized.

Sep 5, 2024 12:00 PM CDT

Supreme Court issues ‘staggering’ ruling on deadline to challenge agency actions

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday issued a statute-of-limitations ruling that that allows plaintiffs injured by agency actions to set the deadline clock ticking at the time that they suffer injuries.

Jul 1, 2024 10:00 AM CDT

Motley Rice has filed ‘barrage of claims’ for drug cartel victims; is there an endgame?

The Motley Rice law firm has filed a “barrage of claims” in federal courts for families of people killed by the Juarez cartel, arguing that their clients are entitled to a share of assets seized from drug dealers, Bloomberg Law reports.

May 22, 2024 10:47 AM CDT

Lowered bar pass cut scores mean better bar pass rates in 4 states

Of the five states that lowered the minimum score required for passing the bar last year, four of them had increases in their February 2024 bar passage rates, according to the latest data compiled by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

May 7, 2024 10:23 AM CDT

25 federal district courts have always had white judges

Twenty-five out of 94 federal district courts have never had a judge of color, according to a Bloomberg Law analysis.

Sep 5, 2023 12:36 PM CDT

3 justices on this state’s top court targeted after deadlock prevents abortion ban from taking effect

Three justices on the Iowa Supreme Court who voted against reviving an abortion ban are being targeted by the leader of a Christian conservative group.

Jun 20, 2023 9:53 AM CDT

‘Desperate for lawyers,’ Maine considers alternative path to law license

Maine lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow aspiring lawyers to skip law school if they study under a supervising attorney for two years.

Apr 11, 2023 9:29 AM CDT

North Dakota Constitution protects abortions needed to protect women’s life and health, top state court says

The North Dakota Constitution protects the right to obtain an abortion when it is needed to preserve the life or health of a pregnant woman, the state supreme court said Thursday.

Mar 17, 2023 12:30 PM CDT

Former associate must repay law firm for failing to bill promised hours, top state court says

An associate who signed a contract with an “hours billed discrepancy” clause is obligated to repay his law firm for failing to meet promised billable hours, the North Dakota Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

Feb 21, 2023 9:56 AM CST

What are abortion trigger laws, and where do they stand?

Less than a week after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, more than a dozen states have already or plan to soon ban abortion in most cases. Here’s what we know so far about where abortion bans stand in these 13 states and in other states that have laws targeting the procedure.

Jun 30, 2022 2:52 PM CDT

Judge cites challengers’ religious beliefs in blocking transgender health care requirements

A federal judge in North Dakota has blocked the federal government from requiring members of the Christian Employers Alliance to provide health coverage for gender transition services.

May 18, 2022 12:45 PM CDT

SCOTUS accepts climate-change case on EPA authority to limit carbon emissions

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider the extent of the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to limit carbon emissions under a provision of the Clean Air Act.

Nov 1, 2021 12:35 PM CDT

‘You are not dicking around with a rookie;’ lawyer’s deposition ‘churlishness’ is memorialized

A federal magistrate judge has declined to impose a monetary sanction on a Montana lawyer who told opposing counsels that they are “not dicking around with a rookie” and suggested that he could get on a plane to personally punch one of them in the head.

Dec 17, 2020 10:57 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: State justice contracts COVID-19; $50M verdict upheld for man kept in police storage room

Longtime North Dakota Supreme Court justice tests positive for COVID-19 North Dakota Supreme Court Justice Gerald VandeWalle, who is 86 and the longest-serving justice on the state’s high court, has tested positive for COVID-19. Chief Justice Jon Jensen said Thursday that none of the other four justices have tested positive,…

Aug 7, 2020 3:49 PM CDT