UND School of Law Welcomes Class of 2028
Ninety-nine first-year law students, members of the UND School of Law Class of 2028, began their legal education this week.
Their journey began with a Convocation ceremony held Sunday, August 17 at the Chester Fritz Performing Arts Center with their family and friends in attendance. Andrew Armacost, UND president; Bradley Myers, UND School of Law dean; and Brad Parrish, UND School of Law assistant dean of student services, gave remarks. James D. Hovey ‘96, North Dakota District Court Judge for the Southeast Central Judicial District, delivered the convocation address.
In his address, Hovey spoke about the importance of cultivating habits of professionalism and ethical conduct from the beginning of their legal education.
“The law is not just an academic discipline. It is a profession,” said Hovey. “As members of that profession, lawyers are entrusted with responsibilities that affect individuals, communities, and the very structure of our democracy.”
Judge Hovey expressed to the class that professionalism runs far deeper than just being polite and wearing the right clothes. It is how a person conducts themselves in all settings. He stated that professionalism is reliability, respect, humility, and accountability.
“True ethical lawyering is not about doing the bare minimum to avoid discipline. It’s about striving for the highest standards of honesty, fairness, and integrity,” said Hovey. “Ethics is not just about avoiding wrongdoing; it is about actively doing what is right –even when it is hard, even when no one is watching.”
Judge Hovey left the class with six habits that they can begin building now:
- Be intentional in your academic work. Don’t rationalize small acts of dishonesty. Integrity is built or broken in small moments.
- Treat your classmates as future colleagues.
- Own your mistakes. You will make them – everyone does. What matters is how you respond.
- Seek out mentors. Ask them how they handle difficult situations. Learn from their experiences.
- Get comfortable with reflection. Make it a habit to ask yourself: Is this the right thing to do?
- Familiarize yourself with the rules. Think about the principles beyond the rules – loyalty, confidentiality, candor, fairness – and how they apply to your daily work.
Each member of the class crossed the stage and received a UND School of Law pad-folio from Dean Myers. The ceremony concluded with the class taking the UND School of Law Oath of Professionalism, led by Myers.
The UND School of Law Class of 2028 consists of 49 women and 49 men from 19 states and two Canadian provinces. Forty-nine students are from North Dakota with others hailing from Minnesota, Montana, California, Michigan, New York, Texas, Arizona, Nebraska, Manitoba, and Alberta. The median age of the class is 23. They hold a median LSAT score of 151 and an average GPA of 3.48.
Orientation week continues through Friday, Aug. 22. During the week, students will learn about the program of legal education, gain tips and strategies for achieving academic success, familiarize themselves with the law school building and community, discover health and wellbeing habits, tips, and resources and begin the first portion of their Lawyering Skills class.
