Eighty-four first-year law students, members of the UND School of Law Class of 2027, began their legal education last week.

Their journey began with a Convocation ceremony held Sunday, August 18 at the Chester Fritz Auditorium with their family and friends in attendance. Andrew Armacost, UND president; Brian Pappas, UND School of Law dean; and Brad Parrish, UND School of Law assistant dean of student services, gave remarks. Kristi Venhuizen, North Dakota District Court Judge for the Northeast Central Judicial District, delivered the convocation address.

In her address, Venhuizen spoke about professionalism and how it is a promise, a tenet, a foundation, and a goal. A promise to behave civilly and treat others with respect and dignity, a tenet to believe in respect, competence, confidence, accountability, integrity, and etiquette. It should be the foundation of academic and legal careers and it is a goal because it needs to be exercised and challenged in order to grow.

Judge Venhuizen said, “a key component of professionalism is ethical behavior.” She explained that doing the right thing will not always be obvious or easy to do. It is a challenging and stressful career with long days, longer nights, ungrateful clients, demanding judges, and aggravating opposing counsel.

“Being a lawyer is a calling,” said Venhuizen. She stated lawyers do what they do because they respect the Rule of Law, love a challenge, want to help others, want to give back, and want to effect change. “We do this because we are, at our core, professionals.”

Judge Venhuizen challenged each student to make the profession better. “Know that you are embarking on a calling that, at its center, is about helping others and making a difference.”

Each member of the class crossed the stage and received a UND School of Law pad-folio from Dean Pappas. The ceremony concluded with the class taking the UND School of Law Oath of Professionalism, led by Pappas.