J. Philip Johnson Faculty Fellowship Established With Special Gift From Alumnus Thomas C. Wold

The University of North Dakota School of Law is pleased to announce the establishment of the J. Philip Johnson Faculty Fellowship Endowment. The endowment provides support to the Law School faculty to promote professional responsibility, leadership, and ethics, both in the legal profession and in the community.

"The J. Philip Johnson Faculty Fellowship at the UND School of Law will inspire future generations of attorneys to provide ethical leadership to the legal profession and in the state's communities," said Dean Kathryn R.L. Rand. "This gift endorses the high quality of the legal education provided by the UND School of Law and helps us to enhance our emphasis on professional values."

The endowment was established with a generous gift to the UND Foundation by UND Law School alumnus, Thomas C. Wold, '62, and is named in honor of his classmate J. Philip Johnson, who stands out as a leader in the North Dakota legal community. The two have been partners in the prominent Wold Johnson Law Firm in Fargo, North Dakota since 1965.

Throughout Johnson's career, he has adhered to the highest standards of professional conduct, and has served as a role model for young attorneys. His contributions as a Justice on the North Dakota Supreme Court, President of the State Bar Association of North Dakota, President of the North Dakota Bar Foundation, State Bar Delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates, and Fellow of the American Bar Foundation as well as the numerous committees on which he's served in North Dakota and nationally have had a lasting impact on the legal profession.  His contributions to the many community organizations in which he's been involved have made a meaningful difference in the lives of North Dakotans.

"I am honored to pay this tribute to Phil Johnson," Wold said. "Phil's conduct and life's work, whether in law, the judiciary, or the community, has always embodied that special role, that implied authority, that moral obligation that lawyers have to demonstrate leadership, to accept responsibility, and to do so in the highest ethical manner."

UND alumni and friends who wish to honor J Philip Johnson for his dedicated career and commitment to the ethical and professional practice of law are encouraged to make a gift to the endowment fund. All gifts made in Johnson's honor to this endowment will qualify for a matching gift challenge commitment made by the original donor Thomas Wold. Gifts made to the endowment will be matched by Wold, up to an additional total of $25,000, until June 30, 2012 or until the total matching amount is reached.

Assistant Professor of Law Michael S. McGinniss has been awarded the inaugural J. Philip Johnson Faculty Fellowship. Before joining the law school faculty, Professor McGinniss served as Disciplinary Counsel for the Delaware Supreme Court. He currently teaches Professional Responsibility, Evidence, Conflict of Laws, and Lawyering Skills.

For more information about the J. Philip Johnson Faculty Fellowship Endowment or to make a gift, please contact Mark Brickson, Director of Development for the UND School of Law, at the UND Foundation. To reach Mark, call 701-777-5512 or e-mail at markb@undfoundation.org.