Interviews

Four finalists have been invited to visit campus for the School of Law deanship at the University of North Dakota.

We encourage participation from the School of Law faculty, staff, and students, as well as members of the broader UND community, in the interview process. Open forums will be held during each finalist’s visit, providing an opportunity for attendees to learn more about the candidates and share their thoughts and feedback. Your input is valuable in helping guide this important selection process, and we welcome everyone to attend and participate.

Candidate Interviews and Open Forums

Below are the times of these meetings, along with the Open Forum, which is open to all campus and community members. Open Forums will feature a 10 to 15-minute presentation by the candidate, followed by Q&A with the attendees.

Participants will be asked to complete a feedback survey for each candidate. We hope you will be able to participate in this important search process and provide your valuable feedback on these candidates.

David J. "D.J." Western - Sept. 29-30, 2025

David J. “D.J.” Western serves as President and Dean of the Appalachian School of Law, where he has led transformative initiatives in academic excellence, student success, and institutional sustainability. In his first year, he secured nearly $1 million in new support, advanced curricular reform to prepare graduates for the NextGen Bar Exam, and successfully guided the school through its ABA reaccreditation process.

A retired Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Dean Western brings more than 25 years of leadership as a legal professional, educator, and senior advisor. He managed some of the military’s most complex litigation, led teams of attorneys across multiple commands, and advised senior commanders on international law, ethics, and public policy. His distinguished service earned him the Legion of Merit and multiple Air Force level awards.

Internationally, Dean Western is recognized in space and humanitarian law. As an exchange officer, he steered Australia’s committee to draft its Rules of Engagement for space operations and to design its national space law program, earning recognition from the Secretary of the Air Force International Affairs Office. In 2018, he was deployed to Cameroon to help resolve a humanitarian law dispute involving Boko Haram detainees. Using his expertise and French fluency, he persuaded senior Cameroonian leaders to adopt legal reform, resulting in a comprehensive training program to prevent future abuses.

In addition to his global and academic service, Dean Western is active in community leadership, where a church he pastors earned a County award for founding Souper Monday, feeding thousands annually.

DJ Western CV

Visit Schedule

Bradley Myers - Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2025

Bradley Myers is the Interim Dean and Randy H. Lee Professor at the University of North Dakota School of Law. He joined the UND law faculty in 2001 and has taught courses in Federal Income Taxation, Trusts & Estates, and Estate Planning. He previously served as Interim Dean during the 2018–19 academic year.

Beyond his work at UND, Professor Myers has been active in both state and national legal organizations. In 2007, Governor John Hoeven appointed him as one of North Dakota’s Commissioners to the Uniform Law Commission, where he has served on several drafting committees for uniform acts in the Trusts & Estates field. In 2017, he was elected a fellow of the American College of Trust & Estate Counsel, recently completing a five-year term as North Dakota State Chair. He is also a member of the ABA Real Property, Trust & Estate Section and currently serves as vice-chair of its Legal Education & Uniform Laws Group.

Before coming to North Dakota, Professor Myers practiced law in Nevada, California, and Oregon, focusing on tax, business, and estate planning, with a particular emphasis on legal issues related to the development of low-income housing.

Professor Myers earned his B.S. and M.S. in Kinesiology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He received his J.D. from the University of Oregon and an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University.

Bradley Myers CV

Interview Schedule

Mary Graw Leary- Oct. 2-3, 2025

Professor Graw Leary is a Professor of Law at the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. A former federal and state prosecutor and non-profit attorney, Professor Graw Leary's scholarship examines the intersection of criminal law, technology, and contemporary victimization. She focuses on human trafficking, including forced labor, as well as the exploitation and abuse of women, children, and the marginalized. Professor Graw Leary previously served as the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the Law School and her peers elected her Vice Chair and Chair of the University Academic Senate, which she served for several years as a Senator and Executive Committee member. She currently directs the Law School’s Modern Prosecution Program as well as the Bakhita Initiative for the Study and Disruption of Modern Slavery. Professor Graw Leary has testified before numerous legislative bodies including the Judiciary Committee for the United States Senate, the Judiciary Committee for the United States House of Representatives, the Helsinki Commission, and the United States Sentencing Commission. The Sentencing Commission appointed her as Chair of its Victims Advisory Group, a role she served until her term limit at the end of 2024. A strong supporter of interdisciplinary work, Professor Graw Leary has collaborated with international scholars and taught courses with CUA’s National Catholic School of Social Service and School of Canon Law. A sought after media commentator, she has been quoted in numerous media outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, C-SPAN, Forbes, Washington Times, and National Public Radio.

Mary Graw Leary CV

Interview Schedule

JoAnne Sweeny - Oct. 13-14, 2025

Professor JoAnne Sweeny is Associate Dean of Intellectual Life and Professor of Law at the University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. She teaches lawyering skills, writing for practice, comparative constitutional law and freedom of expression. She has also served as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Interim Association Dean for Student Affairs at Brandeis Law.

 Professor Sweeny earned her J.D. from the University of Southern California Law School, graduating Order of the Coif, and clerked for Judge Ferdinand F. Fernandez of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. After practicing as an employment litigator with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, she completed her Ph.D. in law at Queen Mary, University of London, where she also taught British constitutional law and legal writing. Before joining Brandeis Law, she served as a Westerfield Fellow at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, teaching legal research, writing and comparative constitutional law.

Her scholarship focuses on freedom of expression, feminist jurisprudence and comparative constitutional law, with recent work exploring legal implications of the #MeToo movement, rape myths in the criminal justice system and the intersection of free speech and technology.

Joanne Sweeny CV

Interview Schedule