UND School of Law Annual Homecoming CLE

Please make plans to join us for programming presented by our outstanding faculty!

Friday, October 2, 2026

9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

VandeWalle Courtoom | School of Law

 

North Dakota and Minnesota CLE credits pending

Register Today!

Schedule

8:30-9:00 a.m. | Check-in, Registration & Continental Breakfast | VandeWalle Courtroom

9:00-10:00 a.m. | Session I (60 minutes) | VandeWalle Courtroom

Thomas Jefferson and the U.S. Constitution

Presented by Julia Ernst, Floyd B. Sperry Professor of Law

Although Thomas Jefferson was absent from the drafting of the U.S. Constitution in 1787, he contributed from afar to the national debates about its development and adoption. Moreover, he provided his own gloss on constitutional interpretation as the nation’s first secretary of state under President George Washington, as vice president under President John Adams, as the third president of the United States from 1801-1809, and as an elder statesman upon his retirement from public life. This discussion will examine the kaleidoscopic approaches to constitutional interpretation Jefferson employed while serving in each of his different roles in the federal government.  It will explore not only Jefferson’s writings about constitutional interpretation, but also his application of constitutional interpretation through his actions in his various roles, which provide insights into how one of the most prominent original founders of our country anticipated the Constitution would be construed in the present day. 

10:00-10:15 a.m. | Break

10:15-11:15 a.m. | Session II (60 minutes) | VandeWalle Courtroom

AI Judging: Dystopian Fantasy or New Reality? Results from 1,000+ 8th Circuit Cases

Presented by Nikola Datzov, Law School Builders of the Profession Associate Professor of Law

Can AI perform judicial work traditionally entrusted to judges and law clerks? Professor Nick Datzov put the question to the test with more than 1,000 actual federal appeals.

A professor at the University of North Dakota School of Law, Nick is also a nationally recognized expert in artificial intelligence law, award-winning teacher, and popular CLE presenter.

In this presentation, he’ll share findings from his first-of-its-kind empirical study, co-authored with David Schwartz (Northwestern Pritzker School of Law), comparing the work of generative AI and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit over two years. Applying his prior AI Judge taxonomy to a novel dataset of federal appeals, the study tested AI’s ability to assess case complexity, categorize cases, and even decide the appeals themselves.

You’ll learn: 

• • • How often AI reached the same result as the Eighth Circuit
    • Which types of cases AI was best equipped to handle
    • Where AI performed well and where it struggled
    • Whether appellate attorneys should start consulting AI regarding their chances on appeal

Along the way, Nick will also explore what the results reveal about the possibilities – and limits – of AI-assisted judging. His work is a data-driven look at a question that has made headlines and is quickly moving from theoretical to practical: What role can AI actually play in the administration of justice?

11:15-11:30 a.m. | Break

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Session III (60 minutes) | VandeWalle Courtroom

2026 Civil Procedure Update

Presented by Blake Klinkner, Associate Professor of Law

This CLE will discuss a number of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions addressing the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The past couple years — and the 2025/2026 term in particular — witnessed multiple cases before the High Court addressing a number of Civil Procedure matters including subject matter jurisdiction, personal jurisdiction, venue, removal, case dismissal, relief from a judgment or order, attorney fee shifting, and the Erie Doctrine. Attendees will learn of key updates to civil procedural practice in light of these recent important decisions from the Supreme Court concerning the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Please stay and join us for lunch following the CLE for an opportunity to connect, network, and enjoy conversation with fellow attendees. 

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