North Dakota

Laurel Hanson of Grand Forks remembered for her ‘patient, brilliant’ legal work

Published

4 days ago

March 7, 2026

Laurel Hanson of Grand Forks remembered for her ‘patient, brilliant’ legal work

GRAND FORKS — Though at the time of her death it had been more than 15 years since Laurel Rae Hanson’s legal career ended, a longtime North Dakota Supreme Court chief justice and a federal magistrate judge still fondly remember her skill, passion and dedication.

“Laurel was patient, brilliant and a really good writer,” said Karen Klein, former longtime U.S. magistrate judge, now recognized as a settlement expert and mediation skills trainer. “I find it such a tragedy that her life was cut so short, and that she couldn’t carry through with the career that she so obviously loved.”

Hanson died on Feb. 21, at age 49.

She would have turned 50 on March 10. Her death came after nearly two decades spent combating various health issues, including osteoporosis and an injury that led to early retirement in 2009, when she was in her early 30s.

Former longtime North Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerald W. VandeWalle said he was sorry to hear about Hanson’s death, though he knew she was in poor health. He was her first mentor out of UND School of Law, and found her the perfect fit for the role of his clerk.

“She was an outstanding law clerk, as far as I was concerned,” VandeWalle said. “She certainly deserves all the respect I have for law clerks.”

ND Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerald “Gerry” W. VandeWalle is pictured with Laurel Rae Hanson.

Contributed

Hanson’s mother, Barbara Hanson, said she wasn’t sure where her daughter’s career would have ended up if it hadn’t been cut short due to her health issues. Her career had just begun, but she did enjoy clerkship. After working for VandeWalle, Laurel Hanson moved on to a two-year position as Klein’s law clerk. She later took a permanent position when it opened.

The work of law clerks takes place primarily behind the scenes. They help judges review case files, researching and writing first drafts of decisions — a particularly important job, because decisions are expected to include detailed reasoning so everyone involved in a case understands what factored into a judge’s ruling, Klein said.

“If judges were to do it all from scratch, all by themselves, the backlog would just become unmanageable, and parties would wait many months — if not years — for decisions,” she said. “So it’s really important to have that legal expertise in someone other than the judge.”

Judges don’t control the cases assigned to them. While some are simple, others are highly complex — especially in the federal court system, where civil rights issues are handled, she said. Though Hanson’s career was brief, it had impact. Klein still recalls the work Hanson did researching and writing legal documents.

At a young age, she balanced what could at times be heavy work. Hanson was there when Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. was turned over to the federal court system and arraigned for the 2003 kidnapping and murder of 22-year-old Dru Sjodin, a case that made national headlines and created a tense atmosphere in North Dakota, particularly for women, Barbara Hanson said.

Laurel Hanson suffered a fall in 2008 that didn’t seem overly significant at the time, but led to an infection that caused further damage to already weakened bones, her mother said. She retired in 2009.

“I think she loved the law; she just loved delving into issues,” Klein said. “It was just a tragedy that she couldn’t continue.”

Whether dealing with highly controversial or straightforward cases, Laurel Hanson remained level-headed and fair, which are valuable skills for the job, Klein said. She valued Hanson beyond her professional abilities; they also discussed books and Hanson’s travels. She made an effort to embark on new experiences, such as skydiving and scuba diving.

“Things that some of us wouldn’t even dream of — she was willing to take them on,” Klein said.

Barbara Hanson agreed that travel and adventure were among her daughter’s passions, which also included animals, friends and family. During the summer of last year, she was ecstatic to become a great aunt.

“Laurel did so many things, and probably could’ve done more if she hadn’t run up against all her health problems,” Barbara Hanson said. “Laurel really loved life.”

Sav Kelly joined the Grand Forks Herald in August 2022.

Kelly covers public safety, including regional crime and the courts system.

Readers can reach Kelly at (701) 780-1102 or skelly@gfherald.com.

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North Dakota

PHOTOS: Long Beach State vs. North Dakota State, Softball

Published

8 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

PHOTOS: Long Beach State vs. North Dakota State, Softball

The562’s coverage of Long Beach State athletics for the 2025-26 season is sponsored by Marilyn Bohl.

Long Beach State hosted North Dakota State on March 10 where they suffered a 5-2 loss. Freshman Nina Sepulveda had two hits in the loss. Long Beach State will resume Big West play this weekend when they travel to UC Riverside for a three-game series starting Friday, March 13.

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North Dakota

Four area players land on North Dakota Division A all-state team

Published

20 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Four area players land on North Dakota Division A all-state team

GRAND FORKS — Four area athletes were selected to the North Dakota Division A all-state girls basketball team, which was released by the North Dakota High School Coaches Association on Tuesday.

The North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association will release all-state teams later this month.

Thompson’s Addison Sage led the way as a first team all-state pick, as well as receiving the division’s Outstanding Senior Athlete honor. Her coach, Jason Brend, was the Coach of the Year.

All-state second team choices from the area are Devils Lake junior Tylie Brodina, Four Winds-Minnewaukan sophomore Suri Gourd and Thompson senior Kya Hurst.

Sage, a 5-foot-6 guard, averaged 22.3 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.2 steals per game. Sage has more than 1,900 career points and holds the Tommies’ all-time scoring record.

Brodina, a 5-8 guard, averaged 18.8 points and 2.6 steals per game. She shot 82 percent from the foul line and 32 percent from 3-point range.

Hurst, a 5-6 forward, averaged 16.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. She added 3.7 steals and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 39.5 percent from 3-point range. Hurst has scored more than 1,600 points and grabbed more than 840 rebounds in her career.

Gourd, a 5-8 guard, averaged 26.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 4.4 steals per game. Gourd has more than 1,600 career points in her career with two more seasons to play.

Gourd led Four Winds-Minnewaukan from a 5-17 record last season to a 16-8 mark this year.

Miller has covered sports at the Grand Forks Herald since 2004 and was the state sportswriter of the year in 2019 (NSMA, NDAPSSA), 2022 (NSMA, NDAPSSA), 2024 (NDAPSSA) and 2025 (NDAPSSA).

His primary beat is UND football but also reports on a variety of UND sports and local preps.

He can be reached at (701) 780-1121, tmiller@gfherald.com or on Twitter at @tommillergf.

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North Dakota

Annabelle Weber

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Funeral Mass for Annabelle Weber, 95, of Dickinson will be 10:00 AM, Thursday, March 12, 2026 at Queen of Peace Church with Msgr. Thomas Richter celebrating. Burial will follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Dickinson. Visitation will be from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson, with Rosary and Vigil service taking place at 6:00 PM. Annabelle passed away Friday, March 6, 2026 at St. Benedict’s Health Center, Dickinson. Annabelle S. Weber was born on December 8, 1930, in Killdeer, North Dakota, to Frank and Eva (Kowis) Schmalz. She grew up in Killdeer and graduated from Killdeer High School in 1947. At the age of 17, Annabelle began working at Zimbrich’s Department Store in Killdeer. She later moved to Dickinson, where she worked at S&L in retail sales and spent many years at Kessel’s Bridal Shop. While working at the Esquire Steak House, she met Gerald Weber, the love of her life. The couple was united in marriage on November 1, 1954, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Dickinson, where they made their home and built their life together. Annabelle was a woman who loved staying busy and caring for her family and home. She enjoyed hunting and fishing, along with hobbies such as crafts, sewing, and gardening. She was well known for keeping an immaculate home and took great pride in caring for those around her. Faith was an important part of her life. She joined the Catholic Daughters in 1957 and was active in church circles, often helping with funeral dinners and parish gatherings. Annabelle’s greatest joy was her family. Annabelle is survived by her sons, Greg (Barbara) Weber of Grand Forks, Russ (Rhonda) Weber of Dickinson; daughter, Sharon (Tony) Allen of Andover, MN; nine grandchildren, Christi (Ryan), Tiffani (Tim), Shane (Kayla), Tonya (Adam), Samantha (Scott), Kevin, Tracey (Analisa), Stacie, Tyler; 15 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Eva Schmalz; husband, Gerald Weber; siblings, William (Evelyn) Schmalz, Elaine (John) Buresh, and Vernon (Dolores) Schmalz; and daughter-in-law, Coleen Weber (Krance). Remembrances and condolences can be shared at www.stevensonfuneralhome.com.

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