Gerald VandeWalle | |
Office: | Chief Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court |
Term Start: | January 1, 1993 |
Term End: | December 31, 2019 |
Predecessor: | Ralph J. Erickstad |
Successor: | Jon J. Jensen |
Office1: | Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court |
Term Start1: | August 15, 1978 |
Term End1: | January 31, 2023 |
Appointer1: | Arthur A. Link |
Predecessor1: | Robert Vogel |
Successor1: | Douglas Bahr |
Birth Date: | 15 August 1933 |
Birth Place: | Noonan, North Dakota, U.S. |
Education: | University of North Dakota (BA, JD) |
Gerald Wayne VandeWalle (born August 15, 1933) is an American lawyer who served as a justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court from 1978 to 2023. He served as the court's chief justice from 1993 to 2019.
VandeWalle was born in Noonan, North Dakota and graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science degree in commerce.[1] While attending the University of North Dakota he joined the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He then received a Juris Doctor from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1958.
In late 2019, VandeWalle announced he would not seek reelection for another term as chief justice, but would remain on the court.[2] He was the longest-serving chief justice in North Dakota history and at the time, the oldest in the nation.[3] He retired from the court on January 31, 2023.[4]