Hi, it’s nice to meet you! I’m Dane.

I’m the new advocacy director for the ACLU of North Dakota, and I look forward to getting to know you.

While I’m new to the ACLU, my North Dakota roots run deep. My family’s nucleus is Valley City. Both my parents were raised there and it’s where my grandparents still reside. My parents also have a farm near Pettibone, which has been in our family for over a century. And I have relatives in all corners of the state — including cities such as Glen Ullin, Tioga, Jamestown, Enderlin, and numerous others.

Prior to joining the ACLU, I spent five years as an attorney, first representing average people taking on large companies at a class action law firm in Minnesota and later working as a federal public defender in Fargo. During my time as a public defender, I developed a passion for the Fourth Amendment – which, when courageously interpreted, holds law enforcement officials accountable when they cross the line. That’s what led me to the ACLU.

I started working at the ACLU with a singular focus – to make North Dakota a better place to live for all its residents. That’s a lofty goal, to be sure – and the work I do will take many forms, including lobbying at the state capitol, running grassroots campaigns, and fighting against discriminatory laws and practices of any kind.

But I can’t do it alone. I need your help.

In order to do the work that’s most meaningful to you, I need to hear from you. So please drop me a note and tell me what’s on your mind. What do you want to see from the ACLU of North Dakota? What issues are most important to you? How can I be more responsive to your needs?

I am proud to be a part of the ACLU and to defend and protect the rights of all North Dakotans. I can’t wait to hear from you and begin working together.