North Dakota Supreme Court Law Clerk Peter Liffrig recently visited a freshmen Career Management class at St. Mary’s Central High School in Bismarck, taught by Nikolas Holweger. During the session, Liffrig explained the path to becoming a lawyer—from earning a bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctor to passing the state bar exam. He also outlined the difference between transactional attorneys, who handle contracts and business deals, and litigation attorneys, who represent clients in court.

Liffrig also described his own role as a law clerk, assisting the court by researching legal precedent and current law in order to help the court when it decides cases. With growing interest about the role of AI and whether it might could replace lawyers, he acknowledged its growing role in research and document review, but emphasized that human judgment and advocacy remain essential.