Bruce concentrates his practice in criminal defense. He received his undergraduate degree in 1975 from North Dakota State University and graduated with distinction from the University of North Dakota Law School in 1978. 

Before joining the firm in 1989, Bruce spent several years as a prosecutor in the State’s Attorney’s office, Cass County, North Dakota, and as First Assistant Attorney General in the North Dakota Attorney General’s office. His experience includes numerous jury trials and appeals in state and federal courts.  

Bruce is a frequent speaker at seminars and meetings for lawyers, law enforcement and political subdivisions, and he organized a criminal defense section of the State Bar Association of North Dakota. He has taught Constitutional Law at North Dakota State University and has written many criminal law articles and a Prosecutor’s DUI Manual. Bruce currently teaches criminal trial advocacy and criminal procedure at UND Law School and a civil liberties constitutional law class at Concordia College. 

Bruce is an active member of Hope Lutheran Church and former chairman of the North Dakota Horse Racing Commission. His wife, Roberta, is now retired from selling real estate at Park Company. Bruce and Roberta have three children, Robert, Mitchell, and Anna. 

Honors and Distinctions

• Great Plains Super Lawyer®, Thomson/Reuters (2007- 2020, 2023-2024) 
• “The Best Lawyers in America,” in Bet-The-Company Litigation, Criminal Defense: General Practice, Criminal Defense: Non-White Collar, Criminal Defense: White Collar, and DUI/DWI, Woodward/White (1999- 2021, 2024-2025) 
• AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated from Martindale-Hubbell 
• Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America (2016) 
• Selected Best Attorney in “Best Of the Red River Valley”, The Forum of Fargo Moorhead (2012-2016) 

Memberships

• Cass County Bar Association
• State Bar Association of North Dakota

Admitted to Practice

• North Dakota, 1978
• U.S. District Court District of North Dakota, 1985