Ron McLean isn't even an ounce Norwegian. The Fargo trial lawyer is half Scottish, half Swedish. So he's lucky that Ulf Christiansen has an open mind.
Ten years ago, a colleague suggested that McLean apply to become the state's Norwegian consul. Naturally, Christiansen-then the consul general in Minneapolis-inquired about his heritage. "Ulf looked at the ceiling and took a puff of his cigarette and said, 'Scottish. Swedish.' He took another puff of his cigarette and said, 'Scottish. Swedish,'" says McLean. "Then he paused for a moment and said, 'I have nothing against the Scots!'"
Since being appointed, McLean has met a number of Norwegian dignitaries, including Gunnar Sønsteby, a famous World War II hero, and Kirsti Kolle Grøndahl, a former president of the Storting (the Norwegian Parliament). "It's the only chance I've ever had to have dinner with somebody who has also had dinner with Putin," he says.
McLean is responsible for verifying pensions for Norwegians living in North Dakota, issuing passports to nationals and assisting with any diplomatic issues that arise with neighboring Scandinavian countries. Although expansive, he says the duties take less than 1 percent of his time.
The other 99 percent is spent at the Serkland Law Firm, where he has been since he graduated from the University of North Dakota Law School in 1975. He started out practicing personal injury and family law, but today his clientele primarily consists of lawyers. "I have represented lawyers in all kinds of litigation," he says. "In a small state, I have to be pretty open to whatever I'm called up to do."
Business clients have included Wyeth, which he defended in two rounds of fen-phen litigation in 2000 and 2003, and several companies involved in asbestos litigation, including Pfizer, Union Carbide and GAF Corporation.
In trial, McLean has been hailed for his cross-examination skills. "I don't ever think I'll be the smartest person in the room," he says. "But I can usually say I'm the most prepared." His biggest downfall? "I'm too passionate. I could probably tone it down."
That passion for litigation must have made an impression with his children. His daughter is a lawyer in New York City, his oldest son is a first-year law student at the University of Iowa and his youngest son is a freshman at Minnesota State University-Moorhead. "He hasn't shared with me whether he's going to be a lawyer or not, but anyone who takes existentialism in his second semester, I think, is bound for law school," he says.
As for McLean's Norwegian consul duties? He plans to keep them until 2020, when he turns 70. "I am Norway's best adopted friend," he says.
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