Now I Know to Build Your Network

Key Takeaways

by Jayne Tenneson, Nelson County and Griggs County, N.D.

While I was in law school, I thought about pursuing family law or maybe being a prosecutor. It seemed like something I could manage while continuing to farm.

About 11 years ago, there was some turmoil over a courthouse construction project in my county and residents proposed a recall. 

A few candidates running to replace the commissioners asked me if I would be interested in serving as state’s attorney if they won. They ended up sweeping the recall and I became a county prosecutor.

I came into the position really green and had to learn how to navigate and I figured I’d end up going to the Law School of Hard Knocks, a lot of long nights at the office. But during those nights, I started making calls to my colleagues. I’d call law school classmates, I’d call Aaron Birst, who was the general counsel at the state association, and I received a lot of guidance from them. 

I didn’t even realize at the time how strong my network was. So, when I’d have a problem I either couldn’t figure out on my own or needed some outside perspective, I’d make a call. I started meeting other prosecutors from other counties and they became a part of my network. 

There’s another North Dakota prosecutor who I’ve known since high school, but I also meet people through the state association or in continuing legal education classes.

Sometimes, I’m calling about technical aspects of the law, but a lot of times it’s a soft skills question or a work-life balance question. I have friends that are in larger communities, and they can walk into a grocery store or restaurant and the server or whoever is helping them, they don’t care who they are, they’re anonymous. I walk into the grocery store, the gas station, and if I’m wearing a suit, everyone in there knows I’m going to court. I can’t be anonymous.

When I started, I just wanted to make it through a year without being recalled myself. Then I started getting some calls from young attorneys and I realized things had come full circle. I’ve been doing this for more than 10 years and I never want to get complacent. So you always try to learn more; but I realized I was now someone people called to ask for advice and bounce ideas off of. I’m one of the experienced guys now. 

Now I Know explores experiences that have shaped county officials’ approach to their work; as told to Senior Writer and Digital Editor Charlie Ban.