International Guest Lectures Series Debuts with Atty. Thomas A. Dickson (North Dakota, USA)

On 8 October 2025, the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Gdańsk inaugurated its new International Guest Lectures series with a lecture delivered by Attorney Thomas A. Dickson, a distinguished trial lawyer from North Dakota, United States.

Attorney Dickson spoke on “Beyond the Textbook: United States Federal Criminal Procedure Through a North Dakota Trial Attorney’s Eyes,” offering students a rare opportunity to explore how procedural rules operate in real courtroom practice. The lecture combined academic perspective with first-hand professional experience, enriched by practical examples from jury trials and day-to-day litigation work. The event attracted a highly engaged audience, including students of Criminology and Criminal Justice, as well as many international and Polish students interested in the topic.

Our guest brings more than four decades of trial experience and has tried over 100 criminal and civil cases before juries across North Dakota. A graduate of the Southern Methodist University School of Law (1981), he has been recognised in Best Lawyers in America since 1992 and is the recipient of the Light of Justice Award (2017) and the Distinguished Criminal Justice Act Panel Attorney Award (2025). Beyond courtroom practice, Attorney Dickson is also an experienced lecturer and author, sharing his expertise in local and national publications.

The inaugural lecture marked a strong and inspiring start to the International Guest Lectures initiative. Over the coming days, Attorney Dickson continued his visit with a further session—this time focused on civil law—as part of a broader series of guest lectures hosted by our Faculty.

We are grateful to our distinguished guest for opening the programme and we look forward to welcoming more international speakers in the months ahead.