Joshua A. Swanson - Fargo, ND
Attorney at Vogel Law Firm
Environmental, Natural Resource and Energy Law Lawyers in Fargo, ND
218 NP Avenue Fargo, ND 58102
- Free Consultation
- 1 Super Lawyers®
-
16
Years
Experience
Fargo Environmental, Natural Resource and Energy Law Lawyer
Updated: 05/14/2026
Areas of Practice
- Environmental, Natural Resource and Energy Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Agriculture and Property Law
- Plaintiff's Law
- Construction Litigation
Attorney Information
Overview
Joshua’s practice is centered on litigation where he focuses on energy and natural resource law, business law, and property law/land use.
Since joining the firm in 2011, Joshua has handled cases at the state district court level in North Dakota and Minnesota, the North Dakota Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, and the United States Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Joshua successfully litigated the Wilkinson v. Board of Univ. and School Lands case to the North Dakota Supreme Court, where the Court recognized the rights of private landowners with minerals under Lake Sakakawea. Joshua was made a shareholder in December 2015.
Before joining the firm, he served as a law clerk to the seven judges of the old Northwest Judicial District based in Minot and Williston, North Dakota.
A proud native of Maddock, North Dakota, Joshua resides in West Fargo with his wife, a medical physicist at the Roger Maris Cancer Center, their two children and one bulldog. He graduated magna cum laude from the Creighton University School of Law and received undergraduate degrees in political science and history, with honors, from North Dakota State University. Joshua is a regular presenter at conferences focusing on energy law issues and has had three articles published in the University of North Dakota Law Review. He’s taught Constitutional Law at Concordia College in Moorhead, Energy and Regulatory Law at Bismarck State’s National Energy Center of Excellence and currently teaches the Introduction to Oil and Gas Law class at the University of North Dakota School of Law.
Joshua is a passionate NDSU fan and hosts a Saturday morning Bison football radio show in the fall on North Dakota’s largest sports talk station, for which he received an Eric Sevareid Award from the Midwest Broadcasters Association.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- Great Plains Rising Stars®, Thomson/Reuters, 2014 - 2020
- Eric Sevareid Award, 2019 - Present
- Prairie Business 40 Under 40 Award Winner, 2020 - Present
- “The Best Lawyers in America”, in Construction Law, 2024-2025
Other Sources of Feedback About Joshua A. Swanson
Included on the 2020 Great Plains Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2019 Great Plains Super Lawyers list
- 2018 Great Plains Super Lawyers list
- 2017 Great Plains Super Lawyers list
- 2016 Great Plains Super Lawyers list
- 2015 Great Plains Super Lawyers list
- 2014 Great Plains Super Lawyers list
Education
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Legal Education
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Creighton University School of Law,
Omaha,
Nebraska
Honors: magna cum laude
Honors: McGrath North scholarship
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Creighton University School of Law,
Omaha,
Nebraska
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Non Legal Education
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North Dakota State University
Honors: With Honor
Major: Political Science and History
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North Dakota State University
Current Employment Position(s)
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Attorney, Shareholder
Past Positions
- Seven Judges of the Northwest Judicial District , Law Clerk
Classes and Seminars
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Featured presenter at 2011 & 2103 UND Law Review Energy Law Symposium
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Featured presenter at 2018 North Dakota NARO (Nat’l Association of Royalty Owners) Convention
- Numerous other conferences and seminars on oil and gas law throughout North Dakota
Pro Bono Activities
- NDSU Team Makers Board of Director
- NDSU English Department External Advisory Board
- Advisor of the NDSU Blue Key student group
- Contributor to Bison Illustrated magazine
- Host of Herd It Hear with Swany on 740AM The Fan
- ND FFA Foundation Board of Directors
Published Works
Articles
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UND Law Review, The Fine Print Matters: Negotiating an Oil and Gas Lease in North Dakota, 2011
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Tort Law Desk Reference: A Fifty-State Compendium (2012-2018 Edition). North Dakota section co-author
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UND Law Review, The Hand of God: Limiting the Impact of the Force Majeure Clause in an Oil and Gas Lease, 2013
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UND Law Review, Ignorance of the Constitution is Not Bliss, 2019
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UND Law Review, Do Not Boast About Tomorrow: Lessons we can Learn from Today’s Covid-19 Court Cases to Prepare for Future Disasters, 2021
Bar Admissions
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- U.S. District Court District of North Dakota
Other Affiliations
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Cass County Bar Association
- State Bar Association of North Dakota
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- State Bar Association of South Dakota
Photo
Contact
218 NP Avenue
Fargo, ND 58102
Phone: 701-237-6983
Fax: 701-356-6395
Email: Send a message
Website: http://www.vogellaw.com
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