STAFF

Donna Abrahamson
Debbie Miller

beth@baumstarkbraaten.com 222 North 4th Street Bismarck, ND 58501 (701) 221-2911 Download vCard (right-click -> save as)

Beth Angus Baumstark, Partner
Beth is a North Dakota native who received her Bachelor of Philosophy in social work from the University of North Dakota in 1968. She worked in social work in Illinois, North Dakota, New York, and Kentucky prior to attending law school at the University of Kentucky. Beth graduated from law school sixth in her class of 154 in 1980, was Editorial Associate on the Kentucky Law Journal and member of the Order of the Coif. She practiced law with Brown, Todd & Heyburn, a private law firm in Lexington, KY, focusing on litigation, until 1985 when she joined the KY Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet. She prosecuted violations of surface coal mining laws and regulations, instituted actions for reclamation, and represented the agency in sex discrimination and civil rights cases. In 1990, Beth returned to ND to work as an assistant attorney general for the State of North Dakota. During her tenure with the Attorney General's Office, Beth represented the Secretary of State's Office on all Uniform Commercial Code issues and the State Health Department among other agencies. She also served as legislative liaison for the Attorney General's office and was director of the State and Local Government Division, which provides legal services to over 55 state agencies and drafts and edits Attorney General opinions. Beth was instrumental in drafting the state's open records and meetings law, was responsible for state-wide training on the law and for administering the open records and meetings administrative review process. Beth was responsible for overseeing the state's interests under the international trade agreements (NAFTA and GATTS) and served as staff liaison for two trade advisory committees. She authored two amicus briefs on behalf of twenty-two states in a case before the United States Supreme Court that challenged states' rights to restrict their purchases from certain foreign countries. See Natsios v. National Foreign Trade Council.

In 2001, Beth returned to private practice joining Wheeler Wolf Law Firm where she concentrated on agricultural cases, including contract disputes, crop insurance, farm program disputes and representing farmers in federal administrative hearings and state and federal courts. She has provided consultation to attorneys across the country on representing farmers on issues related to federal government shared appreciation agreements. Beth has also represented clients before the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court and the Turtle Mountain Tribal Court.

Beth is a member of the American Agricultural Law Association, the State Bar of North Dakota, the Kentucky Bar Association, and the Big Muddy Bar Association Practice

Beth's general civil practice focuses on agricultural law, administrative law, litigation, and tribal law. She is licensed to practice before state and federal courts in North Dakota and Kentucky, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Tribal Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th, 8th and 9th Circuits, the United States Tax Court, and the United States Supreme Court.

Significant Cases
Aageson Grain and Cattle, R Land, Inc, and Fairchild Farms v. USDA, 500 F.3d 1038 (9th Cir. 2007) (holding farmers eligible for attorney's fees under EAJA for administrative appeals through the National Appeals Division of USDA)

Public Serv. Comm'n v. Wimbledon Grain Co., 663 N.W.2d 186, (ND 2003) (representing with Sarah Vogel the farmer intervenors whom court held were claimants and entitled to payment)

Peach and Schwartz v. North Dakota Racing Commission, Burleigh County District Court, Case No. 08-08-C-01307, 2008 (granting attorney's fees in action to overturn agency determination)