Spencer D. Ptacek

Spencer is a litigator with experience handling a wide variety of commercial and real estate property disputes, particularly for clients involved in North Dakota’s oil and gas industry.

Spencer has represented clients before state, federal and tribal district courts in North Dakota, the North Dakota Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit. Spencer has also represented clients in adjudicative proceedings before the North Dakota Industrial Commission.

A North Dakota native, Spencer graduated from North Dakota State University before attending law school at the University of Minnesota. During law school, he worked in the Office of the General Counsel for the University of Minnesota and served as a judicial extern for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Education

• University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., 2015, magna cum laude
• North Dakota State University, B.A., 2012, summa cum laude

Admissions

• North Dakota, 2015
• U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota, 2016
• Fort Berthold District Court, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) Nation, 2017
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 2018

Clerkships

• Law Clerk, Office of the General Counsel, University of Minnesota, 2014-2015
• Judicial Extern, Honorable Diana E. Murphy, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 2014

• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Oil and Gas Law, 2024-2025
• Order of the Coif, University of Minnesota Law School, 2015

Professional Activities

• North Dakota State Bar Association, Member
• Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Member
• Minnesota Law Review, Managing Editor, 2014-2015, Staff Member, 2013-2014