Attorneys, Paralegals, and Staff

Thomas M. Jackson was born and raised in the western part of the state, hailing from Dickinson, North Dakota. After graduation from Dickinson Trinity High School he attended North Dakota State University. Thomas graduated from NDSU with a degree in History and a minor in Political Science. After graduating from college, Thomas moved on to Creighton University School of Law in Omaha, Nebraska.  Missing the open prairies and hunting and fishing in North Dakota, Thomas moved back to the area after graduating from law school and spending some time practicing law in Nebraska.  Mr. Jackson’s areas of focus are Estate Planning, Probate, Family Law, Federal Criminal Law, Commercial Law Litigation, and Business Law Litigation.

Mr. Jackson proudly claims Mandan as his adopted home where he resides with his lovely wife Tanya and three amazing daughters.  He is a former Mandan City Commissioner and continues to try to stay busy, either as a spectator or volunteer with  different groups around Mandan, including the Mandan Marlins Swim Club, the Mandan Soccer Club, the Clay Target League, and Mandan High School Athletics.  A proud Bison Alumnus to this day, Tom enjoys watching as much Bison athletics as possible, hunting, fishing, and spending time in Northern Minnesota lake country.

William R. Thomason graduated from the University of North Dakota School of Law, with distinction, in 2008. During law school, he was an intern for Amnesty International, a member of the North Dakota Law Review and the founder and president of the school’s International Human Rights Organization. After law school, William gained a wealth of knowledge about our state’s oil and gas industry while working as a landman.

William has been practicing law since 2009, focusing in the areas of oil and gas, probates, and criminal defense. William particularly enjoys criminal defense practice because it allows him to express the position of his client’s who need his voice in order to assist them while holding the government to a stringent burden of proof.

Amanda J. Welder joined the firm in January 2020 after leaving another Bismarck, North Dakota law firm. Amanda graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 2013 and excelled in law school. She finished law school ranked as one of the “top ten” students in her class, served on the Board of Editors of the North Dakota Law Review, and was elected to a national honor society recognizing excellence in written and oral advocacy. Amanda also won numerous awards for both her argument skills and her writing and was selected to be a teaching assistant for trial advocacy and legal writing classes. After law school, Amanda served as a judicial law clerk for the South Central Judicial District before she began practicing. As a judicial law clerk, Amanda assisted judges with legal research and writing projects for cases pending before the court. Amanda’s considerable experience assisting the judges in various aspects of the decision-making process enables Amanda to counsel her clients from this unique perspective of the judiciary.

After her clerkship ended, Amanda began practicing almost exclusively in the areas of family law and social security disability. Amanda understands that dissolving your marriage or fighting for custody of your kids is one of the most difficult, exhausting, and nerve-wracking situations you will ever experience. Amanda tells all of her clients that once they are clients, their problems are her problems, and she will take your problems as seriously as she would take her own. Working together with her clients, Amanda can help her clients understand their options and determine the best way to move forward while keeping their goals in mind.

Amanda’s interest in social security disability started in 2013 when Amanda’s mother was no longer able to work due to a disability. Amanda saw the difficulty her mother had facing her inability to work, the exceptionally long time it took for her mother’s case to get approved, and the limited number of attorneys throughout the state that are experienced in this area of law. Amanda wanted to help others navigate their way through this complicated system and remains committed to the same.

Matthew J. Arthurs joined the firm in September, 2020.  Matt has been in practice since 1996 and has represented thousands of clients appearing in thousands of court cases in North Dakota and Minnesota. However, the practice of law is Matt’s second career.  In the early 1990’s he was a magazine editor for six home and home product publications while going to law school at William Mitchell college of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota, at night.  Matt chose the practice of law to help others find solutions to their problems and to help them access justice.  While in law school he was a recipient of a National Public Interest Law/Equal Justice Works Fellowship.  The experience inspired him to seek opportunities to help others better their lives, one person at a time.

After law school, Matt worked as a guardian ad litem, providing a voice for children in the foster care system. He later worked for the Third District Public Defender’s Office in Rochester, MN and served as President of the Board of Directors of Legal Assistance of Olmsted County. Matt came to North Dakota in 2007 and served as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the North Dakota Child Support Program.  He later became the supervisor of the Bismarck Public Defender’s office, and in 2014 started a solo practice, focusing on family law, and criminal defense and victim advocacy.

Matt continues to focus his practice on criminal defense and family law.  When not working, Matt enjoys spending time with his wife, Dr. Supha Arthurs, and his daughter.  He is an avid reader, well-traveled and an accomplished home chef.

ReBecka is a North Dakota native, graduating from Central Cass High School in Casselton, North Dakota. She attended Minnesota State University Moorhead where she received a BS in Paralegal Studies and has worked in the legal field for over ten years. ReBecka joined the firm in December 2020.

ReBecka has been involved in many areas of law including family law, civil litigation, WSI claimant's rights, probate, and estate planning. In February of 2020, she obtained her Certified Paralegal certificate from the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA). She is continuing to study to achieve her Advanced Certified Paralegal certificate. ReBecka is a member of both NALA and the Western Dakota Association of Legal Assistants (WDALA). For WDALA, she volunteers as a member of the board and gives back to the community by participating in activities benefitting the local drug court and Runners Against Destructive Decisions.

ReBecka and her husband Zack have two children, Rylee and TJ who are both active in youth hockey. ReBecka is a bit of food junkie who balances life and stress by working out, playing rec league volleyball, and spending as much time as possible at the lake and traveling.

Sharon Renfrow is an established legal assistant in our community, beginning her career as a legal assistant for the Honorable Thomas Schneider and Bryan Giese before either of them were appointed as judicial officers. She provided assistance for the North Dakota Legislature for fifteen years and spent four years with the Senate Judiciary Committee. After leaving the legislature, Sharon worked in various law firms providing assistance in criminal law, family law, and probate/estate planning. She is a notary public and is familiar with municipal, state, and federal courts. Sharon joined the firm in November 2020.

In her free time, Sharon loves to cook and often brings treats to the office. She also enjoys gardening, riding horses and motorcycles, and spending time with her three grandsons.

Samantha Lachenmeier is well versed in customer service and is using those skills as our primary receptionist and as a filing clerk for the firm. Samantha worked as a Member Services representative and fitness instructor at the Missouri Family YMCA in Bismarck and was the manager of a local retail clothing store.

Samantha grew up in Bismarck, North Dakota and is happy to continue serving the community. In her free time, Samantha enjoys reading novels and is the caretaker for over 37 plants and counting.