Jerod Tufte was born in Minot, North Dakota, in 1975 and attended West Fargo public schools. He lives in rural Kidder County with his wife, Mylynn. They have three children.
Education and early career
Justice Tufte earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, magna cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University in 1997. He worked as a computer engineer for Motorola before deciding to study law. He earned his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Arizona State University College of Law in 2002, graduating first in his class of 151.
Federal clerkship and private practice
After law school, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Roger L. Wollman of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He then practiced law privately at a large law firm in Phoenix, Arizona, and in a main street law practice in Steele, North Dakota.
Public service
In 2005, Justice Tufte was appointed State’s Attorney for Kidder County, and North Dakota voters elected him to that office in 2006 and again in 2010. From 2008 to 2016, he served as a Judge Advocate in the North Dakota Army National Guard, including overseas duty in Kosovo. From 2011 to 2014, he served as legal counsel to Governor Jack Dalrymple.
On the bench
In 2014, Governor Dalrymple appointed Justice Tufte as a district court judge. In 2016, North Dakota voters elected him to the North Dakota Supreme Court. He took office in January 2017. This is his first campaign for re-election to the Court.
Family and community
Jerod and Mylynn have been married for 27 years and have three children. Outside the courtroom, Justice Tufte is an avid runner; he completed his hundredth marathon in 2024. The Tufte family enjoys time together in the outdoors.
Selected honors
Selected for the Rodel Judicial Fellowship, which convenes federal judges and state supreme court justices for sustained study of democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law.
