The North Dakota Supreme Court

What the court does

The Supreme Court hears appeals from the trial courts of North Dakota. It decides cases involving every area of state law: criminal prosecutions, civil disputes, family law, property, contracts, business regulation, tax, oil and gas, tribal-state jurisdiction, and the interpretation of the North Dakota Constitution and statutes. The court’s decisions bind every lower court in the state.

The court is made up of five justices. It sits year-round, issuing written opinions that explain the reasoning behind each decision so that lawyers, lower courts, and the public can understand how the law applies.

How justices are chosen

Justices of the North Dakota Supreme Court are elected by the people of North Dakota in nonpartisan elections. They serve ten-year terms. When a vacancy opens mid-term, the Governor may appoint a justice from a list of nominees prepared by the Judicial Nominating Committee; the appointed justice must then stand for election at the next general election to fill the remainder of the term or begin a new one.

Because these are nonpartisan races, candidates for the Supreme Court run without party affiliation. Voters choose among them based on experience, judgment, and integrity.

Why it matters

Most North Dakotans will never bring a case before the Supreme Court. But the court’s decisions shape daily life across the state: how contracts are enforced, how criminal laws are applied, how families navigate divorce and custody, how property is owned and taxed, and how the state’s Constitution is interpreted and applied. A Supreme Court that decides cases carefully, consistently, and without political pressure protects the rule of law for every North Dakotan.