North Dakota Supreme Court Justice Daniel Crothers has notified Governor Kelly Armstrong that he will retire from the state’s highest court on February 28, 2026, after more than two decades of service.
“Justice Crothers has faithfully served the citizens of North Dakota and applied the laws of our state with the utmost dedication, fairness and professionalism for over two decades,” Governor Armstrong said. “His respect for litigants and the separate-but-equal roles of the executive and legislative branches has been a hallmark of his years on the bench. On behalf of all North Dakotans, we thank him for his remarkable legacy of service.”
Born in 1957 and raised in Fargo, American Samoa, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, Crothers earned his law degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1982. He clerked for the New Mexico Court of Appeals before working in private practice and serving as assistant state’s attorney in Walsh County. Crothers later became a partner at Nilles Law Firm in Fargo.
He was appointed to the North Dakota Supreme Court by Governor John Hoeven in 2005, elected to a 10-year term in 2012, and re-elected in 2022. Over his career, Crothers has served as president of the State Bar Association of North Dakota, chaired several judicial ethics committees, and taught as adjunct faculty at the National Judicial College. He continues to chair the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility.
Under state law, the governor will appoint a Judicial Nominating Committee to forward a list of potential replacements within 60 days of the vacancy notice. Governor Armstrong then has 30 days to appoint from the list, return it for further consideration, or call a special election to fill the remaining term.
Justice Crothers’ retirement marks the conclusion of a distinguished career spanning public service, private practice, and over 20 years on North Dakota’s Supreme Court.
By DNU Staff