Joel Medd

District Court Judge

Appointed: 1979 - 2013

Born in 1947, Langdon, ND, and grew up in Anamoose, ND. Graduated from the University of North Dakota 1969 and Law School in 1975. Served as a Military Intelligence Officer in Panama and Vietnam. Appointed Benson County Judge in 1975 and also served as Williams County Judge, as well as a municipal judge, county justice, and tribal judge. Appointed District Judge by Governor Arthur Link in 1979. Elected 1980, 1986, 1992, 1998, 2004 and 2010. Retired as district judge 2013. Married: wife, Amy.

Thomas E. Merrick

District Court Judge

Appointed: 2009 - 2016

Born August 2, 1950 in Elkhart, Indiana. Received his bachelor's degree from the University of Toledo and his law degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1983. Served in the U.S. Air Force, reaching the rank of captain. Admitted to practice in North Dakota in 1983. Engaged in private legal practice in Jamestown, ND, from 1983-2009. Appointed district judge in 2009 by Governor John Hoeven. Elected 2012. Married, Pamela, with three children.

Thomas K. Metelmann

District Court Judge

Elected: 1995 - 1998

Judge Metelmann was born in Grafton, North Dakota, in 1951. Graduated from the University of North Dakota with a B.A. degree in 1973; J.D. degree from University of North Dakota Law School in 1976. Engaged in private practice in Grafton and Walhalla, North Dakota from 1976 until 1983. He served as County Judge from 1983 until 1994, when he was elected Judge of the Northeast Judicial District, term to begin January 1995. Judge Metelmann served in that capacity until the end of 1998. Married: wife, Roxanne, one daughter, Jessica.

Harvey J. Miller

District Court Judge

Elected: 1936 - 1964

Judge Miller was born on a farm south of Buffalo, North Dakota, on November 18, 1887. He attended rural public schools near Buffalo, graduating from the Buffalo High School. After receiving his law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1911, he practiced law at New England, North Dakota for 24 years, where he also served as Mayor for six years and as State's Attorney of Hettinger County for two years. Elected Judge of the Sixth Judicial District in 1935, served in that capacity until 1964. Judge Miller died on December 16, 1979 at the age of 92.

Norbert J. Muggli

District Court Judge

Elected: 1965 - 1981

Judge Muggli was born in Richardton, North Dakota, May 26, 1919. Graduated from Richardton High School and St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota. He received his L. L. B. from the University of North Dakota Law School in 1942, and was admitted to the Bar that same year. Following three and one-half years in the Army, he practiced law in Dickinson, North Dakota, he served four terms as State's Attorney of Stark County and also was a member of the House of Representatives, 1957 and 1959. He was elected Judge of the Sixth Judicial District in 1964. With the reorganization of the district court system in 1979, he became Judge of the Southwest Judicial District, he resigned in 1981. Judge Muggli died on April 7, 1997.

Daniel D. Narum

Presiding Judge

Elected: 2025 - Present

Judge Narum was appointed as District Court Judge by Governor John Hoeven in 2006 for the Southeast Judicial District #5 located in Ellendale, ND.  He was elected in 2008, and re-elected in 2010 and 2016.

Born in 1969; Judge Narum served in the United State Navy from 1987 - 1990. He received his Bachelor's of Science degree in Political Science from North Dakota State University in 1996. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1999, and was admitted to the N.D. Bar on September 24, 1999. Judge Narum worked in private legal practice from 1999 until his judgeship in 2006, and was the LaMoure County State's Attorney from 2001-2006.

Chas Neff, Jr.

District Court Judge

Appointed: 2023 - Present

Judge Neff was appointed as a District Court Judge by Governor Doug Burgum in 2022 for the Northwest Judicial District No. 3, located in Williston, North Dakota.

Born in Brainerd, Minnesota, in 1980, Judge Neff graduated from Shanley High School and Cardinal Muench Seminary in 1999. He began his undergraduate studies at Mount St. Mary’s College and completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications at North Dakota State University in 2003. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minnesota and was admitted to the North Dakota Bar on September 15, 2008.

Judge Neff’s professional experience includes serving as an Expert Intern for the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations. He worked as a Reference Attorney and Consultant at Thomson Reuters from 2007 to 2014. From 2014 to 2017, he served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in McKenzie County, later becoming the McKenzie County State’s Attorney from 2017 to 2018. Before his judicial appointment, Judge Neff served as a Law Clerk and Staff Attorney for the Northwest Judicial District from 2019 until his judgeship in 2023.

David W. Nelson

District Court Judge/Surrogate Judge

Elected: 1994 - Present

Born in April 1951, Williston, North Dakota. Attended UND-Williston 1971; B.A. (Social work) UND 1973. Attended Wartburg Theological Seminary 1974; J.D., University of North Dakota School of Law 1981. Private practice 1981-94. Municipal Judge 1984-94. Elected District Judge in 1994, 1996, 2002, 2008 and 2014. Married: wife, Sherri. Two sons: Matt and Steve. Retired as District Judge Dec. 31, 2016.

Harold B. Nelson

District Court Judge

Appointed: 1949 - 1954

Judge Nelson was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, February 10, 1885. He attended a business college in St. Paul Minnesota, in 1905 he became instructor of the business college in Minot, North Dakota. In 1909 he became court reporter for Judge A. G. Burr of Rugby, while he was court reporter he studied law by clerkship under Judge Burr, and was admitted to the North Dakota State Bar in 1914. In 1916 he opened his law office in Rugby, North Dakota, he continued in private practice until 1949, when he was appointed Judge of the Second Judicial District, by Governor Fred G. Aandahl. After serving five years on the bench he resigned on April 30, 1954 to re-enter private practice. Judge Nelson died on December 21, 1960.

Pamela A. Nesvig

District Court Judge

Appointed: 2019 - Present

Judge Nesvig was appointed as District Court Judge by Governor Doug Burgum in 2019 for the South Central Judicial District #10 located in Mandan, ND.  

Born in Bismarck in 1978; Judge Nesvig received her Bachelor's of Science from the University of North Dakota in 2001. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 2005, and and was admitted to the N.D. Bar on October 3, 2005. 

Judge Nesvig served on the North Dakota Safety Council from 2001 to 2002. She was a law clerk at Pearson, Christensen, Cahill & Clapp from 2003 to 2005 and became an Associate Attorney from 2005 to 2006.  Judge Nesvig was a Special Assistant State’s Attorney in the Bismarck Regional Child Support Enforcement Unit in 2006 and was the Assistant State’s Attorney from 2007 to 2010. Judge Nesvig became the Assistant Burleigh County State’s Attorney from 2010 to 2015 and was a Judicial Referee and Magistrate for South Central Judicial District from 2015 until her judgeship in 2019. 

William A. Neumann

Justice of the Supreme Court/Surrogate Judge

Elected: 1993 - 2005

Justice William A. "Bill" Neumann was born February 11, 1944, in Minot, North Dakota. He grew up in Bowbells and in Crosby, North Dakota, graduating from Crosby High School in 1961 and from the University of North Dakota in 1965. He graduated from Stanford Law School in 1968 and returned to North Dakota, going into private practice at Williston and then Bottineau. In October 1979, he was appointed to the District Court and was elected in 1980 and reelected in 1984 and 1990. From 1981 through 1987, Neumann served on the North Dakota Judicial Conduct Commission. He was the first trial judge to chair the North Dakota Judicial Conference, from 1987 to 1989. In November 1992, he was elected to a ten-year term on the North Dakota Supreme Court, beginning January 1, 1993. Reelected in 2002. Justice Neumann has been a member of the Board of Directors of American Judicature Society since 1998. He and his wife Jackie have two children. Justice Neumann served 12 years and 2 1/2 months before resigning from the Court on March 14, 2005. After leaving the Court, he served as Executive Director of the State Bar Association of North Dakota until 2013. He is currently a Surrogate Judge and resides in Bismarck.

Lindsey Nieuwsma

District Court Judge

Appointed: 2021 - Present

Judge Nieuwsma was appointed as District Court Judge by Governor Doug Burgum in 2021 for the South Central Judicial District #9 located in Mandan, ND.  

Born in 1985 in Belfield, ND, she was raised on a ranch near Grassy Butte, ND. Judge Nieuwsma received her Bachelor's of Science degree in Criminal Justice from North Dakota State University in 2006. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota School of Law in 2010 and was admitted to the N.D. Bar on March 22, 2011. She worked in private legal practice in Bismarck, ND from 2010 to 2015. Judge Nieuwsma was the staff attorney for the ND State Court Administrator Office from 2015 to 2018 and was the South Central Judicial District Judicial Referee and Magistrate from 2018 until her judgeship in 2021. 

Samuel L. Nuchols

District Court Judge

Appointed: 1911 - 1915

Judge Nuchols was born in Maryville, Tennessee on March 1, 1871. He attended College and Law School at the University in Tennessee, where he also was admitted to the Bar and practiced law until 1902, when he moved to Mandan, North Dakota. He was City Attorney of Mandan for three years. In 1911 he was appointed Judge of the Twelfth Judicial District, by Governor John Burke, serving until his resignation in 1915. He then entered private practice in Mandan, North Dakota. In 1919 President Wilson appointed him Assistant United States Attorney, with headquarters at Fargo, North Dakota, which position he held until 1921, when he again entered private practice at Bismarck, North Dakota. Judge Nuchols died January 1, 1928.

James H. O'Keefe

District Court Judge

Elected: 1971 - 1994

Born May 22, 1930, at Fargo, N.D. Graduate of Grand Forks Catholic Schools; Ph.B. and J.D. University of North Dakota 1956. Veteran Korean Conflict. Law Clerk for Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals; Editor, North Dakota Law Review; Walsh County State's Attorney; Municipal Judge at Grafton; Past President, State's Attorneys Association and District Judges. Elected District Judge in 1970. Reelected 1976, 1982, and 1988. Retired 1994. Surrogate Judge 1995-2002. Married to Leatrice. Six children. Died January 17, 2003.

Everett Nels Olson

District Court Judge

Elected: 1979 - 2002

Born July 12, 1939, in Hettinger, North Dakota. B.A. from Dickinson State University, 1962. L.L.B. from University of North Dakota, 1965. Practiced in New Town, 1965-68, and Minot, 1968-79. Elected District Judge in 1978, 1984, 1990, and 1996. Retired as District Judge, December 31, 2002. Appointed Surrogate Judge, 2003. Married: wife, Mary; four children.

Lonnie Olson

District Court Judge

Elected: 2016 - Present

Judge Olson was elected as District Court Judge in 2016 for the Northeast Judicial District #1 located in Devils Lake, ND.  

Born in 1962; Judge Olson is a native of Devils Lake.  He graduated from Devils Lake Central High School in 1980.  He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Dakota in1984. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1987, and was admitted to the N.D. Bar on October 6, 1987.

Judge Olson worked in private legal practice from 1987 to 1989. He served as a Special Assistant States Attorney for the Lake Region Child Support Enforcement Unit in 1990 and was elected as the Ramsey County States Attorney iin 1990 until his judgeship in 2016. 

Thomas R. Olson

District Court Judge

Appointed: 2014 - 2022

Augsburg College, B.A. 1976. Studied at Luther Theological Seminary 1975-1976. William Mitchell College of Law, J.D. 1981. Served in Clay County, Minn., Attorney's Office from 1983-1985. Private legal practice in Fargo focusing on civil litigation and mediation, 1985-2014. Appointed District Judge by Gov. Jack Dalrymple 2014, elected 2016.

Leo J. Palda

District Court Judge

Elected: 1903 - 1904

Judge Palda was born March 4, 1873, in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from the Cedar Rapids, Iowa High School. In 1893 he graduated from the University of Michigan Law Department. He moved to Kenmare, North Dakota in 1899 where he began practicing law, later he moved to Minot, North Dakota where he continued practicing law. He served as Judge of the Eighth Judicial District from 1903 to 1904. After his judgeship he continued practicing law in Minot, North Dakota, until his death on November 6, 1946.

Charles A. Pollock

District Court Judge

Elected: 1897 - 1916

Judge Pollock was born in Elizabethtown, Essex County, New York, September 27, 1853. He attended Cornell College at Mt. Vernon, Iowa, from where he graduated in 1878 with a B. A. degree. In 1881 he graduated from the Law Department of the University of Iowa, he then opened a law office in Fargo, North Dakota. His Alma Mater conferred upon him the Master of Arts degree in 1881, and L. L. D. degree in 1908. He lectured in the Law Department of the University of North Dakota in 1900. In 1885 he was elected District Attorney of Cass County, then Dakota Territory, which position he occupied until 1889. He was president of the North Dakota Bar Association in 1921. He served as Judge of the Third Judicial District from 1897 until 1916. Judge Pollock died on July 9, 1928.

John C. Pollock

District Court Judge

Appointed: 1946 - 1958

Judge Pollock was born in Casselton, Dakota Territory, on December 29, 1888. Educated in the Casselton and Fargo, North Dakota, public schools. For professional reasons the family moved to Fargo in 1897, where he received his B.A. degree from the Fargo College, in 1909. He graduated from the Harvard Law School in 1912, then returned to Fargo where he entered in the practice of law with his father and brother in the Pollock & Pollock Firm. He became State's Attorney in 1927, serving two terms, was appointed Juvenile Commissioner, First Judicial District February 1, 1931, served until he was appointed Judge of the First Judicial District, by Governor Fred G. Aandahl, on October 23, 1946, served in that capacity until his death on August 9, 1958.