Supreme Court accepting applications for Rural Attorney Recruitment Program Monday, May 4, 2026

The North Dakota Supreme Court is currently accepting applications from counties and municipalities interested in participating in the Rural Attorney Recruitment Program.

The Rural Attorney Recruitment Program was established by the legislature in 2021 (NDCC 27-02.2) with the goal of increasing the number of attorneys residing and working in rural North Dakota. Under the program, the state of North Dakota, the State Bar Association of North Dakota, and the participating community each contribute funds to retain an attorney in an eligible community for a 5-year period. To be eligible for the program, a county must have five or fewer attorneys; or a municipality with a population of 5,000 or fewer.

Requirements for the application are found in section 2 of Administrative Rule 62.

The deadline for counties and municipalities to apply is 5 p.m. central time on July 1, 2026.

Applications should be sent to:

Office of the State Court Administrator

ATTN Rural Attorney Recruitment Program

600 E. Boulevard, Mailstop 180

Bismarck ND 58505-0530

Attorneys who are interested in the program may submit an application at any time by completing the electronic application form found on the Court’s website (apply here).

Link to Rural Attorney Recruitment Program information page.

Questions can be sent to Kelly Hutton, deputy state court administrator, at [email protected].