Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court

Personal

Born in Minot, North Dakota, in 1975; married to Mylynn Tufte; three children. Avid runner, completed 100th marathon in 2024.

Education

Attended West Fargo public schools; earned a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, 1997 (magna cum laude), and a J.D. from Arizona State University, 2002 (magna cum laude, rank 1/151).

Professional Experience

Worked as Computer Engineer for Motorola prior to law school. Law clerk to Hon. Roger L. Wollman, Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Private practice in Phoenix, Arizona, and Steele, North Dakota. Appointed Kidder County State's Attorney in 2005 and elected in 2006 and 2010. Major, Judge Advocate, North Dakota Army National Guard, 2008–2016, including overseas service in Kosovo. Legal counsel to Governor Jack Dalrymple 2011–2014. Appointed District Court Judge, Southeast Judicial District, 2014–2016; elected to the Supreme Court in 2016.

Membership and Committees

Chair of the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference. Vice-Chair, North Dakota Uniform Law Commission; commissioner since 2015. Chair of the Judicial Conference Standing Committee on Legislation, Committee on Tribal and State Court Affairs, Judiciary Standards Committee, Interdisciplinary Specialized Docket Committee, Website Workgroup, and Task Force on Lawyer Licensing and Alternative Legal Practice. Member of the Judicial Education Commission. Past chair of the Court Technology Committee. Past member of the Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, Joint Committee on Attorney Standards, Judicial Nominating Committee, Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee, and Personnel Policy Board.

Rodel Judicial Fellow Class of 2025, Rodel Institute. Board member, The Study (formerly Humanities North Dakota).

Publications

The North Dakota Constitution: An Original Approach Since 1889, 95 N.D. L. Rev. 417 (2020).