BISMARCK — North Dakota Supreme Court Justice Daniel Crothers informed Gov. Kelly Armstrong on Wednesday, Nov. 26, his plans to retire Feb. 28, 2026.

Crothers served 20 years on the high court, having been appointed by then-Gov. John Hoeven. Crothers was elected to a 10-year term on the Supreme Court in 2012 and re-elected to another 10-year term in 2022.

“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,” Armstrong said. “His respect for the litigants who appear before the Supreme Court, as well as the separate-but-equal roles of the executive and legislative branches of state government, have been a hallmark of his years on the bench. I’ve always enjoyed my conversations with Justice Crothers, and I deeply appreciate his commitment to the legal profession and preparing the next generation of lawyers for the future. Kjersti and I wish him all the best in retirement, and on behalf of all North Dakotans, we thank him for his remarkable legacy of service.”

Crothers was born in 1957 and raised in Fargo, American Samoa and Albuquerque, New Mexico. He attended the University of North Dakota, and earned his law degree from the UND School of Law in 1982. Crothers clerked in the New Mexico Court of Appeals from 1982-1983, and was a member and partner with the Nilles Law Firm in Fargo from 1987-2005.

Crothers served as president of the State Bar Association of North Dakota from 2001-2002 and as a member and chair of several as a member and chair of several Bar Association and Court committees relating to lawyer and judicial ethics and professional conduct. He currently serves as chair of North Dakota’s Committee on Judiciary Standards.

Under state law, a Judicial Nominating Committee convened by the governor must forward a list of nominees to Armstrong to fill the Supreme Court vacancy within 60 days of when the committee receives notice that the vacancy exists.

The governor has 30 days to either fill the vacancy by appointing from the list of nominees; return the list of nominees and direct the committee to reconvene; or call for a special election to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term.