SB 2233 Summary

• North Dakota Supreme Court may establish a program to assist rural counties and municipalities in recruiting attorneys through incentive payments and recruitment assistance

• Counties with populations of 16,000 or fewer and municipalities with populations of 5,000 or fewer are eligible to participate if approved by the Supreme Court and agree to fund their portion of costs

• Participating attorneys receive $45,000 in incentive payments over five years ($9,000 annually) and must practice full-time in the selected county or municipality for at least five consecutive years; maximum of four attorneys may participate at any time

• Funding is split among the participating county or municipality (35%), state bar associations or legal foundations (15%), and state appropriation (50%), with an Attorney Recruitment Assistance Program Fund established for continuing appropriation to the judicial branch

• Supreme Court must submit annual reports by July 1st to legislative management; attorneys who breach their agreements must repay all funds received and face potential discipline by the Supreme Court