North Dakota – Gov. Kelly Armstrong has appointed Minot attorney Steven Lautt to fill an open judgeship in the North Central Judicial District, which includes Burke, Mountrail, and Ward counties. Lautt’s appointment becomes effective August 4 and follows the retirement of longtime District Judge Douglas Mattson on June 1.

Lautt, a Minot native, has been practicing law with the Minot firm Pringle & Herigstad since 2012, where he is a shareholder. His legal experience spans a broad spectrum of civil litigation, including collections, foreclosures, forcible detainers, and more complex matters involving construction, oil and gas, commercial disputes, personal injury, and real property law.

Beyond private practice, Lautt also serves as general counsel to several regional agricultural and telecommunications cooperatives, as well as a statewide nonprofit. He holds leadership roles in several legal and community organizations, currently serving as president of the North Dakota Association for Justice and as a board member for the Northern Plains Children’s Advocacy Center in Minot. He previously served as president of the Ward County Bar Association.

Lautt earned his undergraduate degree from Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas, and received his law degree from Washburn University School of Law in Topeka in 2012. Before attending law school, he worked in Washington, D.C., as a committee staffer for U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith.

Lautt was selected from a list of three finalists considered for the judicial position, which is chambered in Minot. His appointment marks a new chapter for the North Central Judicial District, following Judge Mattson’s more than two decades of service on the bench.