Northeast Judicial District Judge Laurie Fontaine has announced that she will retire effective January 29, 2021. 

Judge Fontaine is a 1983 University of North Dakota School of Law graduate. She was in private practice from 1983 to 1987, and then served as Pembina County State's Attorney from 1987-98 before being elected as a district court judge in 1998. She was reelected to that position in 2004, 2010, and 2016. She also served as presiding judge of the judicial district from February 1, 2013 through December 31, 2019.  

Following her retirement, she intends to return to the private practice of law.