Hon. David W. Nelson (Ret.) was a judge for the Northwest Judicial District of North Dakota. He was elected to the bench in 1994. Nelson retired in December 2016.
The Northwest Judicial District includes Divide, McKenzie, and Williams Counties.
Prior to his election, he was in private practice for thirteen years (1981 to 1994) and also sat as a municipal judge (1984 to 1994).
Nelson received a B.A. in social work from the University of North Dakota in 1973. He went on to complete a J.D. at the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1981.
He also attended Wartburg Theological Seminary in 1974.
Nelson was born in Williston, North Dakota. He and his wife, Sherri, have two sons.