The Hon. James D. Gion is a judge for the North Dakota Southwest Judicial District. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Jack Dalrymple on November 10, 2015, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Zane Anderson.
The Southwest Judicial District includes Adams County, Billings County, Bowman County, Dunn County, Golden Valley County, Hettinger County, Slope County, and Stark County.
Prior to his appointment, Gion was a sole practitioner in his own private practice, a law firm he opened in 1982. He supplemented his practice with service as the State’s Attorney for Hettinger County (1991 to 2015) and Slope County (2012 to 2015) as well as an assistant state’s attorney for Bowman County and Grant County.
Gion earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Dakota in 1976. He then completed a J.D. at the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1982.
His memberships have included the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives.
A lifelong resident of Hettinger County, Gion attended Regent High School. He and his wife, Susan, have one son.