Hon. John C. Irby is a judge for the East Central Judicial District of North Dakota. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor John Hoeven in 2002.
The East Central Judicial District includes Cass, Steele, and Traill Counties.
During his judicial tenure, Irby has served as Presiding Judge for the East Central Judicial District, having been elected to the post in 2021.
Prior to his appointment, he was an attorney at Burgum & Kirby, P.C. (1982 to 2002) and served as the city prosecutor and assistant city attorney in Casselton (1982 to 2002).
Irby received a B.A. from Moorhead State University in 1978. He went on to complete a J.D. at the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1981. While a law student, Irby was an intern at the Legal Services for Southeastern Wyoming, Inc. (1980).
He was admitted to practice in Minnesota (1981) and North Dakota (1982).
Irby attended Falls Senior High School in International Falls, Minnesota. He and his wife, Janice, have two children.