United States District Court for the District of the Northern Mariana Islands
About This Court
This federal district court serves the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a United States territory located in the western Pacific Ocean. As a territorial court operating under Article IV of the Constitution as well as Article III authority, it has jurisdiction over federal matters arising within the CNMI, including civil, criminal, and bankruptcy cases. The court sits in Saipan and falls within the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The CNMI's political relationship with the United States is governed by the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America, which shapes the legal framework applicable in this jurisdiction. The court handles matters unique to island territories, including immigration cases under the CNMI's historically distinct immigration system, land ownership disputes tied to local constitutional restrictions, and federal regulatory matters affecting a geographically remote population.
As one of the smallest federal district courts in the country by caseload and judicial resources, the court serves a population of approximately 50,000 people spread across several islands, with the main courthouse located in Saipan.
Proceedings are governed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and Federal Rules of Evidence, along with the court's local rules. Bankruptcy cases are handled by the companion Bankruptcy Court, District of the Northern Mariana Islands. Appeals go to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Caseload
The court handles a notable volume of immigration-related cases reflecting the CNMI's unique transitional immigration status following the application of federal immigration law to the territory in 2009. Land use and property disputes tied to CNMI constitutional restrictions on non-resident land ownership are also characteristic of the docket.
Bar Admission
Attorneys must be admitted to practice before the District Court for the District of the Northern Mariana Islands, which generally requires admission to the bar of a United States jurisdiction and compliance with the court's local rules governing admission.
Clerk's Office
1 Courthouse Way, Saipan, MP 96950
(670) 237-1200
Local Rules
The Local Rules of the United States District Court for the District of the Northern Mariana Islands, which supplement the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. See the court's official website for the authoritative text.