THE REPORT IS BASED ON A REVIEW OF NORTH DAKOTA'S CONSTITUTION, STATUTES, COURT RULES, ANNUAL COURT REPORTS, AND PROCEDURAL MANUALS. AN OVERVIEW OUTLINES INFORMATION ON COURT STRUCTURE (APPELLATE AND TRIAL COURTS); THE JUDICIARY (QUALIFICATIONS, SELECTION, TERM OF OFFICE, DISCIPLINE, REMOVAL, COMPENSATION, RETIREMENT AGE, CONTINUING EDUCATION, PARAJUDICIAL OFFICERS); ADMINISTRATION AND PROCEDURE (ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY, STATE- AND COURT-LEVEL ADMINISTRATION, POLICYMAKING AND RULEMAKING AUTHORITY, NONJUDICIAL PERSONNEL); FINANCE AND BUDGET (FUNDING, FINES AND FEES, BUDGETING PROCEDURES); AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS (RECORDKEEPING, STATISTICS, DATA PROCESSING). THE DEGREE OF CONFORMITY BETWEEN EACH ASPECT OF COURT OPERATIONS AND THE ABA STANDARDS IS NOTED. CHARTS DEPICT COURT ORGANIZATION (INCLUDING A REORGANIZATION APPROVED BY CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM IN SEPTEMBER 1976), JURISDICTIONS, AND COURT FUNDING SOURCES. THE MAIN BODY OF THE REPORT CONSISTS OF 11 PROFILES COVERING IN DETAIL THE INFORMATION SUMMARIZED IN THE OVERVIEW. THE PROFILES, EACH OF WHICH CONCERNS A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF THE COURT SYSTEM, ARE KEYED TO A CHART INDICATING THE DEGREE OF SIMILARITY BETWEEN NORTH DAKOTA'S COURTS AND EACH ABA STANDARD. A 12TH PROFILE DESCRIBES THE STATE'S COURT REFORM EFFORTS. SOURCE DOCUMENTS ARE LISTED. (LKM)