Second Degree Murder Draws Second Disbarment

Reciprocal disbarment has been imposed by the North Dakota Supreme Court

On January 29, 2025, the Disciplinary Board notified the Supreme Court under N.D.R. Lawyer Discpl. 4.4(D) that it was recommending the reciprocal discipline of Anders L. Odegaard. The record reflects that the State of Minnesota issued Odegaard a disbarment based on violations of Rules 8.4(b) of the Minnesota Rules of Professional conduct for second-degree felony murder.

Odegaard was admitted to practice law in North Dakota on May 1, 2017, and was licensed until December 31, 2022. Odegaard did not pay his license fee for 2023 and has not been licensed since.

Disciplinary Counsel served notice on Odegaard that under N.D.R. Lawyer Discipl. 4.4(B) a certified copy of the order of the Minnesota Supreme Court was received. Odegaard did not dispute the imposition of identical discipline in North Dakota. On March 25, 2025, the Disciplinary Board filed its recommendation that Odegaard be disbarred.

The Court considered the matter, and

ORDERED that Anders L. Odegaard is DISBARRED from the practice of law in North Dakota, effective upon entry of judgment in this matter.

KFGO reported on the crime

 A judge in Northwestern Minnesota has sentenced a former attorney to 18 years in prison for the beating death of his ex-wife.

The sentence, given to 33-year-old Anders Odegaard, was part of a plea agreement between the defense and the Marshall County Attorney’s Office.  Odegaard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the August 2022 death of 31-year-old Carissa Odegaard. In exchange for the guilty plea, a charge of second-degree intentional murder was dismissed.

Two of the couple’s young children witnessed the attack, which happened at Anders Odegaard’s home in Warren. Carissa Odegaard died at at Fargo hospital.

Anders Odegaard was at one time an assistant attorney general in North Dakota as well as a lawyer for the state’s Insurance Department.

Valley News covered the Minnesota disbarment

Anders Odegaard was officially disbarred from the practice of law. The decision came January 2, 2025 — two and a half years after Odegaard murdered his ex-wife in front of their children.

Odegaard was sentenced to 220 months (roughly 18 years) in jail as part of a plea deal after pleading guilty to 2nd degree murder without intent. Under Minnesota law, Odegaard must serve two-thirds of his sentence in prison, which means he could be released after about 11 years.

In August of 2022, Carissa was violently murdered in front of her children. The 31-year-old was holding her youngest child at the time.

During the sentencing hearing, the family let it be known they were unsatisfied with the punishment Odegaard is receiving, noting the young ages the children will be once he is released from prison.

Details were also reported by NBC News.

An 8-year-old who witnessed Tuesday’s deadly assault told officials that his parents had been arguing about whether his mother, Carissa Odegaard, could take the children to church, according to a probable cause statement filed in Minnesota’s 9th Judicial District Court.

Anders Odegaard, 31, did not want her to, the child told authorities, according to the complaint. The child said his parents also fought about his 2-year-old brother, whom his mother was holding during the assault, according to the document

(Mike Frisch)