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The North Dakota Supreme Court has opened the door for more out-of-state lawyers to represent pipeline protesters in criminal cases.

Citing the potential for delay, the large number of arrests and the "finite judicial resources" to handle the 600-plus cases, the court issued an order Wednesday to lessen the requirements for lawyers from other states who want to represent Dakota Access Pipeline protesters.

"It's a big victory," said Tim Purdon, an attorney with Robins Kaplan and a former U.S. attorney. "They've never done anything like this."

Purdon is one of 10 North Dakota and Minnesota lawyers and organizations, including the state's chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and local attorneys Chad Nodland and Derrick Braaten, who petitioned the court last month to allow out-of-state lawyers to practice more easily. In filings, they said the number of arrests was straining the public defense and private bar resources in the state and putting the protesters' constitutional rights to counsel at risk. They also argued the current process that allows lawyers from other states to practice in North Dakota was cumbersome and problematic.