South Dakota

As new licensure pathways crop up, how are they doing?

New pathways to licensure are having a moment. In the past two years, several jurisdictions have approved methods of licensure that put less emphasis on tests or memorization and more weight on practical skills learned on the job while earning a paycheck. A few others are formally considering similar moves. But for those up and running, how’s it going?

Mar 12, 2026 12:08 PM CDT

Professor in court fight over Charlie Kirk post is temporarily reinstated

A federal court on Wednesday temporarily reinstated a University of South Dakota professor who was put on administrative leave after making negative comments on social media about Charlie Kirk on the same day that the conservative activist was shot.

Sep 25, 2025 10:53 AM CDT

8th Circuit blocks ‘backup theory’ for enforcing Voting Rights Act, leaving private plaintiffs without recourse

A federal appeals court in St. Louis has blocked an alternate path for private plaintiffs in seven states to sue to enforce racial-discrimination protections in Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

May 19, 2025 11:48 AM CDT

South Dakota approves public service pathway to bar

The South Dakota Supreme Court has approved a new pathway to licensure that allows law students to perform 500 hours of supervised public service as an alternative to taking the bar exam.

Feb 27, 2025 11:10 AM CST

Both Dakotas consider widely different public service options to bar exam, law school

In efforts to ease the shortage of lawyers in rural areas, North and South Dakota are each considering public service options that impact bar admission, though each offers very different requirements—including whether going to law school is necessary.

Jan 28, 2025 3:54 PM CST

25 federal district courts have always had white judges

Twenty-five out of 94 federal district courts have never had a judge of color, according to a Bloomberg Law analysis.

Sep 5, 2023 12:36 PM CDT

3M faces trial over ‘forever chemicals’ in firefighting foam in ‘bet-the-company’ litigation

3M faces its first trial out of about 4,000 lawsuits claiming that its cancer-linked “forever chemicals” known as PFAs have leached into groundwater.

Jun 2, 2023 10:47 AM CDT

What are abortion trigger laws, and where do they stand?

Less than a week after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, more than a dozen states have already or plan to soon ban abortion in most cases. Here’s what we know so far about where abortion bans stand in these 13 states and in other states that have laws targeting the procedure.

Jun 30, 2022 2:52 PM CDT

State attorney general is convicted in impeachment trial that cited differing accounts of fatal crash

South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg has been convicted and removed from current and future office in an impeachment trial stemming from a fatal crash.

Jun 22, 2022 8:59 AM CDT

Panel attorneys who represent children, indigent adults in New York courts flee low pay

Panel attorneys who represent children and indigent adults in New York family and criminal courts haven’t had a fee hike in almost two decades.

May 3, 2022 8:43 AM CDT

South Dakota attorney general is impeached over fatal car crash

The South Dakota House of Representatives impeached the state attorney general by a 36-31 vote Tuesday in response to a September 2020 car crash in which he killed a pedestrian.

Apr 12, 2022 4:13 PM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Trump sued by Capitol officers; state AG pleads no contest in fatal crash

Capitol officers sue Trump, far-right groups Seven Capitol police officers have sued former President Donald Trump, far-right groups, Stop the Steal rally organizers and others. The Aug. 26 lawsuit alleges violation of the Ku Klux Klan Act, which allows civil suits against those who conspire to use “force, intimidation or…

Aug 27, 2021 2:45 PM CDT

Judge pursues criminal charges against 3 US marshals after underling won’t disclose COVID-19 vaccination status

A federal judge in South Dakota has said three supervisory U.S. marshals will face criminal charges after an underling refused to disclose her COVID-19 vaccination status and left the courthouse with three defendants scheduled for court hearings.

Jun 15, 2021 10:16 AM CDT

State AG faces impeachment for fatal car crash; ‘his face came through your windshield,’ cop says

South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg is refusing to resign as lawmakers begin impeachment proceedings against him for a fatal car crash that killed a pedestrian.

Feb 25, 2021 9:45 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Gunman had file on SCOTUS justice, judge says; state AG charged in fatal crash

Gunman apparently targeted this SCOTUS justice, judge says Lawyer Roy Den Hollander, the gunman who killed the son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas of the District of New Jersey, was apparently targeting U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Salas told CBS News’ 60 Minutes. After Hollander killed himself, authorities…

Feb 19, 2021 4:02 PM CST