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Pursue Your Dream Career
Lawyers uphold important roles in our society, serving as leaders who can problem solve, uphold justice and serve with integrity. The legal system needs capable, grounded professionals who think creatively, analyze critically, write and speak clearly and understand the society in which they practice.
As a law student at USD, you'll receive a high-quality education that will set you up for success in the legal profession. Here you'll find that your legal education extends far beyond the textbook and exam preparation; you'll have opportunities to participate in national courtroom competitions, observe the South Dakota Supreme Court in action and gain early practice in law. Your education will be tailored to your unique interests and career aspirations, with eleven unique course tracks to choose from. And we've make our J.D. degree affordable, meaning you're getting a world-class education from a leading, flagship university while paying only a fraction of the tuition cost you might pay at other schools.
Follow your passion and join a nationally-recognized law program at the USD Knudson School of Law.
Student Opportunities
USD is home to more than 170 student organizations, including several that are housed in the Knudson School of Law. You may be interested in creating projects and hosting outreach opportunities to make friends, develop new skills and further prepare for your unique career path.
Build your negotiating skills and face off against other colleges with the Alternative Dispute Resolution Board. You'll get experience practicing law in a controlled environment, as well as network with other law students and attorneys.
The USD Law Alternative Dispute Resolution Board provides its members practical legal experience competing in four types of interscholastic competitions: Negotiation, Arbitration, Mediation, and Client Counseling. With the vast majority of civil cases settling out of court, the ADR Board provides students the opportunity to gain highly relevant experience and develop interpersonal skills as they compete against top-performing law schools across the country. Board members also earn academic credits for their competition activities.
The board is comprised of 12 outstanding students, six 2Ls and six 3Ls. In the 2017-2018 year, the board had all three of its Client Counseling teams qualify for semi-finals at the regional competition in Omaha, NE, with one team finishing as finalists in the top three. One of the board’s Negotiation teams also finished as a regional finalist, qualifying for the National Competition and placing in the Top 10 at the ABA National Negotiation Competition in Chicago, IL.
The ADR Board also hosts intraschool competitions for 1Ls each semester: Negotiation in the fall, and Client Counseling in the spring. These competitions allow 1Ls to gain experiential learning and refine their skills in front of some of the state’s most prominent attorneys. To be eligible for membership, all interested first-year law students must participate in at least one of ADR intraschool competitions.
Join your fellow graduate and professional students at USD. We aim to build a sense of community between graduate and professional students. Build your resume, network with others and gain experience and the unique opportunity to represent the interests of graduate students to the greater campus and community.
As a member of the South Dakota Moot Court Board, you'll refine your skills in appellate brief writing and oral advocacy. We offer this opportunity to outstanding second- and third-year students. You'll compete against top-performing law students at tournaments around the country.
Recent teams have placed in the top four in the nation at the prestigious New York City Bar tournament and won the regional American Bar Association moot court competition.
To be eligible for membership, all interested first-year law students must participate in the School of Law's annual Sam Masten Intramural Moot Court Competition. The competition culminates with a final round before a distinguished panel, usually composed of South Dakota Supreme Court justices.
Network with fellow law students and legal professionals through the Student Bar Association.
As part of the Student Bar Association, you’ll have the opportunity to network with law students and legal professionals through social events and year-round programming. You’ll make connections and take advantage of career-building opportunities that will help further your legal career.
Our Student Bar Association is affiliated with the Law Student Division of the American Bar Association. Your involvement means you’ll:
- Advocate for policies in the legal profession
- Provide input on accreditation and academic standards
- Have the chance to serve as delegate to the ABA’s national convention
Members of the Student Bar Association also organize the annual Barrister’s Ball, a semi-formal networking and social event for all law students that celebrates student accomplishments.
Embrace your inner prosecutor by participating in USD's trial team. You'll learn how to present an argument in a trial setting while competing against students from law schools around the country.
As a law student, you'll have opportunities to hone your courtroom presentation skills through our nationally recognized trial team. You'll compete with students from other law schools around the nation and earn credit by participating in tournaments. Our trial team is a popular choice for students seeking courtroom experience - more than 42% of our graduating third-year students competed in at least one national trial competition in 2017-2018.
Our trial team has been selected to compete at the prestigious National Criminal Trial Advocacy Invitational Competition, one of the best trial advocacy programs in the nation that only invites the top trial teams in the country.
Trial team practices in which students are working to perfect their courtroom performance are open to any who wish to come watch. For information on when these practices take place, please contact Professor Laura Rose at [email protected].
Transactional Law Team
The National Transactional Law Meet allows students interested in business law to gain hands-on experience through live, interactive competitions.
Known for Excellence
With affordable tuition, the USD Knudson School of Law is ranked 2nd in Lowest Indebted Student.
USD is home to South Dakota's only law school, and the only J.D. in the State.
