Excellence at Work: Celebrating the Class of 2025
In the stories to follow, four alumni of the Class of 2025 reflect on their time at USD.
Honorable and Opportune Path to Legal Scholarship
Jakob Lund, J.D. ’25, is the first USD Knudson School of Law graduate to have participated in the Northern State University Honors Law Opportunity Program.
Lund left Kansas City, Missouri, his hometown, to attend NSU. The university, located in Aberdeen, South Dakota, partners with USD’s law school through the program to provide five guaranteed admission spots to selected honors students upon completion of their undergraduate degree. The program is open to any NSU honors student regardless of their current field of study.
Throughout his academic studies, Lund was motivated by a love for debate and advocacy. The two passions, he says, explain why he always wanted to go to law school.
“It is a combination of debate and then reading books about topics like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X,” said Lund. “Reading those advocacy type books built my passion for wanting to do a job where I can help people, and I think law school is the perfect opportunity to do that.”
Lund’s perfect opportunity became more accessible when the director of the NSU Honors program, Krisiti Bockorny, Ph.D., introduced him to HLOP. Being accepted to the program meant Lund would attend USD’s Knudson School of Law.
Once at USD’s law school, he appreciated the low student-to-faculty ratio and the opportunity to connect with professors.
“The faculty really care, and I don’t think you can get that anywhere else,” said Lund. “It is more enjoyable to be able to come into a classroom where your professor takes the time to talk to you.”
Lund identified several moments at the USD Knudson School of Law that he found particularly impactful: taking the Trial Tech course taught by Professor Laura Rose, J.D., during his second year of law school; discussing philosophy behind the law with Professor Tyler Moore, J.D.; and receiving insight from Professor Emeritus Frank Pommersheim, J.D.
Lund spent his time at USD exploring and establishing a personal value system, and he recommends aspiring lawyers do the same.
“In my first year, Professor Pommersheim asked us, ‘What is justice?’ Asking questions like these helped me find my foundation,” said Lund. “Take time to answer these questions, and determine why you want to be a lawyer.”
After graduation, Lund is staying in South Dakota to be near his fiancee, Alexandria Arndt, as she finishes her third year at USD’s Knudson School of Law. In accordance with his passions for advocacy and debate, especially in a courtroom setting, Lund is pursuing a career in trial work.
Honored to Practice
Cortni Bowman, J.D. ’25, is proud to say her three children witnessed her graduate with a law degree last May.
“As a non-traditional student, I was worried about studying while having three children at home,” said Bowman. “I worked incredibly hard and it paid off. Excelling in law school and passing the bar are amazing accomplishments, and I hope that others in similar situations have the courage to persevere, just as I did.”
While attending law school, Bowman had access to faculty members who became her mentors.
“I worked closely with Professor [Wendy] Hess, J.D., Professor [Michael] McKey, J.D., and Professor [Marilyn] Trefz, J.D., and their guidance helped me through the stress of law school,” said Bowman. “Professor [Laura] Rose, J.D., pushed me to be a great advocate, not only on the trial team, but for myself as a person.”
Bowman’s favorite memory from her career at the USD Knudson School of Law was gained through participating in the trial team. She received a Best Cross Examination Award during the National Military Justice Competition in Syracuse, New York.
“Bringing that hardware back to South Dakota was the highlight of my law school experience and an accomplishment for which I am extremely proud,” said Bowman.
Looking back on her time at the law school, Bowman was struck by the connectivity that radiates from the small legal school on the Plains.
“I am honored to have witnessed and experienced the strength and compassion of the USD Law community. When I went to my professors with hardships that I was experiencing, they listened and provided guidance and support,” said Bowman.
“With all of the organizations, boards, study groups, even study-carrel neighbors, there is a space in the USD Law community for everyone to feel supported and seen.”
Bowman currently puts her degree to work as an attorney at Crary Huff Law Firm in Sioux City, Iowa. She works in estate planning and trust administration. Having children of her own, Bowman enjoys helping families navigate the intricacies of making plans for the future generation.
Raised for the Law
Vincent Tarallo, J.D. ’25, remembers a childhood where his family prioritized getting involved in their hometown’s local elections. Tarallo says it was that involvement in local politics and a desire to do something for the world around him that convinced him to go to law school.
“Starting with helping my mother pass out campaign materials for our local elections, my family taught me to take civic engagement seriously,” said Tarallo. “Additionally, I wanted a career that didn’t just pay the bills but is one of significance.”
Originally from Melrose Park, Illinois, Tarallo’s first stop on the path to his career was the University of Montana. While there, he earned an undergraduate degree in political science with a minor in business.
Directly following his time in Montana, Tarallo started attending USD’s Knudson School of Law.
Alongside his studies at the law school, he participated in several student organizations: Law Review, Environmental Law Society, Rod and Gun Club, Trial Team and Chess Club. Tarallo describes the recipe for his time in law school as fulfillment with a dash of hard work and long hours.
He says the commitment Dean Neil Fulton, J.D., shows to the Knudson School of Law’s community of excellence, service and leadership shaped his experience.
“He [Fulton] finds the harmony between leader, instructor and colleague, always embodying USD’s community of excellence,” said Tarallo. “I learned that being a professional doesn’t mean you can’t have fun and enjoy life.”
Tarallo graduated from the law school in May of 2025. He now plans to establish a career in litigation and trial work. He says he wants to put the wishes of clients first and go the extra mile to explore the development of the legal profession.
The most important lesson he takes away from USD’s law school is that “being a good lawyer is not about pushing yourself to your absolute limits to achieve perfection all the time.” Instead, Tarallo says, “It is about always putting your best foot forward to gain the best possible outcome.”
Pro-Bono Advocate
Caitlin Hoeffner, J.D. ’25, is passionate about supporting those who cannot afford representation—and she used that passion for good by participating in the Working Out Resolutions For Kids (WORKS) Clinic during her time at USD. The program, coordinated by Professor Marilyn Trefz, J.D., provides free guidance to qualifying individuals filing divorce or custody forms.
Hoeffner assisted several individuals at different WORKS events in the Vermillion, Sioux Falls and Rapid City communities.
“Working directly with individuals seeking divorce and custody assistance allowed me to apply my legal knowledge in real-world situations,” said Hoeffner. “The WORKS Clinic has provided me with hands-on experience that goes beyond traditional classroom learning, and has deepened my commitment to advocating for those in need.”
Hoeffner was recognized with the William F. Day Jr. Law Student Pro Bono Award at the 2025 South Dakota State Bar Convention. The award, which is affectionately known as the Bill Day Award, was created in 2008 to honor South Dakota’s first pro-bono legal coordinator, William F. Day Jr. The recognition acknowledges a recent graduate or current law student whose pro-bono work has made a significant impact on the lives of people in South Dakota.
Hoeffner said she is incredibly honored to be chosen for this award. She believes pro bono work adds value to her career and recommends other legal professionals make it a priority.
“Access to justice is a right that should be available to everyone regardless of their financial status. I encourage everyone to do pro bono work,” said Hoeffner.
After graduation Hoeffner worked a clerkship with the courts of the first circuit. Now, following the bar, she is starting a position with the Austin Law Office in Watertown, South Dakota.
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