Pete Heidepriem Joins Knudson School of Law as Professor of Indian Law
“I’m thrilled to join the community at USD Knudson School of Law,” said Heidepriem. “The people I’ve met have been welcoming and the keen sense of collegiality stuck with me. It seems like the ideal environment for teaching the law. It is truly an honor to be a trusted voice on federal Indian law, a field that is centrally important to USD Knudson School of Law and South Dakota.”
Heidepriem, who has been an adjunct professor at the law school since 2022, brings a decade’s worth of law of experience to his new role. He also holds an undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science from Arizona State University and earned his Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.
Most recently, he worked in private practice in his hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. His scholarship focuses on topics related to Indigenous peoples, Tribal Courts and federal Indian Law. For Heidepreim, practicing federal Indian law is both a professional and personal joy.
“Federal Indian law went from an interest to a passion because of my work in the Rapid City chambers of Federal District Court Judge Jeffrey Viken. Many of the cases before Judge Viken arose from reservations, and I immersed myself in the background legal doctrines. I saw how careful attention to this field of law could make a concrete difference in people’s lives,” said Heidepriem. “Judge Viken introduced me to people in communities on Pine Ridge and brought me to cultural events throughout the Black Hills. For me, this made practicing federal Indian law a personal experience because I would get to know people in new towns throughout the state.”
Throughout his career, he has given several expert presentations on both federal Indian law and medical negligence law. Whether teaching in a presentation hall, on a podcast or in a classroom Heidepriem believes in the power of minds coming together to explore complicated topics.
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