USD Knudson School of Law Alumni Honored With 2026 Unleash Your Legacy Awards
Rachelle Norberg, J.D. ’18, B.S. ’15 received the Young Alumni Award, while Pierce H. McDowell III, J.D. ’83, was honored with the prestigious USD Legacy Award.
Presented annually by the USD Foundation & Alumni Association, the Unleash Your Legacy Alumni Achievement Awards recognize graduates whose achievements exemplify the values of the University of South Dakota. The Young Alumni Award recognizes graduates who have achieved outstanding success early in their careers while the Legacy Award honors alumni with years of admirable work.
Rachelle Norberg: Strengthening Rural South Dakota Through Law
For Norberg, returning home was never just a career decision. It was a commitment to the community that helped shape her.
A fifth-generation farm kid from Burke, South Dakota, Norberg earned bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science from USD in 2015 before graduating from the USD Knudson School of Law in 2018. Through South Dakota’s Rural Attorney Recruitment Program, she returned to south-central South Dakota, where she now serves Burke and surrounding communities as a general practice attorney and title abstracter.
Norberg has become a leading advocate for rural legal services across the state. In 2025, she was appointed co-chair of the State Bar of South Dakota’s Project Rural Practice Committee, helping advance efforts to address attorney shortages and expand access to legal representation in rural communities.
“I get to help people, many of whom I have known my whole life, every day with very real and important issues while also contributing to my community,” said Norberg. “It is extremely humbling to receive the Young Alumni Award, knowing just how many extraordinary alumni come from USD. I think I am a great testament to the impact young alumni can have in unintentional ways.”
Norberg’s plans for the future include expanding her private practice and continuing to support Project Rural Practice and the Rural Attorney Recruitment Program.
“I hope to continue the great work that has been done to address the need for legal services in rural communities across the state and continue to help make South Dakota a great place to live, work and grow,” said Norberg.
Pierce H. McDowell III: A Lasting Legacy in Trust Law
Throughout his career, Pierce H. McDowell III has played a pivotal role in shaping South Dakota’s reputation as one of the nation’s premier trust jurisdictions. It is his contributions to the legal profession and the state’s trust industry that earned him the 2026 USD Legacy Award.
After earning a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and then his Juris Doctor from the USD Knudson School of Law in 1983, McDowell built a distinguished career in trust and estate planning. He served on numerous nonprofit boards and State Bar committees and was a founding member of South Dakota’s Governor’s Trust Task Force.
McDowell previously served as co-founder and president/chief trust officer of Citicorp Trust South Dakota and practiced law with Woods, Fuller, Shultz and Smith in Sioux Falls. Throughout his career, he held key trust administration and business development roles while helping establish South Dakota as a national leader in trust services.
He later co-founded South Dakota Trust Company, serving as co-chairman and co-chief executive officer until his retirement. Following the company’s 2023 merger with Jersey Trust Company, the organization became South Dakota Trust Company, part of a national independent trust company administering more than $220 billion in assets.
McDowell is widely recognized as a national authority on trust law. However, he remembers a very different time at the start of his law school career, when he would never have imagined receiving an award from the university.
“Professor Driscoll taught the torts class, and he was the epitome of the Socratic method teacher. My first week of law school he called on me before he even reached the podium, and I froze because no one in my life had ever called me Mr. McDowell before that day,” said McDowell. “I've met great people and been great places. My focus now is about coming home, so to speak, and continuing to impress tine importance of education and philanthropy.”
The recognition of both Norberg and McDowell highlights the impact of USD law graduates across generations. From strengthening rural communities through direct legal service to shaping trust law on a national scale, both alumni exemplify the leadership, service and professional excellence fostered by the USD Knudson School of Law.
You can read about all of the 2026 Alumni Achievement Award recipients on the USD Foundation & Alumni Association website.
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