SOUTH DAKOTA

East River Legal Services Corp.

2nd Circuit Bar Assn. Pro Bono Project

335 N. Main Avenue, Suite 300

Sioux Falls, SD 57102-0305

(605) 336-9230

Fax (605) 336-6919

Contact person: Doug Cummings, Director and

Member of Civil Legal

Aid Committee

 

State Bar Staff

Bar Foundation Staff

• Other: Legal Service Corp. Staff

State Support Program

State Support Function

Access to Justice Program

Statewide Direct Delivery

Independent Program

• None of the Above

 

South Dakota's two main pro bono programs operate in Sioux Falls and Rapid City in connection with the regional bar associations. In addition, the University of South Dakota recently created a pro bono project called the R.D. Hurd Volunteer Law Society. Volunteer law students come to the East River Legal Services offices twice a month and participate in cases with supervision. The project is jointly sponsored by the 2nd Circuit Bar Association Pro Bono Program, East River Legal Services Corporation, and the University of South Dakota Law School. The State Bar of South Dakota has a Civil Legal Aid Committee which develops policy for pro bono and legal services.

 

# of Active Lawyers 1,543

# of Lawyers Providing Pro Bono Service 220*

# Pro Bono Programs 4

Poverty Population 106,000

# of Legal Services Programs 3

# of IOLTA Funded Programs n/a

*120 through 2nd Circuit Bar Assn. Pro Bono Project; 100± Pennington County Bar Association

 

1995 Statewide IOLTA Revenue $111,568

Program Budget n/a

Funding n//a

% of Funding paid by the Bar n/a

% of Funding paid by the IOLTA 5%

Other (foundations, bar support, legal services) 95%

 

Ethical Rules & Bar Resolutions

Policy on pro bono

4 state bar resolution

state supreme court ethical rule

rule similar to revised ABA MR 6.1 (includes hours and categories)

4 pre 1993 version of ABA MR 6.1

other rule

Reporting of Pro Bono Activity

mandatory (___ under consideration)

voluntary (___ under consideration)

Activities

Communication

newsletter

media publicity

Recruitment

mass mailings to new admittees

targeted mailings

work with individual law firms

4 bar event presentations

personal contacts/phone calls

phonathons

bar section or committee presentations/projects

Training

sponsor substantive legal training for volunteers

coordinate training programs for legal services providers

publish training materials

Coordination

assist development of local programs

coordinate activities with providers (i.e. training, recruitment)

state pro bono coordinator meeting

liaison with state bar foundation

Technical Assistance

outreach to programs

sponsor state pro bono conference

provide technical assistance to:

law firms

corporate counsel

governmental attorney offices

Recognition

program awards

4 law school sponsored awards

4 local bar sponsored awards

state bar foundation sponsored awards

4 personal letters

magazine/newsletter/newsletter articles

honor roll

4 certificates

CLE vouchers/publications

Case Intake & Referral

4 direct case referrals to volunteers

case referral to pro bono programs

statewide or regional:

centralized intake

hotline

clinics

Legislative Work

involved in legislative advocacy

participate in state planning for legal services and pro bono

Staff State Bar or Access to Justice Committee

pro bono ethics rules/resolutions/reporting

4 delivery of legal services/legal aid

Access to Justice

Other __________

Technology

web site (address __________)

fax referrals