South Dakota
Serves rural communities in South Dakota
The Rural Attorney Recruitment Program recruits qualified attorneys to practice for five years in rural counties where older attorneys are retiring and there is an absence of individuals to provide legal services. The program connects eligible rural counties and legal employers to attorneys interested in rural practice. Qualified attorneys agree to practice full-time in the county for at least five years and receive incentive payments equal to 90% of the University of South Dakota School of Law’s tuition costs. During those five years, the goal is to ensure the attorney becomes vested in his/her community, increasing the likelihood that the attorney will remain in the rural community after the five years are expired. The stipends provide financial stability as new attorneys establish themselves in the community and address the genuine concern of law school debt. The State Bar, the participating rural county, and the Unified Judicial System split the cost of the incentive payment.