If the Supreme Court shall find that the applicant is of good moral character and otherwise qualified to practice law, the Court may make an order of admission to be effective upon the filing of the oath of attorney in the office of the clerk.

The admission to practice under this section shall remain in effect until the occurrence of the earliest of the following events:

Terms Used In South Dakota Codified Laws 16-16-7.3

  • Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.

(1) The failure to sit for the first bar examination administered by the Board of Bar Examiners subsequent to the order of admission; or

(2) The announcement by the Board of Bar Examiners of this state of the results of the first bar examination following the applicant’s admission under this section, provided, however, that as to any applicant who passes such examination his or her admission under this section shall continue in effect for sixty days, during which time applicant may proceed to be admitted to practice pursuant to § 16-16-17; or

(3) The termination of the applicant’s employment with the legal aid bureau or public defender agency under which the applicant was admitted under this section; or

(4) The termination by the Supreme Court of the applicant’s admission under this section.

It shall be the duty of the supervising attorney of the legal aid bureau or public defender agency by whom such attorney is employed under § 16-16-7.2 to inform the Supreme Court immediately of the termination of employment of such attorney admitted to practice pursuant to this section.

For the purpose of subdivisions (1) and (2) above, the bar examination referred to means the combined Multistate Essay Examination which includes an Indian Law question, and Multistate Performance Test, and the Multistate Bar Examination administered by the Board of Bar Examiners as well as the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination.

Source: Supreme Court Rule 76-6; Supreme Court Rule 80-5; Supreme Court Rule 84-3; SL 1998, ch 312; SL 2014, ch 264 (Supreme Court Rule 14-05), eff. July 1, 2014.