South Dakota

South Dakota has 66 counties, each with their own trial courts. The Superior Court handles felony criminal cases as well as civil cases with damages exceeding $12,000. The Supreme Court handles all appellate review in the state.

The three largest municipalities are Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Aberdeen.

Any complaints regarding the competency or ethics of your attorney should be made with the State Bar Disciplinary Board. To report a lawyer you must send a signed letter, describing the conduct of the lawyer and mail it to 222 E. Capitol, Pierre, SD, 57501.

Hidden Treasure and Bad Faith Leads to Sanctions

Richard Thomas Robol, Esq., who aided in the recovery of treasure from a shipwreck, has been sanctioned by a District Court in Ohio for engaging in bad faith conduct during related litigation. Robol represented Recovery Limited Partnership (“Recovery”), the organization which discovered the wreck of the S.S. Central America, and recovered vast amounts of gold […]

Indiana Court of Appeals Reverses Dismissal

The Indiana Court of Appeals has reversed the dismissal of a woman’s malpractice complaint against her attorney, finding that the trial court’s Rule 12(b)(6) Order was improper. Elaine Chenore hired Attorney Robert Plantz in July, 2005 to pursue a claim for money damages against William Knight. Chenore was awarded approximately $11,000 in January, 2006. […]

Skadden $35 Million Legal Malpractice Suit

Creditors of a bankrupt conglomerate have sued Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York state court, after allegations that Skadden acted unethically in failing to disclose or obtain waivers for multiple conflicts. The plaintiffs are lenders and private equity funds owed over $90 million, who forced a company, Evergreen International Aviation Inc., to file […]