I Need Legal Assistance

Application for Court Appointed Council

If you feel that you are financially unable to afford a lawyer, you may complete the application (linked below), which asks the Court to appoint counsel to represent you. NOTICE: You must be charged with a crime to use this application; the Court will not appoint council to represent you in a civil trial.

Legal Service Providers for Low Income Individuals

East River Legal Services

  • Main Office: 335 N. Main Ave. #300
    Sioux Falls, SD 57102
    Phone: 336-9230
    Toll Free: 1-800-952-3015

Dakota Plains Legal Services


Access to Justice

Access to Justice Client Brochure

Access to Justice Intake Application

Income eligible people may contact:

South Dakota Law Help

SDLawHelp is a consortium of South Dakota legal service providers who are dedicated to helping people in all corners of the state navigate the legal system and provide assistance on matters that can drastically impact their lives. From employment and housing to custody and collections - our organizations believe that legal assistance, education, and access to information are paramount to ensuring equal justice. That is why they developed the SDLawHelp website: https://www.sdlawhelp.org/

USD Legal Helpline

The Legal Form Help Line was set up by the Courts in conjunction with the University of South Dakota Law School, in order to provide assistance with legal forms to individuals who are representing themselves in court (self-represented litigants). The Unified Judicial System (UJS) has developed several different forms for use by self-represented litigants and posted them on this website.

Unified Judicial System Online Forms

If after having read through all the forms and instructions you still have questions, you may call the Legal Form Help Line toll free at 1-855-784-0004. You will be asked to leave a message with your name, phone number, best time of day to reach you, and the type of form you need help with. A law student volunteer will return your call within 2 -3 days. Please remember that the volunteer who will be returning your call is a student, not a lawyer, and can only help you to fill out the forms. They cannot give you legal advice on any form, or help you with forms from any other sources. Please be sure to keep the forms handy as you will need to have them in front of you when the volunteer calls back or they will not be able to help you.
Legal Forms Helpline

ACLU of South Dakota

Mission: The American Civil Liberties Union is a non-profit organization dedicated to working daily in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.

If you feel that your civil rights have been violated, please contact the ACLU to find out if they can provide legal assistance to your case by visiting their website at: http://www.aclusd.org/.

State Bar of South Dakota

Website: http://statebarofsouthdakota.com/
Contact Information: 111 W. Capitol Ave. #1 | Pierre, SD 57501 | Phone: 605-224-7554

Resources

American Bar Association Consumer Guide to Legal Help