Students in the Public Service Pathways Pilot Program Complete First Semester
PSP is designed to encourage South Dakota’s future legal leaders to pursue careers in public service. That could mean becoming anything from a public defender to the attorney general. The program fosters connections between practicing attorneys and USD’s law students.
“It’s very gratifying to see students choose public service and practitioners invest in the next generation of lawyers,” said Neil Fulton, J.D., dean of USD Knudson School of Law. “I am very excited about the progress of the first PSP cohort.”
For some students like Karli Viher, who through PSP spent the fall semester in Rapid City, the experience garnered new levels of enthusiasm for their chosen field.
“One of the greatest impacts of this program is the clarity it has given me. Doing this work is exactly where I belong,” said Viher. “It is difficult to single out just one highlight, but delivering the opening statement in a murder jury trial stands out as a defining moment. Having the opportunity to participate in a case of this magnitude so early in my career is something that will continue to motivate and shape me as a prosecutor for years to come.”
The 2025 PSP Cohort members were placed in the following legal offices:
- Minnehaha County State’s Attorney’s Office
- Minnehaha County Public Defender’s Office
- Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office
- Brown County State’s Attorney’s Office
- Federal Public Defender’s Office
PSP is a partnership among public service offices, the South Dakota Board of Bar Examiners and the Knudson School of Law. The program is a great investment in the education of lawyers to represent the people of the state of South Dakota.
“If I am a person on the street, to me, this program means I have more and better prepared lawyers working on my behalf and on the behalf of all the citizens of South Dakota,” said Dean Fulton. “Lawyers involved in public service are the people’s lawyers.”
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