Francy Foral
President, Young Lawyers Section
2011-2012

January 2012, President's Message
Happy New Year! January also marks the half-way point in our bar year and I'm amazed by how quickly the time passes.

Over the next six months, the SD YLS will roll out our new public service program, "Choose Law – South Dakota," which will enhance our profession through promoting diversity. This program is in addition to our existing public service programs: Speaker's Bureau, iCivics, and Law Day. Last year the SD YLS received a grant from the ABA to launch "Choose Law – South Dakota," which ties in with State Bar President Goetzinger's "Project Rural Practice." We are currently in the process of designing the literature that we will distribute in high schools and colleges across the state. "Choose Law – South Dakota" follows October's successful member service program, the first annual statewide swearing-in ceremony in the rotunda of our State capitol building, which was also funded in-part by a grant from the ABA.

Although advances have been made in recent years, certain groups and populations continue to be under-represented in the legal profession. The SD YLS is committed to increasing diversity in our profession in South Dakota by assisting and encouraging high school and college students to pursue careers in law. The "Choose Law – South Dakota" project mission is to teach students the importance of the legal profession, focusing on how the law affects all aspects of their lives and how our profession strives to be a positive force in our communities and world.

"Choose Law – South Dakota" will provide information and opportunities to high school and college-aged students who may consider going to law school. The objective is to foster greater professional diversity, as well as civic responsibility and participation, particularly among minorities (most notably Native Americans) and women, with a strong emphasis on addressing the pressing need for legal services in our rural communities.

The SD YLS will also continue to support and advance the Hagemann-Morris Young Lawyer Mentorship Coin Program. We invite all members of the bar to attend the upcoming mentorship coin mixers:

• 2nd Circuit: Wednesday, January 25 at 5:00 p.m. at Tre Lounge, 601 W 33rd Street, Sioux Falls (contact Nicole Anderson, YLS rep.)
• 4th Circuit: Friday, January 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Elks Lodge on Deadwood's Historic Main Street (contact Kasey Sorensen, YLS rep.)
• 7th Circuit: Wednesday, January 18 at 4:00 p.m. at Paddy O'Neil's in the historic Alex Johnson Hotel, downtown Rapid City (contact Jeff Connolly, YLS rep.)

Events in other judicial circuits will be announced soon.

January is a great time to set goals for the New Year. Over the next six months, I will continue to keep you updated on what steps the SD YLS is taking to accomplish its goals through various member and public service projects.
In closing, I thought I'd share some of my professional goals for 2012:

1. Invite a colleague to lunch. Once a month, I plan to ask a colleague to lunch. This is a great way to stay in touch with each other in such a busy profession. It is also a great way to network and get to know others we may not see very often.
2. Improve my writing skills. By studying the lessons of Bryan Garner (I received one of his books for Christmas), I will try to incorporate his advice into my writing. Improving one's writing is a never-ending process.
3. Exercise! While this is another never-ending goal, I will continue to seek a healthy balance between my professional and personal life.
4. Say thank you more. Let me begin here: thank you to each of you who have taken the time to mentor me or offer me advice or assistance.

Wishing you a happy and prosperous 2012,

Francy E. Foral
SD YLS President

A Young Lawyer's Observations on Practicing in Indian Country

Something occurred to me the other day while I was on a desolate - albeit beautiful - stretch of road atop the Red Shirt Table on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation; I drive a lot. Lawyers in South Dakota generally spend a lot of time traveling. Sometimes I think that this state is just too wide. For me, much of my "windshield time" is spent between Rapid City and tribal courts in Rosebud, Eagle Butte, Fort Yates or Pine Ridge. But I can say unequivocally that my experiences in tribal courts has been rewarding and fulfilling.
State Bar President Pat Goetzinger has embraced the concept of promoting legal practice in rural areas. This initiative is important because rural areas are often underserved by the legal community. In rural tribal courts, there are added constraints on legal services. Indian Law is a specialty onto itself and practicing in tribal courts frequently requires additional licensing. I know several wonderful attorney friends who practice in tribal courts and many tribal court systems support dedicated and quality lay-advocate programs, but still there are people who are without legal services through the simple law of scarcity.
For young lawyers this is an opportunity. Becoming licensed in a tribal court exposes a lawyer potential clients in all areas of the law. Frequently, licensure in tribal courts rewards a young lawyer with courtroom time and even appellate practice. Indeed, being active in a tribal bar can open doors for young lawyers. Simply put, an understanding of Indian Law and tribal court systems is becoming more important each year in South Dakota as tribal court jurisdiction expands and tribal courts become increasingly busy. Therefore, I encourage all young lawyers in South Dakota to consider practicing in tribal courts. It's worth the drive!