Get Legal Help
A legal proceeding can present significant challenges for individuals, and obtaining legal assistance may be the best step for you to take. Apply for a court appointed attorney in a criminal matter or apply for free or low-cost legal help in a civil matter.
Application for Court-Appointed Attorney
If you feel that you are financially unable to afford a lawyer, you can ask the Court to appoint counsel to represent you in a criminal action by completing one of the applications below. You must be charged with a crime to use one of these applications. The Court will not appoint an attorney to represent you in a civil trial.
Application for Free Legal Help
If you need legal assistance in civil matters, you can apply for free or low-cost legal help in South Dakota. SD Law Help is a website created by three nonprofit legal aid groups serving South Dakota and local Tribal Nations. To apply with SD Law Help:
- Click on the "Apply Here" link below.
- Select the “Apply for Help” box.
- Scroll down and click on the "Start Application" box.
- Once you submit your online application, SD Law Help will automatically forward your application to the most appropriate legal services program based upon the information you provide on the online application.
Apply Here
Your online application will be automatically forwarded to one of the following legal services programs in South Dakota:
East River Legal Services
335 North Main Avenue #300
Sioux Falls, SD 57102
(605) 336-9230 or toll-free 800-952-3015
Dakota Plains Legal Services
Main Office: 160 2nd Street
Mission, SD 57555
Access to Justice
111 West Capitol Avenue #1
Pierre, SD 57501
Justice Bus
The Justice Bus is South Dakota's first mobile legal aid office. Legal aid attorneys with Dakota Plains Legal Services offer free legal services to the communities the Justice Bus visits. (Eligibility requirements apply.) The Justice Bus will be at the following locations:
Gettysburg: Thursday, June 26, 2025, 2-4 p.m. CDT, Potter County Courthouse, 201 S. Exene St.
Dupree: Friday, June 27, 2025, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. MDT, Ziebach County Courthouse, 215 S. Main St.
Legal Form Help Line
The UJS has developed several forms for use by self-represented litigants. UJS provides a Legal Form Help Line to answer questions about or help people complete UJS forms. This service cannot provide legal advice but can answer form-related questions.
Call 1-855-784-0004 or click the link below to submit a question to the UJS Legal Form Help Line.
South Dakota Office of Indigent Legal Services
The South Dakota Office of Indigent Legal Services is a statewide agency responsible for managing indigent defense services in the state's court system. The office provides indigent representation services in appeals of cases involving a crime, habeas corpus, or abuse or neglect of a child.
South Dakota Office of Indigent Legal Services
PO Box 88237, Sioux Falls, SD 57109
Phone: 605-362-2759
Email: christopher.miles@state.sd.us
Additional Legal Resources
Related Legal Help Topics
Family Law Help
Family law relates to family relationships. This includes laws about adoption, child abuse and neglect, child custody, child support, parenting, divorce and marriage.
Civil Law Help
Get informed on civil law procedures in South Dakota, from subpoenas and evictions to name changes, housing law and protection orders. Prepare effectively for your court appearances.
Criminal Law Help
Criminal law defines actions that are threatening, harmful, or endangering to the property, health, safety, and moral welfare of people. It also includes the punishment of people who violate criminal laws.