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Supreme Court Law Library

Learn about the South Dakota Supreme Court Law Library, its collections and hours of operation. The library is open for use by attorneys and the public during regular business hours. 

The South Dakota Supreme Court Law Library is located on the second floor of the State Capitol in Pierre, S.D. The library offers reference services for the Court and its staff. It is open for use by attorneys and the public during regular business hours. 

The library’s collection contains materials and titles related to South Dakota law, including published decisions, codified law, legislative materials, attorney general’s opinions and the South Dakota Law Review. Basic federal resources and several legal treatises are also found in the library.

The law library is a quiet place to conduct research. Users are asked to act in a respectful manner. 

Location and Hours

South Dakota Supreme Court Law Library
500 East Capitol Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT,  Monday through Friday

Brigid Hoffman, Chief of Legal Research
Phone: 605-773-4898

Borrowing Law Library Materials

  • Supreme Court personnel may borrow any book from the library at any time.
  • No other person may remove a book from the library without first obtaining permission from the chief of legal research.
  • Check-out cards with instructions are found throughout the library to document borrowed materials. 

Technology Access

The library has two computers that provide public access to Westlaw. Patrons visiting the library may use these computers for legal research. The library has a third computer with a microfiche/microfilm scanner and software. Patrons may print from this scanner. There is no other public access to a copier or printer. The third library computer also allows access to the electronic Federal Depository Library Program's basic collection through a desktop link.   

Law Library Assistance

The library staff is available to assist individuals outside of the Supreme Court in locating documents from specific citations to law-related materials. Staff may, via email, provide scans of requested materials of reasonable length to patrons outside of the Court.

For those outside the Court, the staff is not authorized to perform legal research, explain what a particular opinion or statute means, or advise a course of action. Staff reserves the right to decline a request from an individual outside of the Court. 

Law Library Authority

The Supreme Court library shall consist of all constitutions, statutes, session laws, court reports, digests, textbooks and other legal publications now owned by the state and under the control of the justices of the Supreme Court, or which may hereafter be acquired by purchase, exchange or otherwise.

The Supreme Court library shall be under the exclusive control and supervision of the justices of the Supreme Court who are hereby authorized to make such rules and regulations regarding its use as they may deem proper. SDCL 16-1-14

Federal Depository Library

As a federal depository library, the Supreme Court Law Library serves the needs of the single U.S. Congressional District that encompasses all of South Dakota. The only other nearby federal depository library is the State Library, also located in Pierre, S.D.

FDLP Basic Collection

Law Library Related Topics

Supreme Court

Meet the South Dakota Supreme Court Justices and access Supreme Court resources, including opinions, term of court, published rules, hearings, summary dispositions and judiciary messages.

Judiciary Messages

Learn about the judiciary's accomplishments, challenges and priorities for the year by viewing or reading the Chief Justice's annual State of the Judiciary message.

UJS News

View press releases from and news about the South Dakota Unified Judicial System.