State Bar Of South Dakota
The State Bar of South Dakota is a mandatory, non-profit professional membership organization serving every attorney licensed in South Dakota. It administers attorney discipline, ethics guidance, continuing legal education, and access-to-justice programs under South Dakota Supreme Court oversight.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1931
- HeadquartersPierre, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What State Bar Of South Dakota does
The State Bar of South Dakota is a non-profit, mandatory professional membership organization established in 1931 and headquartered in Pierre, South Dakota. It serves every attorney licensed to practice in the state, operating under the supervision of the South Dakota Supreme Court to administer attorney admission, enforce professional conduct rules, and provide continuing legal education. The organization is governed by a Bar Commission with elected officers representing the state's seven judicial circuits, and it runs the formal lawyer and judicial discipline system through a Disciplinary Board and the Judicial Qualifications Commission.
Its core service portfolio spans member services (a GrowthZone-powered member portal with event calendar, career center, and CLE video library), regulatory functions (ethics opinions archived from 1986 to 2025, disciplinary administration), public service programs (Ask-A-Lawyer answering over 800 calls annually, Veterans Legal Clinics, Project Destination tribal outreach, Disaster Legal Services Hotline, Teen Court, Law Day), and access-to-justice initiatives (Access to Justice Inc., SD Free Legal Answers, Project Rural Practice). The technology stack is modest: a public WordPress-style website on GrowthZone CMS, a member portal at members.statebarofsouthdakota.com, YouTube for CLE distribution, and Facebook/Twitter for public engagement.
The revenue model rests on mandatory annual attorney membership dues as the primary stream, supplemented by CLE program registration fees and affiliate referral income from a curated set of endorsed vendor partners (ALPS Insurance, LawPay, Clio, vLexFastcase, Identillect, Lexology, InfotechSD). The affiliated South Dakota Bar Foundation operates as a separate nonprofit supporting charitable and access-to-justice programs. Geographic scope is strictly limited to South Dakota, including service to the state's nine tribal reservations, and there are no subsidiaries, acquisitions, or external investment vehicles.
State Bar Of South Dakota firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- State Bar Of South Dakota
- Legal name
- State Bar of South Dakota
- Website
- https://statebarofsouthdakota.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1931
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The State Bar of South Dakota is a mandatory, non-profit professional membership organization serving every attorney licensed in South Dakota. It administers attorney discipline, ethics guidance, continuing legal education, and access-to-justice programs under South Dakota Supreme Court oversight.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
State Bar Of South Dakota industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Professional Association Services
- NAICS
- Legal Services (5411)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Legal & Compliance (CLE, Paralegal CE) (EDAAALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)
Keywords
Where State Bar Of South Dakota is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pierre
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
State Bar Of South Dakota business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Attorney Membership Dues: Annual membership dues collected from licensed attorneys in South Dakota. Every lawyer in the state pays annual State Bar dues as part of membership, which funds the disciplinary system and bar operations.
- Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Programs: The bar organizes and sponsors CLE programming including an Annual Convention, CLE videos via YouTube, and various educational events. Revenue may be generated through registration fees for these programs.
- Partner Endorsements and Referrals: The bar partners with vendors including ALPS Insurance (malpractice insurance), LawPay (payment processing), vLexFastcase (legal research), Clio (practice management), and others. Some partnerships involve referral arrangements where the bar endorses these services to members.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
State Bar Of South Dakota product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The State Bar of South Dakota is the official professional membership organization for South Dakota attorneys, administering attorney licensure compliance, lawyer discipline, and ethics oversight under the authority of the South Dakota Supreme Court. It provides continuing legal education programs, ethics opinions, a career center, and access to endorsed partner services (malpractice insurance, legal research, practice management), and delivers public-facing services including access-to-justice programs, free legal answers, and public legal resources.
Product overview
The State Bar of South Dakota is a professional association for lawyers that provides member services, regulatory functions, and public legal resources. Its core offerings include a member portal with CLE, career center, and event management; ethics guidance through published opinions; access to justice programs (A2J, SD Free Legal Answers); public service initiatives (Ask-A-Lawyer, Veterans Clinics, Project Destination); and lawyer/judicial discipline oversight. The organization also provides legal resources, court information, and rural attorney recruitment programs. The portfolio is primarily service-based rather than software product-based.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Access to Justice, Inc. Non-profit legal services program providing free and reduced-rate civil legal assistance to income-eligible persons in South Dakota
Products and services
- Member Services Portal
Companies that use State Bar Of South Dakota
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
State Bar Of South Dakota technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
State Bar Of South Dakota partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- vLexFastcasecoreLegal research partnership providing bar members with access to vLexFastcase legal research tools. Displayed as a State Bar Partner on the bar website.
- ALPS InsurancecoreEndorsed malpractice insurance provider for South Dakota attorneys. The bar recommends ALPS Insurance to members for professional liability coverage.
- LawPaycoreEndorsed payment processing solution for law firms. LawPay partners with the State Bar to offer member discounts on payment processing services.
- CliocorePractice management software partnership. Clio partners with the State Bar to offer members discounted access to cloud-based legal practice management tools.
- GrowthZonecoreWebsite platform provider contracted by the State Bar to power the SDBAR website and member portal. GrowthZone provides the underlying CMS and membership management software.
- Access to Justice, Inc.coreNon-profit legal services program formed by the State Bar to provide pro bono and reduced-rate legal assistance to income-eligible South Dakota residents. The bar oversees and supports this access to justice initiative.
- American Bar Association Young Lawyers DivisionmajorFEMA-funded Disaster Legal Services Hotline program. ABA YLD collaborates with state bars to recruit volunteers for disaster legal assistance when the President declares a major disaster.
- University of South Dakota School of LawmajorVLEG (Veterans Legal Education Group) hosts legal clinics for veterans with support from the SD Young Lawyers Section and State Bar Veterans Committee. USD law students assist with clinic operations.
- South Dakota Bar FoundationcoreThe bar's affiliated charitable arm supporting access to justice initiatives, public legal education, and law-related community programs in South Dakota.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
State Bar Of South Dakota competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- State Bar of California: Mandatory state bar association with comparable functions: attorney admission, discipline, CLE, ethics opinions, and member services. Most directly comparable peer in terms of regulatory mandate and service portfolio.
- New York State Bar Association: Voluntary state bar association offering member CLE, ethics, sections, and publications. Comparable member-service orientation though not mandatory in NY.
- Florida Bar: Mandatory state bar with similar regulatory, disciplinary, CLE, and member service functions. Directly comparable peer for benchmarking dues, programs, and operational scope.
- Illinois State Bar Association: Voluntary state bar offering CLE, practice resources, ethics guidance, and public service. Comparable member-service catalog and revenue model.
- State Bar of Texas: Mandatory state bar that performs parallel functions: attorney discipline, MCLE administration, ethics opinions, and member programs. Closely comparable in mandate and service mix.
- State Bar of North Dakota: Mandatory state bar serving North Dakota attorneys; comparable size, geography, and rural-market context. Closest like-for-like peer for benchmarking.
Broad incumbents
- American Bar Association: National voluntary bar that sets model rules, accredits law schools, and publishes CLE. Operates across all states; serves as the broader umbrella organization for state bars.
- Federal Bar Association: National organization for federal practitioners offering CLE and networking. Comparable CLE and member-service functions but focused on federal practice rather than state regulation.
Others
- South Dakota Bar Foundation: Affiliated charitable nonprofit supporting access-to-justice programs in South Dakota. Operates alongside the State Bar with closely related mission and overlapping leadership.
Regional players
- State Bar of Wisconsin: Mandatory state bar serving Wisconsin lawyers with parallel CLE, discipline, and member service functions. Strong regional comparable for a small Midwestern state bar like South Dakota.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
State Bar Of South Dakota social profiles
Digital presenceState Bar Of South Dakota financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
State Bar Of South Dakota leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
State Bar Of South Dakota subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
State Bar Of South Dakota funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
State Bar Of South Dakota M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about State Bar Of South Dakota
What does State Bar Of South Dakota do?
The State Bar of South Dakota is the official professional membership organization for South Dakota attorneys, administering attorney licensure compliance, lawyer discipline, and ethics oversight under the authority of the South Dakota Supreme Court. It provides continuing legal education programs, ethics opinions, a career center, and access to endorsed partner services (malpractice insurance, legal research, practice management), and delivers public-facing services including access-to-justice programs, free legal answers, and public legal resources.
Is State Bar Of South Dakota a public or private company?
State Bar Of South Dakota is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was State Bar Of South Dakota founded?
State Bar Of South Dakota was founded in 1931. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is State Bar Of South Dakota based?
State Bar Of South Dakota is headquartered in Pierre, United States, in the North America region.
How does State Bar Of South Dakota make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Attorney Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are continuing Legal Education (CLE) Programs and partner Endorsements and Referrals.
Who are State Bar Of South Dakota's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are State Bar of California, New York State Bar Association, Florida Bar, Illinois State Bar Association, State Bar of Texas and State Bar of North Dakota. Broad incumbents are American Bar Association and Federal Bar Association. South Dakota Bar Foundation is listed as an others. State Bar of Wisconsin is listed as a regional player.
Does State Bar Of South Dakota have an API?
No public API is recorded for State Bar Of South Dakota.
What industry is State Bar Of South Dakota in?
State Bar Of South Dakota's product category is Legal Professional Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAALAB, Legal & Compliance (CLE, Paralegal CE), with a secondary code of BPAGAEAM, Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services. Its NAICS code is 5411 and its SIC code is 8600.