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DPLS BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
DPLS is governed by a 31
member Board of Directors comprised of 22
attorneys and 9 client representatives.
Attorney board members are appointed by various
bar associations and organizations in South
Dakota. Some client representative board
members are elected by residents of their
service area while others are appointed by
programs or organizations doing business in the
Black Hills area of South Dakota. This
combination of elected and appointed members
allows for a diverse board with a wide range of
knowledge, skills, and abilities. In addition
to setting overall program policy, the DPLS
Board of Directors sets priorities and
determines the types of cases that will be
handled by the program, subject to restrictions
set by Congress.
DPLS ADMINISTRATION:
Patrick W. Donovan,
DPLS Executive Director, is a native of Nebraska educated at Kearney State College
('86 BS in Political Science and History) and Creighton University School of Law ('89 JD.)
Licensed in Nebraska (1989) and South Dakota (1991), Pat has practiced law for over 20 years.
His long career in public service began with internships with the Douglas County Attorney's Office
(Nebraska) in 1988 and Legal Services of Council Bluffs (Iowa) in 1989. In addition to 11 years of private practice,
he has served as both a state and tribal public defender and as judge or appellate justice for the Rosebud, Crow Creek,
Lower Brule and Oglala Sioux Tribes. This experience, along with the 5 years he served as a staff attorney at
Dakota Plains Legal Services, makes him an effective team leader and uniquely qualified to be the program's Executive Director.
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