📢 New in our guest book review series: @haksgaard.bsky.social sky.social on The Farmer's Lawyer: The North Dakota Nine and the Fight to Save the Family Farm by Sarah Vogel — a compelling blend of memoir and legal history from the 1980s farm crisis and Colman v. Block.

Last week the Project and @haksgaard.bsky.social (USD Knudson School of Law) hosted 23 participants from across the US and Australia online for the Fall 2025 Law & Rurality Workshop! Next year, we'll gather in person at USD--stay tuned for more details.

Our latest digest shares @haksgaard.bsky.social & Bryce Drapeaux’s work identifying alarmingly few licensed attorneys who serve Native American communities in South Dakota. Read more on their findings and potential solutions to the access to justice crisis here:

South Dakota Law Review is doing a joint symposium with the Native America Law Student Association on issues related to access to justice in Indian Country. Call for papers is open and the event will be in Vermillion on Sept 29. Please share widely. Details here: www.usd.edu/Academics/Co...

Congratulations to University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law Professor @haksgaard.bsky.social on the publication of her book, “The Rural Lawyer: How To Incentivize Rural Law Practice and Help Small Communities Thrive.” You can check out the book here: buff.ly/v3A25WC

A very thoughtful take on the rural lawyer issue. This captures quite a bit of what I keep trying to say: abovethelaw.com/2025/03/how-...

"Through intimate interviews with program participants, the book is a compelling tribute to rural lawyers and South Dakota’s efforts to ensure its rural communities prosper." The Rural Lawyer by Hannah Haksgaard Coming Soon #LawSky

It is publication day for "The Rural Lawyer"! This book was such a joy to write. This project started with a bunch of roadtrips to rural law offices to interview lawyers. I learned so much about the rural practice of law and am thrilled to share my findings. www.cambridge.org/us/universit...

I just finished this book. Sharing because anyone teaching Family Law should read this. a.co/d/01efJiS

I am thrilled to share that my first book is available for pre-order. The book is based on interviews with new rural lawyers. I focus on what it's like to be a new rural lawyer, how lawyers help rural communities & how incentive programs can help us recruit lawyers. www.amazon.com/Rural-Lawyer...

My most recent article is out in print. It collects data on the location of licensed lawyers in South Dakota's Indian Country. We knew there was a shortage, but wanted to document exactly how bad it is. It's a short article that includes maps! red.library.usd.edu/sdlrev/vol69...

Before we get too far into 2025, let me quick highlight what South Dakota Law Review published in 2024. We publish three issues a year, all available on our online repository: red.library.usd.edu/sdlrev/ 1/4

On the first day of winter, my house smells like roasted winter squash 🤤

I'm catching up on some rural memoirs that have been published in the last few years. So far, mother figures are good at thawing pork chops & dads are good at teaching dimensions of 2x4s. Are these actual universal experiences? Or just universal for folks growing up rural 40 years ago?

I had the opportunity to write a short response to Shelly Kreiczer-Levy’s and Baoshi Wang’s excellent article “The Family of the City, the Family of the Country." Available here: ascl.org/adding-a-con...

Call for papers & art for the University of South Dakota Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies Conference sites.google.com/usd.edu/wgss...

I would like to peruse a few law review special issues that are all about a book. For example, when a law review has a symposium about a book and publishes the essays. Suggestions on special issues like this?

Eking out a few more afternoons of porch reading before it turns cold.

Pruitt, Schwartz, & Sherman on the Rural Attorney Shortage, lsolum.typepad.com/legaltheory/...

A book about solar eclipses published in 1977 that my mom saved references this week’s eclipse. My kids are unimpressed, but I think it’s super cool!

Pumpkins suffering through the first snow.