Judith Knittle Meierhenry

Judith Meierhenry

South Dakota was the last state in America to appoint a woman on its state Supreme Court. Justice Judith Meierhenry was that woman. Judith was appointed in 1979, by Governor Bill Janklow, to serve in the State Economic Opportunity Office. She had received her Juris Doctor from the USD School of Law in 1977, and her star was quickly on the rise. In 1980 she became state Secretary of Labor, and in 1983 she became state Secretary of Education and Cultural Affairs, then stepped into the private sector for a few years as assistant general counsel for Citibank South Dakota.

This female phenom would later be appointed a Second Circuit Court judge in 1988 by Governor George Mickelson and in November 2002 Governor Janklow appointed her to the South Dakota Supreme Court. Finally – South Dakota had a woman on the highest bench in the state. It’s no surprise she’s a role model for other women who practice law and for those who aspire to become judges. Now Judith enjoys spending time with her extended family and seeing the world.

Photo credit: Argus Leader Media