John has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer
every year since 2003. He is on the teaching staff
at Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College and was
recently honored to be selected to the College’s
board of directors.
John is married to Dee Anne and has two children -
John III “Trey” and Nika. He enjoys biking, hiking,
hunting, ranching and all outdoor activities.
Clint Sargent
practices with the Sioux Falls law firm of
Meierhenry Sargent, LLP. Clint graduated with
honors from the University of South Dakota in 1994
with a B.S.B.A. in Accounting, and received his J.D.
from the University of South Dakota School of Law in
1998. Clint joined the Meierhenry Law Firm
immediately upon graduation from law school where he
practices in the areas of Civil Litigation and
Criminal Defense.
Clint is president of the SDTLA and serves South
Dakota as a Governor for the American Association
for Justice (AAJ). He is also a member of American
Board of Trial Advocates; National Association of
Criminal Defense Lawyers and numerous other
organizations. Clint has been recognized by
American Association for Justice, New Lawyers
Division for his involvement and contributions to
the organization, and in April 2006, was named AAJ
Ambassador of the Month.
Clint and his wife, Larissa, have three children,
Jack, Kate and Gus.
Mike Butler
received a BA from SDSU in 1982 and his JD in 1985
from USD School of Law. He served as a law clerk on
both the South Dakota Supreme Court and Eighth
United States Circuit Court of Appeals for Judge
Roger Wollman. In 1986 he joined the Minnehaha
County Public Defender’s Office.
He went into private practice in 1989 and is now a
solo practitioner located in Sioux Falls with an
emphasis on criminal defense. He was named the SD
Trial lawyer of the Year in 2008.
Patrick Duffy
grew up in Fort Pierre and comes from a family of
six children, three of whom are lawyers (in addition
to his dad). After graduating from Stanley County
High School, he served four years in the United
States Navy, including attendance at the United
States Naval Academy and the Defense Language
Institute. He graduated from SDSU and was a
stockbroker for a number of years before attending
the USD School of Law, where he served as Editor in
Chief of the South Dakota Law Review.
After graduating from law school in
1987, Pat moved to Rapid City where he has practiced
law since. Pat has donated many thousands of hours
on pro bono causes he believes in such as
environmental cases; tried dozens of cases involving
government fossil collection and the T-Rex named
"Sue", ensuring Native Americans enjoy the rights
guaranteed to them under the Voting Rights Act,death
penalty and the rights of employees. He was named
the SD Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2006.
John R. Murphy
received undergraduate degrees in political
philosophy and political science from Syracuse
University in 1986. After serving in the United
States Peace Corps for two years, Mr. Murphy
received his law degree from Georgetown University
in 1992. After receiving his law degree, Mr. Murphy
clerked for the Honorable Donald J. Porter, United
States District Court Judge for the District of
South Dakota. He was then selected as a Skadden
Fellow for a two-year fellowship at Black Hills
Legal Services, where he acted as senior staff
attorney and the director of the Indian Law
Project. In 1995, Mr. Murphy established his
private practice law firm, and he has emphasized
criminal defense since that time. He has authored
two law review articles, Accurate Competency
Determinations Through The Utilization Of Medical
Professionals, and, Conflicts of Interest in
Criminal Representation. Mr. Murphy is a member of
the following organizations: National Association of
Criminal Defense Lawyers; American Bar Association
(Criminal Justice Section); South Dakota State Bar
Association; and, the Black Hills Criminal Defense
Bar.
Sid is married with two grown children and
three grandchildren that continue to need spoiling.
Hon. Bradley G. Zell
hails from watermelon country near Forestburg, SD.
In 1982 he received his B.S. in history and
political science from SDSU and in 1985 his J.D.
from USD. Zell served as a law clerk with the
Seventh Judicial Circuit Court in Rapid City, SD
from 1985-1986. Zell practiced law in the
Heidepriem, Widmayer & Zell law firm in Miller, SD
from 1986 through February of 2003. Zell was
employed for a short time in 2003 as in-house
counsel, senior loan officer, trust officer, and
director at Valley Banks of Sioux Falls, Elk Point,
Jefferson and North Sioux City, SD, before being
appointed to the Second Circuit Court bench by
Governor M. Michael Rounds in June of 2003. Zell
was elected to an eight-year term in 2006 where he
currently serves Lincoln and Minnehaha Counties.
While yet in practice his primary areas of
litigation included product liability, personal
injury, bankruptcy, commercial litigation and
appeals. As a circuit judge Zell has presided over
numerous jury trials including cases involving the
death penalty, condemnation, medical malpractice and
personal injury.
Zell is a member of the State Bar of South Dakota;
U.S. District Court, District of South Dakota; U.S.
Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit; South Dakota
Judge’s Association and the South Dakota Trial
Lawyer's Association. Zell is married to Elaine and
they have four children and 4 grandchildren. |
