Chief Justice
David E. Gilbertson
Chief Justice David E. Gilbertson
Chief Justice Gilbertson was elected to a 4-year term as Chief Justice
by the members of the Supreme Court in September 2001, was re-elected
to a second 4-year term as Chief Justice by the members of the Supreme Court
in June 2005 and a third 4-year term in June 2009. He was appointed
to the Supreme Court in April 1995 to represent the Fifth Supreme
Court District and was retained by the voters in the 1998 general
election and the 2006 general election. Chief Justice Gilbertson
received his undergraduate degree from South Dakota State University
in 1972 and his Juris Doctor from the University of South Dakota,
School of Law in 1975. He engaged in private practice from 1975
until his appointment to the circuit court bench in 1986. During
this time he also served as a deputy state’s attorney and as an
attorney for several municipalities and school districts. He is
past President of the South Dakota Judges Association; and is a
member of the Glacial Lakes Bar Association, the Brown County
Bar Association and the South Dakota Bar Association. He is a
member of the Conference of Chief Justices and chairs its
Committees on Tribal/State Relations and the Task Force on
Politics and Judicial Selection. He was a member of the Board
of Directors of the National Conference of Chief Justices
from 2005-2007. In 2006, he was the recipient of the Distinguished
Service Award from the National Center for State Courts for
his defense of judicial independence. He serves on the Judicial-Bar
Liaison Committee of the State Bar Association and has served as a Court
Counselor at South Dakota Boys State since 1995. Born October 29, 1949,
he and his wife Deborah have four children.
Justice John K. Konenkamp
Justice Konenkamp, born October 20, 1944, represents the First
Supreme Court District, which includes Custer, Lawrence,
Meade and Pennington counties. After serving in the United States
Navy, he attended the University of South Dakota, School of Law,
graduating in 1974. He practiced in Rapid City as a Deputy State’s
Attorney until 1977. He then engaged in private practice until 1984
when he was appointed Circuit Judge. In May 1988, he became Presiding
Judge of the Seventh Circuit. He was appointed to the Supreme Court
in 1994 by former Governor Walter Dale Miller after ten years on the
trial bench and was retained by the
voters in the 1998 and 2006 general elections. He is a member of the
National Advisory Council of the American Judicature Society, an
organization devoted to addressing the problems and concerns of the
justice system. Justice Konenkamp and his wife, Geri, are former
foster parents for the Department of Social Services. Justice Konenkamp
has served on a number of boards advancing the improvement of the legal
system, including the South Dakota Equal Justice Commission and the
Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee.
Justice Konenkamp and his wife have two adult children, Kathryn
and Matthew.
Justice Steven L. Zinter
Justice Zinter, of Pierre, was appointed to the Supreme Court on April 2, 2002.
He received his B.S. degree from the University of South Dakota and his Juris
Doctor from the University of South Dakota School of Law. Upon graduation from
law school, Justice Zinter practiced law as an Assistant Attorney General for
the State of South Dakota. From 1978 to 1986 he was engaged in the private practice
of law. Justice Zinter also served as the Hughes County State’s Attorney.
He was appointed as a Circuit Judge in 1987 and served in that capacity until 1997.
In 1997 he was appointed Presiding Judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit and
served in that capacity until his appointment to the Supreme Court. Justice
Zinter is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar Association,
and the South Dakota Judges Association. He was a past President of the South
Dakota Judges Association and a past member of the Harry S. Truman Foundation
along with a number of other boards and commissions. Justice Zinter and his
wife have two children and two grandchildren.
Justice Glen A. Severson
Justice Severson, born March 9, 1949, represents the Second Supreme
Court District, which includes Minnehaha County. He served in the South Dakota Air National
Guard from 1967-1973. He attended the University of South Dakota
receiving a B.S. in 1972 and the University of South Dakota,
School of Law receiving a Juris Doctor degree in 1975. He was
a member of the Fingerson and Severson Law Firm from 1983 to
1992 and served as the Huron City Attorney from 1977-1992 and
a Beadle County Deputy States Attorney in 1975. He was appointed
a Circuit Judge in the Second Circuit in 1993 and served as Presiding
Judge from 2002 until his appointment to the Supreme Court. Justice
Severson was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2009 after sixteen
years on the trial bench and was retained in the 2012 general election.
He is a member of the American Bar Association,
South Dakota Bar Association and Second Circuit Bar Association.
He was a member of the South Dakota Board of Water and Natural Resources (1986-1992)
and has served on a number of other boards and commissions. Justice
Severson and his wife Mary have two adult children, Thomas and Kathryn.
Justice Wilbur represents the Fourth Supreme Court District,
which includes the counties of Aurora, Bon Homme, Brule, Charles Mix, Clay, Davison, Douglas,
Gregory, Hanson, Hutchinson, Lyman, McCook, Tripp, Turner, Union, Yankton and all but the
Northwest portion of Lincoln County. She attended the University of South Dakota receiving
a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974 and the University of South Dakota, School of Law, receiving
a Juris Doctor degree in 1977. She served as a law clerk for the South Dakota Supreme Court for
Honorable Laurence J. Zastrow; was an assistant Attorney General; General Counsel, South Dakota
Board of Regents; Staff Attorney, South Dakota Legislative Research Council; and Legal Counsel,
South Dakota Bureau of Personnel. She is a member and past President of the South Dakota Judges
Association, past member and Secretary of the Judicial Qualifications Commission and a member of
the Rosebud Bar Association. She served as a Law-Trained Magistrate Judge, Sixth Circuit 1992-1999;
Circuit Court Judge, Sixth Circuit, 1999-2011; and Presiding Judge, Sixth Circuit, 2007 – 2011.
Justice Wilbur, and her late husband Brent, have two adult daughters and one grandson.