East River Legal Services

About Us

ADVANCING EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE CITIZENS IN EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA.

Who we serve East River Legal Services (ERLS) exists to better the lives of the over 46,000 people living in poverty in Eastern South Dakota. We offer free legal services to our communities Veterans, Older Americans (60+), Disabled, Victims of Violence, and all those facing financial insecurity. We are committed to the belief that being poor or at risk does not make you less, that equal access to our courts is an essential part of justice, and equal justice is a universal right. Our Legal Priorities: We will review incoming cases and eligible clients on individual merit. Priority will be

Older Americans

Residents Age 60+ Through an Older American Grant, ERLS provides free legal assistance to Eastern South Dakota residents who are

Veterans

East River Legal Services prioritizes legal services to veterans and military families. We are proud of our Veterans and proud

Housing

Many tenants do not know their rights when dealing with landlords or housing court action. Many have to proceed without

Family

Going through a family legal issue is emotionally stressful for the entire family even in the best of circumstances, let

Economic Stability

If you or your family member have been denied eligibility for benefits, threatened with the loss of benefits from needs-based

Need Help?

Do you need legal assistance?

We take applications online through our sdlawhelp.org website.

APPLY ONLINE

Who We Serve

We serve 33 Eastern South Dakota counties covering over 44,000 square miles. The counties include: Aurora, Beadle, Bon Homme, Brookings, Brown, Clark, Clay, Codington, Davison, Day, Deuel, Douglas, Edmunds, Faulk, Hamlin, Hand, Hanson, Hutchinson, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, Marshall, McCook, McPherson, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Sanborn, Spink, Turner, Union, and Yankton.

46,000

PEOPLE LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL

43,000

VETERANS IN EASTERN SD

105,000

OLDER AMERICANS IN EASTERN SD

15,000

VICTIMS OF CRIME IN EASTERN SD

Get Involved

Private Attorney Involvement

ERLS contracts with private attorneys to provide legal assistance to individuals who are income-qualified to receive Legal Aid services but are located a distance away from our office.

Students & Interns

Each year, ERLS offers law students the chance to work alongside staff attorneys and legal teams and learn about poverty law as well as prepping for trial and attending.

Community Members

We offer non-legal and undergraduate students the opportunity to gain valuable, real-world experience working in a professional non-profit setting.

Donate

By giving to ERLS, you give hope to our communities most vulnerable citizens. For every donation you give, your benefits help more people in need.

Our Testimonials

What our clients have to say about us!

I sought help from East River Legal Services for a divorce from my long-time estranged husband. I do not know how the legal system works and was somewhat intimidated. East River Legal Services provided…

Donna H

My psychologist referred me to East River Legal Services for my divorce. I was so happy to finally receive the news that my divorce was finalized helping me to get away from a violent…

Anonymous

This company has totally helped me feel protected. They not only helped me to the best of their ability but also were able to win my case. I am so happy to finally be…

Libby M.

ERLS has helped me navigate through the very confusing legal process of filing a protection order and also child custody hearings. My attorney was very knowledgeable and very empathetic, making me feel very comfortable…

April

I reached out to ERLS for assistance with a stalking protection order. Not only did ERLS exceed my expectations, but they helped me through every step of the process. Without ERLS, I know my day in court would not have gone as well as it did. It felt empowering to have people in my corner that knew what to do and were fighting for me. Thank you ERLS!

Sadie

Who Served?

Over 2,500+ Persons Helped

Extended Service Positive Outcome

82%

Increase in Applications

86%

Applications Completed Online

66%

Our Attorneys

Brent Thompson

Executive Director

Brent Thompson became Executive Director of East River Legal Services in April of 2017. Brent comes to East River from Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA) where he has served as a staff attorney since 2006. Brent

Tillie Routh

Managing Attorney

Tillie earned her Bachelor of Science Degrees in History, Women’s Studies and Psychology from the University of Wyoming. She went on to obtain her Juris Doctor from the University of Wyoming College of Law, practicing

Peter Sommervold

Staff Attorney

Peter earned his B.A in Economics from Augustana College. He went on to receive Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Dakota. After practicing tort law for over 20 years, Peter joined East River in the

Taylor Hayes

Staff Attorney

Taylor is passionate about helping people in need, and he considers East River Legal Services (ERLS) to be the front line of service to our community. Taylor graduated from one of North Carolina’s most rigorous

Brendan Stratton

Staff Attorney

Brendan received his B.S. in Political Science, with minor degrees is History and Criminal Justice from South Dakota State University. He went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the University of South Dakota. Before