SDCL § 16-18-34.1: Minimum qualifications.

Any person employed by a licensed attorney as a legal assistant must meet the minimum qualifications of:

(1) Successful completion of the Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) examination of the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc.; or

(2) Graduation from an ABA approved program of study for legal assistants; or

(3) Graduation from a course of study for legal assistants which is institutionally accredited but not ABA approved, and which requires not less than the equivalent of sixty semester hours of classroom study; or

(4) Graduation from a course of study for legal assistants, other than those set forth in (2) and (3) above, plus not less than six months of in-house training as a legal assistant; or

(5) A baccalaureate degree in any field, plus not less than six months in-house training as a legal assistant; or

(6) A minimum of three years of law-related experience under the supervision of a licensed attorney, including at least six months of in-house training as a legal assistant; or

(7) Two years of in-house training as a legal assistant.

Provided, further, that any legal assistant hereunder shall have a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED).

For purposes of these standards, "in-house training as a legal assistant" means legal education of the employee by a licensed attorney concerning legal assistant duties and these guidelines. In addition to review and analysis of assignments, the legal assistant should receive a reasonable amount of instruction directly related to the duties and obligations of the legal assistant and the Rules of Professional Conduct as stated in this chapter.