UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA: USD Law Students Benefit from South Dakota Corn Utilization Council Support

University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law students have had increased opportunities in agricultural law thanks to funds from the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council (SDCUC).

“Corn farmers understand the importance of educating the next generation of South Dakota ag lawyers,” said DaNita Murray, executive director for South Dakota Corn. “The South Dakota Corn Utilization Council is pleased to support ag law education at the USD Knudson School of Law.”

In August 2021, two law students, Paden Sexton and Alex Hoffman, were invited to present their research from an agricultural law class taught by Tyler Moore, J.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of law, at the South Dakota Corn annual board meeting. The students’ presentations sparked the SDCUC’s interest in providing funding to the law school.

Funding from the council has supported students in several ways. In November 2022, seven students attended the American Agricultural Law Association’s national conference in New Orleans, where Neil Fulton, J.D., dean of the Knudson School of Law, also spoke.

The SDCUC has also offered funds to support law students in conducting research and writing for an agricultural law paper competition hosted by the South Dakota Corn Growers Association. Several USD students participated in the competition, but three students’ papers stood out, placing in the top three.

The students who placed in the top three include the following.

• First place: Paden Sexton, $500 prize, “COOL Compliance: Country of Origin Labeling and Technical Barriers to Trade”
• Second place: Taylor Bushelle, $250 prize, “Animal Welfare: Implementation and Effect of California’s Proposition 12”
• Third place: Jenna Weir-Riedel, $250 prize, “Who Killed the Yeoman Farmer? A Strategic Romance of Credit and Bankruptcy Built on Rural Idealisms”