Janine M. Kern

Justice Kern, who was appointed to the Supreme Court on November 25, 2014, by Governor Dennis Daugaard, represents the First Supreme Court District, which includes Custer, Lawrence, Meade and Pennington counties. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1982 from Arizona State University and her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1985. Justice Kern worked in the Attorney General’s office from 1985–1996 serving in a variety of capacities including the appellate division, drug prosecution unit and as Director of the Litigation Division. She was appointed a Circuit Court Judge in 1996 in the Seventh Judicial Circuit comprised of Custer, Fall River, Pennington and Oglala Lakota Counties and served 18 years on the trial court bench. She is a member of the American Law Institute, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the State Bar Association, the Pennington County Bar Association, the American Bar Association Fellows and past President of the South Dakota Judges Association. She served on the Council of Juvenile Services from 2004–2013 and on the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice from 2004–2008 and on numerous other boards and commissions. Justice Kern and her husband Greg Biegler make their home in the beautiful Black Hills.

South Dakota

Justice

South Dakota Supreme Court

2014 - Current

Circuit Court Judge

Seventh Judicial Circuit

1996 - 2014

Attorney

Attorney General’s office

1985 - 1996

Served in a variety of capacities including the appellate division, drug prosecution unit and as Director of the Litigation Division.

University of Minnesota Law School

J.D. (1985)

Arizona State University

B.S. (1982)

South Dakota State Bar

Member

Current

American Law Institute, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the State Bar Association, the Pennington County Bar Association, the American Bar Association Fellows

Member

Current

Council of Juvenile Services

Member

2004 - 2013

Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice

Member

2004 - 2008