David E. Gilbertson at a glance
- Current role
- Former Judge
- Jurisdiction
- South Dakota · State
- Judicial service
- Former
David E. Gilbertson
Former Judge · Supreme Court of South Dakota
Biography
Professional career
- South Dakota Supreme Court from 1995 and as chief justice from 2001 until his retirement in January 2021
- Selected repeatedly as chief justice in 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2017
- In 2009 Gilbertson was reelected to his third 4-year term as chief justice
- When Chief Justice Robert A. Miller retired in 2001, Gilbertson was elected chief justice of the court
- Janklow appointed Gilbertson an Associate Justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court April 3, 1995
- In 1986 Governor Bill Janklow appointed him circuit judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit
- Practiced in Sisseton and held a position as a Roberts County deputy state’s attorney and city attorney before appointment to the Fifth Judicial Circuit in 1986.
- Gilbertson established a private practice in Sisseton, South Dakota and simultaneously held the role of Roberts County Deputy State's Attorney and City Attorney for Sisseton
Education
- South Dakota State University — B.A.
- University of South Dakota — J.D.
Additional information
- His Supreme Court appointment was April 3, 1995; retention elections followed in 1998, 2006 and 2014.
- Date of birth: 1949-10-29
- See more
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Electronic Devices And Media
Courtwide
South Dakota Supreme Court courtroom protocol instructs visitors not to bring cameras or recording equipment into the courtroom.
Do not bring food, drinks, cameras or recording equipment into the courtroom.South Dakota Supreme Court Courtroom Protocol ↗
Sources
Identity source checked August 22, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 2, 2026.
South Dakota Supreme Court Courtroom Protocol
Courtwide source · HTML · Source checked July 27, 2026
View South Dakota Supreme Court Courtroom Protocol ↗South Dakota Supreme Court Courtroom Protocol
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 27, 2026
View South Dakota Supreme Court Courtroom Protocol ↗South Dakota Supreme Court Courtroom Protocol
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 27, 2026
View South Dakota Supreme Court Courtroom Protocol ↗nativeede.wixsite.com
Biography source · HTML · Source checked October 5, 2026
View nativeede.wixsite.com ↗