Ronald A. Parsons Jr.

South Dakota

Johnson Janklow Abdallah LLP
101 South Main Avenue, Suite 100
Security National Bank Centre
Sioux Falls, SD, 57104

Tel: (605) 338-4304

Email: ron@janklowabdallah.com
Web: www.janklowabdallah.com

Ron Parsons is the former United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota. He now heads the firm’s strongly developed Appellate Department and manages a broad range of civil litigation matters in federal and state courts.  He has argued or handled more than one hundred appeals, primarily in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and South Dakota Supreme Court. During his career, two of the cases in which he appeared as counsel of record were heard by the United States Supreme Court.

Ron accepts cases at the trial and appellate levels, representing both plaintiffs and defendants, and frequently serves as local counsel for corporations and other clients in federal and state court.  A list of representative cases is provided below.

His appellate and summary judgment arguments have included cases involving the separation of powers, private property rights, religious freedom, the First Amendment, the Fourth Amendment, the Sixth Amendment, the Due Process Clause, the Commerce Clause, federal Indian law, federal and state criminal law, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), federal jurisdiction, business and commercial law, contract law, insurance law, administrative law, trust and estate litigation, taxation, water law, international comity and many other federal and state constitutional and statutory questions.

Ron is rated “AV – Preeminent,” the highest possible rating, by Martindale-Hubbell.  He was selected for inclusion by his peers in The Best Lawyers in America. He has been recognized for his appellate work in Chambers USA’s America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.  Benchmark Litigation named him a “Litigation Star” in South Dakota.  And he has been honored as a Great Plains Super Lawyer and in Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition.

After graduating first in his law school class, Ron served as a law clerk for the Hon. Roger L. Wollman, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.  He is a frequent guest lecturer at his alma mater, the University of South Dakota School of Law. His legal scholarship has been cited by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth, Eighth, and Tenth Circuits, as well as several United States District Courts.

Ron has received a variety of recognitions for his legal work, including:

  • Elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, the preeminent national association recognizing distinguished appellate advocacy.  Academy membership is limited to 500 appellate lawyers in the United States.
  • Presented with the U.S. District of South Dakota Criminal Justice Act Panel Award Outstanding Lawyer for “extraordinary legal work.”
  • In both 2016 and 2017, presented with the IMLA Amicus Service Award by the International Municipal Lawyers Association at ceremonies in Washington, D.C.
  • Previously appointed and sworn in as a Special Deputy State’s Attorney for Minnehaha County, South Dakota.
  • Honored with a Star Quilt for his legal work on behalf of the religious freedom of the Lakota People in Native American Council of Tribes v. Weber.
  • Appointed by Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit to serve as South Dakota’s representative on the Eighth Circuit Federal Advisory Committee, established by Congress pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2077(b).
  • Served by appointment on the Federal Practice Committee for the District of South Dakota and on the Eighth Circuit Bar Association’s Board of Directors.

Ron served as the 42nd United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota following his unanimous confirmation by the United States Senate.  As U.S. Attorney, Ron was the chief federal law enforcement officer for a district comprising the entire State of South Dakota, including nine Indian Reservations.  The district serves almost 900,000 residents with 32 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and more than 60 employees located in three offices in Sioux Falls, Pierre, and Rapid City. During his term, Ron served on the Attorney General Advisory Committee’s Terrorism and National Security, Native American Issues, and Elder Justice Subcommittees.

From its office in Sioux Falls, Johnson Janklow Abdallah, LLP, knowledgeable lawyers handle appeals throughout South Dakota. The firm’s appellate attorneys have extensive experience in appeals involving a wide range of disputes and represent clients in both state and federal appellate courts in nearly all areas of the law, including:

  • Personal injury and wrongful death litigation
  • Business and commercial litigation
  • Insurance claims disputes
  • Civil litigation
  • Real estate disputes
  • Divorce and family law judgments
  • Violations of First Amendment rights
  • Criminal law

Our firm’s appellate department was recently featured in the Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition. Johnson Janklow Abdallah, LLP, attorneys have handled numerous appeals in the South Dakota Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. Extensive experience in litigation and appeals allows our lawyers to identify issues that can serve as the basis for a successful appeal.

Errors made at the trial level can have lasting consequences for individuals. The appellate process ensures that these mistakes can be corrected. Johnson Janklow Abdallah, LLP, appellate attorneys are devoted to protecting the rights of clients in any type of dispute. From an improper ruling regarding a complex business dispute, to a mistake regarding a criminal procedure, our lawyers are ready to help you analyze your case and make a compelling argument on appeal.

Johnson Janklow Abdallah, LLP, in Sioux Falls, is recognized as South Dakota’s premier litigation firm. The firm is somewhat unique in that its attorneys focus almost exclusively in the area of litigation and post-litigation appeals work and have the experience, skills and resources to handle litigation cases ranging from car accident injury insurance claims to complex commercial litigation, often involving multiple-party liability.

The firm practices extensively in both state and federal courts. Its Sioux Falls personal injury lawyers handle car accidents, wrongful death cases, workers’​ compensation and all other cases involving personal injuries. The firm represents clients of all kinds in commercial, contract and other business disputes and handles numerous state and federal appeals. The firm also serves as local counsel in complex litigation. In addition to its wide-ranging civil litigation work, the firm has a strongly developed criminal defense practice.

Johnson Janklow Abdallah, LLP, is able to accept many cases on a contingency basis, which means that you do not pay a legal fee unless your case is settled or won at trial. With a contingency agreement, it does not cost you any more to hire the most experienced attorneys possible because all attorneys’​ fees are simply a flat percentage of the recovery.