‘It’s important to give back’: Marso named president of the S.D. Bar Association

Last week, Brandon resident Lisa Marso was named the President of the South Dakota Bar Association. 

She’s only the fifth female to serve in the role. That’s heady stuff, and the Sioux Falls native who’s called Brandon home since 2000, said she’s honored for the nod.

“I am proud of it. It’s a lot of time commitment, but I think it’s important to give back,” she said. “I also think it’s important, as a female attorney, to step up and do it.”

Marso has been with Sioux Falls-based Boyce Law Firm for 27 years. Within that role for more than a decade, she’s served as Brandon’s city attorney. She also serves as the attorney for Splitrock Township, but being able to serve Brandon holds a special place.

She said she has no desire to serve in the same capacity for any other city in South Dakota. For Marso, Brandon is home, and she said she wants to help her community.

“They’re the people I know and it’s an area that I care about,” she said. “Helping to guide our city in making appropriate legal decisions and providing guidance is something I enjoy. Guiding our elected officials and our administrative staff to follow the laws and provide services is an honor.”

Calling Southeast South Dakota home seemed to be an obvious choice from an early age. After graduating from Sioux Falls Washington High School, Marso went to college in Philadelphia for one year. She interned in Minneapolis for one year and later graduated from the University of South Dakota Law School. 

“I found I really liked what South Dakota offered in terms of the practice of law, collegiality, communication, and caring for people,” she said. “After being in Minneapolis for just a summer, I decided to stay here. This is where I wanted to be.”

At Boyce, Marso focuses on governmental laws. She focuses on employment work for cities and counties in South Dakota. Providing advice to councils and commissions throughout the state is a focal point.

As the President of the Bar Association, she’ll chair all meetings and be the spokesperson for the Bar. Needless to say, it’s a time commitment for a voluntary position.

But serving in that role, and as an attorney in general, is something Marso said she’s proud of.

“Helping to guide people to make practical, legal decisions,” she said. “It’s all about helping the people.”

It’s been nearly three decades since Marso began practicing law in South Dakota. The steady climb to the President of the Bar Association seems only appropriate.

Asked what her proudest moment was over the last 27 years produced a long pause.

“Practicing law for more than 25 years, you handle a lot of different cases and work with a lot of different people,” she said. “Hopefully you make a lot of different impacts. I can’t say there’s one thing that I’m proudest that I’ve done. Just the years of serving my clients in a way I think they appreciated the service I provide to them.”

At the very least for Brandon, Marso is in attendance twice a month at the City Council chambers, doing what she can to assist the council with helping to shape the community as the city attorney.

“We have an amazing community filled with people who care for each other,” she said. “I’m honored to be a part of that.”