Alison J. Ramsdell has taken the oath of office to become the 44th United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota. Ms. Ramsdell was sworn in by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange on April 21, 2022, and her appointment took effect on April 22, 2022.
As U.S. Attorney, Ms. Ramsdell leads an office responsible for prosecuting federal crimes and defending the interests of the United States in the District of South Dakota. Ms. Ramsdell was appointed by the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, and she will serve in this capacity until the vacancy is filled by a Presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed nominee.
Ms. Ramsdell has served the U.S. Attorney’s Office since September 2014, when she joined the District’s Civil Division as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. In 2016, Ms. Ramsdell was selected to lead the District’s Civil Rights Section. Ms. Ramsdell received her B.A. from Valparaiso University and her J.D. from the University of Iowa School of Law. Following law school, she clerked for the Honorable Karen E. Schreier, District Court Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, and served as the U.S. District Court’s pro se law clerk.
“It is a profound honor to serve the District of South Dakota in this capacity, and I am deeply grateful to be doing the work alongside such exceptional colleagues,” said Ramsdell.
Ms. Ramsdell lives in Flandreau with her husband and two sons.