Neil Fulton

Neil Fulton
14th Dean of University of South Dakota School of Law
Incumbent
Assumed office July 1, 2019
Preceded by	Thomas Geu
Federal Public Defender for District of South Dakota and District of North Dakota
In office 2010–2019
Governor	Kristi Noem Doug Burgum
Preceded by	Jeffrey L. Viken
Succeeded by	Jason Tupman
Chief of Staff to the Governor of South Dakota
In office 2003–2011
Governor	Mike Rounds
Preceded by	Dave Knudson
Succeeded by	Dusty Johnson
Personal details
Born	Miller, South Dakota
Political party	Independent
Alma mater	Yale University (BA) University of Minnesota (JD)

Neil Fulton is an American attorney who is the 14th Dean of the University of South Dakota School of Law and was the former Federal Public Defender for the District of South Dakota and District of North Dakota from 2010 to 2019.

Education

Fulton received his bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1994. He enrolled in the University of Minnesota Law School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he received his J.D. in 1997, graduating first in his class.

Legal career

Fulton was a judicial law clerk for Judge Diana Murphy of the United States Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals after graduating from law school.

In 2007, Fulton became Chief of Staff for then-Governor Mike Rounds. In that capacity he oversaw the day-to-day operations of state government, managed legislative and budgetary proposals for the Office of the Governor, drafted legislation on many issues and worked with public and private organizations across the state.

Federal public defender for South Dakota and North Dakota

In 2010, Fulton was appointed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit as the Federal Defender for South Dakota and North Dakota.

External links

• Federal Public Defender for South Dakota and North Dakota website