The 2025 South Dakota Defense Lawyers Association (SDDLA) Awards were held November 13. The SDDLA Associate Lawyer Award (Rising Star) was awarded to Alayna A. Holmstrom, of Davenport, Evans, Hurwitz & Smith, LLP in Sioux Falls. The SDDLA Associate Lawyer Award (Rising Star) honors an SDDLA associate member who has consistently demonstrated growing professional excellence and service to his or her community. (Photo: Presenter, Justin Smith of Woods Fuller, with recipient Alayna Holmstrom.)
A native of Rapid City, South Dakota, Alayna Holmstrom joined Davenport Evans in 2020. Alayna graduated from the honors program at the University of South Dakota in 2015. She received her J.D. from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 2018, graduating with Sterling Honors, summa cum laude. During law school, Alayna was the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships, including the graduation award given to the graduate who has been determined to best represent a combination of scholarship and leadership. Alayna also served as a staff writer of the South Dakota Law Review, co-president of Trial Team, and research assistant to Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Tiffany Graham. Following graduation, Alayna served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Karen E. Schreier of the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota. Alayna has been appointed a Criminal Justice Act defense attorney for the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota. These federal criminal cases come through appointment by the Court under the Criminal Justice Act.
Outside of work, Alayna volunteers as a mentor through the Sioux52 Mentoring Initiative and REACH Literacy, and as a member of the Sioux Falls Civil Service Board. She also serves as a member of the University of South Dakota Alumni Association Board of Directors and University of South Dakota Board of Trustees. Alayna is an active member of the South Dakota Bar Association, serving on the Federal Practice Committee, Women in Law Committee, Law School Committee, and Indian Law Committee.
Davenport, Evans, Hurwitz & Smith, LLP, located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is one of the State’s largest law firms. The firm’s attorneys provide business and litigation counsel to individuals and corporate clients in a variety of practice areas. For more information about Davenport Evans, visit www.dehs.com.