RAPID CITY, S.D. – A ceremonial investiture for South Dakota Supreme Court Justice Robert Gusinsky is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Rapid City. Gusinsky was appointed to the state’s highest court to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Janine M. Kern.
The formal swearing-in ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. MST in the Pennington County Courthouse Rotunda, located at 315 St. Joseph St. in Rapid City.
Gusinsky, who was born in Latvia, immigrated with his parents through Israel and Germany before settling in California and becoming a United States citizen. His professional background began in aviation; he earned an undergraduate degree in aeronautical engineering from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in 1990 and worked as a commercial pilot and flight instructor.
He later transitioned to the legal field, earning his juris doctor from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 1996.
Following his law school graduation, Gusinsky worked as a trial lawyer in Rapid City at the firms Lynn, Jackson, Shultz & Lebrun and Clayborne, Loos, Strommen & Gusinsky. He served as an assistant U.S. Attorney from 2007 to 2013.
In 2013, then-Governor Dennis Daugaard appointed Gusinsky as a circuit court judge for the Seventh Judicial Circuit. He rose to the position of presiding judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit in 2024.
Governor Larry Rhoden appointed Gusinsky to the South Dakota Supreme Court, where he began his official duties on December 9, 2025. He represents the First District, an area that encompasses Custer, Meade, Lawrence and Pennington counties.
