Our Team
Lee Schoenbeck
Attorney
Lee grew up in Webster, South Dakota. He practices primarily in the areas of personal injury litigation, insurance litigation, commercial litigation, estate planning litigation, and professional negligence. In an insurance company bad faith case, Lee obtained a $2.4 million verdict against Nationwide Insurance from a Day County jury. In an insurance fraud case, Lee obtained a verdict of $559,507.20 from a Roberts County jury. In an underinsurance suit, Lee obtained a verdict of $600,000 from a Marshall County jury. All three verdicts were the largest in the history of each county.
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Lee is a 1980 Augustana College graduate and a 1984 graduate of the University of South Dakota School of Law.
Lee served as the State’s Attorney for Day County from 1985 to 1989, the Senator for northeastern South Dakota in 1995 and 1996, House member from Watertown in 2015 and 2016, and from 2019 to 2024. For six years the Senators elected him to serve as the head of the State Senate in the office of the President Pro Tempore.
Lee is licensed to practice law in the State of South Dakota, the Federal District Court for the District of South Dakota, and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Lee is active in the Catholic Church. Lee has served as Chairman of the Catholic Community Foundation for Eastern South Dakota, and Treasurer of the Immaculate Conception School Foundation Board. He also is involved with many outdoors and conservation groups and is an avid pheasant hunter.
For over 20 years, Lee was a regular guest lecturer at the Insurance Law class at the University of South Dakota. His lectures focused on the intricacies of insurance litigation, and how to prepare and handle litigation with insurance companies.
Lee has published two Law Review articles: “A South Dakota First: The Impeachment Conviction of Attorney General Jason Ravonsborg” for the 2023 University of South Dakota Law Review, and “The Office of the South Dakota Senate President Pro Tempore” for the 2025 issue of the University of South Dakota Law Review. Additionally, Lee has written many articles for the online publication of the South Dakota Magazine.
Joe Erickson
Attorney
Joe grew up and graduated from high school in Dell Rapids, South Dakota. After receiving his undergraduate degree at the University of South Dakota’s Beacom School of Business in 2014, Joe continued his education in Vermillion and graduated from the University of South Dakota School of Law with honors in 2017. While in law school, Joe was a member of the Moot Court Board, participated on the Trial Team, and was the treasurer of the Student Bar Association.
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After law school, Joe served as a law clerk for the First Judicial Circuit of the State of South Dakota, working primarily from Yankton, South Dakota. The clerkship was a great tool for Joe to expand his knowledge of the law, trial advocacy, and the workings of the judiciary.
Following his clerkship, in 2018 Joe and his family moved to Watertown, and Joe began working at Schoenbeck Law, PC.
Joe is admitted to practice law in South Dakota in both State and Federal court. Since beginning his practice, Joe has argued multiple cases to the South Dakota Supreme Court and represented his clients in jury trials and court trials.
In 2020 and 2021, the South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association (SDTLA) elected Joe to serve on the group’s Board of Governors. In 2020, the SDTLA awarded Joe with a “Toast of the Trial Lawyers” for his efforts on behalf of the group.
Outside of spending time with his family, Joe enjoys all of South Dakota’s outdoor activities, including pheasant hunting with his dogs, deer hunting, golfing, and fishing local lakes and the Missouri River.
Jennifer X. Frederick, CP
Paralegal
Jen graduated from SDSU in 2001 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, minor in Criminal Justice. She spent over twelve years with Spears Law Office, PC, during which she earned the “Certified Paralegal” designation from NALA. In 2015, she worked a short time at the Law Office of Ronald Frauenshuh, before accepting a position with Schoenbeck Law, PC, where she works mainly on issues involving trust/estate disputes, insurance bad faith, commercial disputes, and professional negligence.
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Jen joined the South Dakota Paralegal Association (SDPA) in 2007, and was an inaugural member of SDPA’s 360⁰ Leadership Academy. In 2011, Jen was awarded by her peers with the SDPA Outstanding Member of the Year, and she has remained active in the association, serving as President and on various committees. Jen enjoys reading and writing and has authored several legal articles, some published in SDPA’s newsletter, the Reporter, and in NALA’s Facts & Findings. She has assisted with two successful circuit judge campaigns and stays active in community organizations.
Away from the office, you’ll find Jen and her husband RVing, gardening, doing DIY projects, and spending time with their family.
Taylor Hageman
Paralegal
Taylor, a graduate from Lake Preston High School, attended the University of Sioux Falls majoring in Elementary Education and Spanish. Following her post-secondary education, Taylor moved back to Lake Preston in 2014 and was employed at Wilkinson & Schumacher Law Firm in DeSmet. In 2017, Taylor relocated to the Watertown area where she worked at Green Roby Oviatt LLP. In 2021, she went to work in the Codington County State’s Attorney’s Office, from there she joined Schoenbeck & Erickson PC in 2023.
Outside of the office you can find her coaching and judging competitive cheerleading, spending time at the lake, and visiting the dog park with her goldendoodle, Lemon.
Danielle Kontz
Office Administrator
Danielle graduated from Canby High School and went on to attend the University of South Dakota, where she studied Accounting. In 2019, she moved back to her hometown of Canby and began working as a Staff Accountant at a local firm. After three and a half years there, she relocated to Watertown in 2023 to accept a position as an Account Manager at an established accounting office. From there, she joined Schoenbeck & Erickson PC as an Office Administrator in 2025.
Outside of work, Danielle enjoys reading, baking, and spending time with friends and family. She also loves spoiling her two cats, Jasmine and Mr. Fluffy, who she adopted nearly two years ago.