Pro Bono Week

Join the Iowa Student Bar Association and Citizen Lawyer Program in celebrating the pro bono and public service contributions of the Iowa Law community during the ABA’s National Celebration of Pro Bono and Cady Day of Public Service! 

A full week of events kicks off Monday, Oct. 26, with a food drive and blood drive sign-ups. 

Don’t miss the Pro Bono Recognition Event on Oct. 27 at 12:40 p.m. in BLB 235, celebrating the outstanding pro bono contributions of Iowa Law students and community members.

Accommodations for bar exams

If you’re planning to seek accommodations on a bar exam this spring, please remember that some bars require a disability assessment within the past 5 years. If you don't have a recent assessment, consider scheduling one now to support your request for accommodations on a bar exam. 

If you need a list of possible providers, please email Dean Crain at carin-crain@uiowa.edu.

Field Placement Program applications still open

Opportunities are still available with the Johnson County State Public Defender, U.S. Attorney’s Offices (Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa), Clinton County Attorney’s Office, Judge Sara Darrow of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, Kid's First Law Center, and more! Search “Spring 2027 Extern” in 12Twenty to explore available placements. 

You must secure a placement by January 3, 2027, to enroll in the Field Placement Program. 

Questions? Email law-fpp@uiowa.edu or contact Professor June Tai.

LEC Adam Smith Writing Competition

The Law & Economics Center is organizing a nationwide law student writing competition celebrating the 250th anniversary of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations and the American constitutional order. The competition will award $7,500 for first place, $5,000 for second place, and $2,500 for third place, with possible additional honorable mentions.

Appstinence at Iowa - Reducing Screen Time

One of the affiliated student orgs, Appstinence at Iowa (adapted from the Appstinence program at Harvard), is offering a few free programs for students to reduce their screen time, including free trials of dumbphone and a handout with strategies to reduce screen time. If you have students who may be interested in the resources, feel free to share the info.

AccessLex Foundations of Investing Webinars

October's featured topic is Foundations of Investing. Attend these webinars to earn a scholarship entry for each session:

• Setting Investing Goals - Tuesday, Oct. 20 | 2 p.m. CT
• Evaluating Investment Options - Wednesday, Oct. 21 | 7 p.m. CT
• The Investing Process - Tuesday, Oct. 27 | 2 p.m. CT

Don't wait. The first MAX Scholarship Drawing is Nov. 1, and six $5,000 scholarships are up for grabs!

Complete lessons, attend webinars, and earn as many scholarship entries as possible before the November 1 drawing!

Every MAX lesson you complete and every webinar you attend earns you scholarship entries. Log in to MAX by AccessLex^® today to start building your entries before the drawing.

AccessLex Webinar

Student Loan Repayment for Legal Careers Presentation - Oct. 28 from 1 to 1:45 p.m.

During this event, an Accredited Financial Counselor® from AccessLex Institute® will cover common repayment strategies for different legal careers and essential details regarding current and upcoming repayment plan options, consolidation, and detailing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness process.

Register here: https://uiowa.zoom.us/j/98234718570

Individual Financial Coaching Sessions - Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In addition to the presentation, students can sign up for individual coaching sessions to discuss your personal finance strategy. We can discuss your financial goals, budget, student loan strategy, and more. If appointments are no longer available, please reach out to AccessConnex by AccessLex.

To sign up: https://calendly.com/nrdaniels/accesslex-1-1-coaching-iowa-fall-26

Chicago mentorship opportunity for all students

The Chicago-based Diversity Scholarship Foundation (DSF) is seeking law student mentees for its First Generation Law Student Mentor-Mentee Program for the 2026-27 academic year. Composed of lawyers, judges, and law school faculty, DSF has provided law students with mentorship, networking, and scholarship opportunities in Illinois and beyond since 2002. This free program is available to law students in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Missouri. Virtual (Zoom or similar) and teleconferences are encouraged if in-person meetings are not feasible.

This Mentor-Mentee Program assesses each law student-mentee’s particular interests and goals and pairs them with an attorney or judge mentor. The Program asks mentees and mentors to meet at least 4 times (virtually, by teleconference, or in person). Beyond that, the pair is encouraged to develop the relationship further as their schedules allow. The deadline for students to sign up is Oct. 31, 2026. Sign up at this form.

McLean County Bar Association Scholarship

The McLean County Bar Association is offering a $2,500 scholarship for students who have strong ties to and an expressed interest or intent to practice law in McLean County, IL.

Criteria:

•  2L or 3L
• Connection to and interest in practicing in McLean County, IL
• Candidates will need to express and demonstrate a commitment to legal aid work, pro bono activities, or community service

See website for additional details.

Deadline: October 31, 2026

Click here to apply!

The Eat Shop update

The Eat Shop has informed the College of Law that it will close its café in the Boyd Law Building. Its final day of service will be Friday, November 20, 2026, before Thanksgiving break. The space will be fully vacated by December 4. We appreciate the Eat Shop's service to our community and wish them continued success. 

The College of Law is working with the University of Iowa Purchasing Department to solicit proposals for a new potential café vendor that we hope to have in place by the spring semester. Thank you for your patience during this transition.

Schedule an appointment with Jillian Kent

Iowa Law students can schedule an appointment with embedded staff therapist Jillian Kent, LISW. Free, confidential counseling is available in the Boyd Law Building to support students navigating academic, personal, and professional challenges. Schedule online or learn more about mental health services available at Iowa Law at our website.

Panera goodies on Thursdays

Please visit the snack shack on Thursday mornings for leftover goodies from Panera Bread. They are free, and you are welcome to take and enjoy them.

Dean's Office Hours

As returning students know, Dean Pettys hosts weekly office hours for students who'd like to stop by and talk with him about anything that's on their minds. Those hours vary week to week to ensure students aren't repeatedly barred from meeting because of the same recurring class conflicts. Rather than pepper inboxes with weekly announcements about when the next office hour will be, a sign is posted on the welcome desk in the suite of administrative offices across the hall from the student mail files. If it's urgent and the posted office hour won't work for you, please make an appointment with the dean's assistant, Julie Kramer at 319-384-4658 or julia-kramer@uiowa.edu. 

Important exam information: Examplify update needed

The current version of Examplify, 3.11.2, will be retiring soon and will be updated to 3.12.0. To use the new version, you will need to redownload Examplify. Completing this process soon will ensure a smooth exam experience. 

For instructions on how to redownload Examplify, view this guide. 

Please reach out with any questions at law-help@uiowa.edu or visit ITS in BLB 216 for help.

Virginia Law Review Essay Competition - Lived Experience and the Law

This upcoming year, the Virginia Law Review is hosting a nationwide essay competition for JD students centered on “Lived Experience and the Law.” Through focusing on the concrete influence the law has on individuals, communities, and identities, they hope to highlight previously overlooked experiences through student scholarship.

The winning student will receive a $2,000 cash prize and a $5,000 grant toward an organization or project that intersects with their article topic. Their article will also be published in Virginia Law Review Online.

Additional information can be viewed at Virginia Law Review's website.

Deadline for submissions is January 7, 2027, at 11:59 p.m.

National NALSA Writing Competition

The goal of the National NALSA Writing Competition is to encourage law students to become involved with National NALSA and increase awareness and education regarding legal issues that impact Native Nations, Tribal organizations, and Indigenous communities and people. This year, the Competition will be hosted by the Michigan Law Review Online! Michigan Law Review Online is the online-exclusive counterpart of the Michigan Law Review, one of the oldest and most prestigious legal scholarship journals in the country. MLR Online places emphasis on timely legal scholarship and, in accord with that goal, has an expedited production process compared to most other journals.

Submissions are now being accepted! The gist? Here you go:
4,000–8,000 words (Yes-you read that right. A much shorter writing requirement than traditional law review Notes and Articles; after all, our goal is to make legal scholarship accessible!);

• Deadline: March 14, 2027; and
• One of the best law journals in the country.

All of the rest of the nitty gritty details can be found at: 2027 NNALSA Writing Competition Rules. This year, Manuel Lewis (Gila River Indian Community, first descendant) is serving as the Writing Competition Administrator. He is an Executive Online Editor of the Michigan Law Review and can be contacted at writingcompetition@nationalnalsa.org if you have any questions!

Blass Criminal Justice Scholarship

The Blass Law PLLC is offering a $1,000 scholarship for students enrolled during the 27-28 academic year.

Criteria:

• No minimum GPA
• No residency requirement
• 750-1,000-word essay addressing one specific rule, statue, or courtroom practice in your state's criminal justice system that produces unjust results, propose a change, and then making the strongest argument against your own proposal.

See website for additional details.

Deadline: May 1, 2027

Click here to apply!