rowing up in the town of Nichols, Iowa, Isaac Sarinana found himself on an extraordinary path that led him to Iowa Law. Isaac’s interest in pursuing a legal education began after he hired an immigration attorney to sponsor a family member. It was during his final year of college that he had a life-changing encounter with an immigration attorney and Iowa Law alum.

This year’s One Community, One Book (OCOB) program features "The Farm" by author Joanne Ramos. This program, hosted by the UI Center for Human Rights (UICHR), an affiliated center with the College of Law, has become a cherished tradition.

Events and programing made possible by the Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative (HELI) engage the College of Law with some of today’s most pressing environmental law issues. Events this fall feature discussions on land use in the Midwest, biodiversity, wildfire management, prescribed burns, and water in the Western United States.

The Iowa Law School Foundation (ILSF) is proud to announce the election of three new alumni board members: Mark Steffensen (92JD), Lonnie Johnson (91JD), and David Sindt Day (77JD).

The recent Iowa bar passage results show remarkable improvements in performance for Iowa Law graduates. This year Iowa Law had 59 grads taking the Iowa bar exam, including 55 taking the exam for the first time. These alums achieved a cumulative bar passage rate of 92% and a 93% first-time bar passage rate. 

For the third consecutive year, the incoming class at Iowa Law has achieved the highest LSAT score in history. This achievement speaks volumes to Iowa Law's ongoing commitment to academic excellence.

The College of Law’s Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative recently launched an environmental law field course, with the help and support of the University of Iowa Wildlife Instruction and Leadership Development (UI WILD) team and the UI College of Education.

Motivated by the variety of research opportunities and financial support, Lucas Wetsch pursued a research assistant position with Professor Chris Odinet. 

Professor Guernsey and Dr. Lynch highlight why collaboration between law and medicine is critical, especially when defending clients with severe mental health conditions or substance use disorders.

Professor Emily Hughes and Professor Kori Khan, Iowa State University, are building one of the largest databases of trial transcripts in the U.S. It's a vast resource of information to help analyze what is working well in our criminal legal system, as well as what could be improved—and how to improve it. 

Diane Lourdes Dick, professor at Iowa Law, focuses her teaching and scholarship on business and tax law, with an emphasis on commercial finance, business bankruptcy and out-of-court restructuring, and business entity taxation.

Ryan Sakoda, associate professor at the University of Iowa College of Law, is currently working on an empirical analysis of crime and criminal justice policy, criminal law and procedure, and law and economics. He has recently written on the use of solitary confinement and the effects of post-release supervision and probation.

Julia Harrison was looking for an opportunity to gain more exposure to business law. She sought out an research assistant position with Professor Yockey after enjoying his Business Associations class her 1L spring. She talks about the opportunity and what she learned while working as a RA.

Professor Rosado Marzan is writing a book manuscript on how worker centers -- small, under-resourced community groups -- have persuaded ~ 100 local and state governments to legislate for new labor rights across the United States.

The University of Iowa College of Law has once again proven its excellence in the competitive job market, standing out as a top 10 law school for full-time job placement (Reuters).

Chris Odinet, the Josephine R. Witte Professor of Law, and co-authors received the Grant Gilmore Award for their article published in the Arizona State Law Review entitled, “The Private Law of Stablecoins.”

To secure a spot on one of Iowa Law's top-ranked journals, first-year students must complete a rigorous writing assessment known as the "Write-On."

A tradition going back almost 100 years, Iowa Supreme Court Day is the culmination of course work, moot court competitions and hard work. “I remember watching Supreme Court Day as a 1L, two years ago on Zoom, and thinking that would be the most exciting thing I could do,” says Iowa Law student Jamie McCarthy.

With the launch of the Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative (HELI) in 2022, the College of Law has continued to build upon its solid reputation for teaching and scholarship in environmental law. The initiative has engaged students, practitioners, and scholars this past year in ways that contribute actionable solutions to some of today's most pressing environmental issues.

Rising third-year law student Claire Eichhorn improved her legal research and writing skills and gained invaluable mentorship while working as a research assistant for Dean Adrien Wing. 

Gokare discovered her passion for corporate law after being approached by two childhood friends who had founded an e-commerce clothing company. Despite facing financial constraints, the friends sought Gokare’s legal assistance, which not only kindled her interest in corporate law but also highlighted her proficiency in the field.

Barbara (Barbi) Rodriguez (22JD) has been awarded the 2023 “Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award" by the Burton Awards for her note published in the Iowa Law Review titled, “In the Interest of Justice: Presuming Prejudice When the Right to Counsel in Removal Proceedings Is Denied.”

Growing up, Tatiana (Tia) Smith was exposed to the many social and economic challenges common in underprivileged communities. As she got older, she became increasingly aware of the discrimination and injustice experienced by her friends and neighbors, which motivated her to pursue a career in human rights. 

Iowa Law alum Tim Semelroth (97JD) has always had a passion for mock trial. As a coach, Tim has helped students examine legal processes and current legal issues as well as develop important critical-thinking, fundamental research, preparation, and presentation skills.

Through his joint relationships with the College of Law and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dan Matheson has developed a national interdisciplinary student sports law competition that stands out as the first of its kind.