They come from all over the country and teach on subjects from first year classes to niche subjects. Some say they always aspired to become professors, and some came to academia by a more winding route. These are some of the many Iowa Law alumni who now make their mark as professors.

After going virtual in 2020, the University of Iowa College of Law’s long-standing tradition of Supreme Court Day was back in person today at the Boyd Law Building. The seven justices from the Iowa Supreme Court traveled to Iowa City to take part.  

This fall marks one of Iowa Law's largest clerkship classes yet. Follow the path of several alumni judges who began their law careers as judicial clerks and are now serving in county, state, and federal courts across the country.

Seven faculty at the University of Iowa College of Law have been named to endowed positions. "Endowed faculty positions advance the College of Law and its faculty in transformative ways,” said Dean Kevin Washburn.

This fall Iowa Law is proud to welcome four new faculty to the Boyd Law Building. Collectively, their work focuses on some of today’s most pressing issues including environmental law, criminal justice, education policy, and social change.

By the time Scott Selix (JD14) was a 3L at Iowa Law he saw an opportunity to get back into the craft beer industry. He later started his own brewery in Des Moines, IA—Lua Brewing.

Emphasizing the impact of the written word, be it case briefing or policy written into law, sets Iowa Law alums apart from other institutions by placing significant attention on real-world problems and the language serving as their potential solutions.

The Law, Health Policy & Disability Center (LHPDC) was recently awarded a $35,000 grant from the Nellie Ball Trust Research Fund to support a one-year research project in collaboration with Polk County Health Services (PCHS) and the Polk County Jail Diversion Program. HPDC is one of many centers and institutes connected to the College of Law.

For third-year law student Pablo Guevara, ever since he was a child he’s slowly found himself steadily gravitating towards colder weather on his way to Iowa City for law school and beyond. Although Guevara thought he would be attending law school somewhere warmer, he’s now preparing to graduate in May and begin at Sidley Austin’s Chicago office after graduating, something he says Iowa Law alums played a big role in helping him achieve.

A judicial clerk is an attorney that works for, and closely with, a judge. Clerks typically provide legal research, draft opinions, and provide general assistance to their judge or court. Although the law clerk won’t see their name at the end of the judicial opinion that they may have played a role in researching and drafting, their work is critical.

Rapid changes in health care practices and regulations over the past few years have created a greater need for people who understand the convergence between law and health care, making Iowa’s JD-MHA combined degree program more appealing than ever for students and employers.

“Unlike the other law schools I had previously checked out, I felt that Iowa Law was not trying to sell me anything. I got a really genuine impression from the school that impressed me.” Today, almost three years later, Eibschutz feels right at home in Iowa City and within the walls of Boyd Law, finding success in the classroom and out.

The Annual Law School Auction raises money which will provide stipends to students in public-interest internships—from public defender's offices to non-profit organizations and everywhere in between. Often, these internships offer little to no compensation which deters students from pursuing them. The auction seeks to provide enough funding for student’s living expenses during the time of their internship. 

Eddie Ponce's journey into law has taken many twists and turns, and at times things could have gone in another direction, he is steadfast in his belief that he is on the right path, doing exactly what he should be doing. Read his remarkable story.

A University of Iowa College of Law class uses America’s pastime to give students experience in arbitration—and an opportunity to earn top honors for written work in a national competition.

In response to the killing of Michael Brown and the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, law students Crystal Pound and Alex Lodge created a Street Law course at Iowa Law. They set out to educate youths about what is permitted from both sides of an interaction with law enforcement, with the hopes it could lead to future de-escalation of similar scenarios in local communities.

This semester, law students have been doing cutting-edge research into how the pandemic is impacting work laws, as it re-arranges workplaces, requires business closures, transforms the ways we get goods, decimates the service sector, and sickens millions of workers. 

Abishi Cunningham came to Iowa Law in 1939. In his home state, West Virginia University did not accept black students. He graduated in 1941 and returned to West Virginia to open his legal practice. His daughter and grandchildren recently visited Iowa Law to learn more about their family's legacy.

Theodore "Ted" M. Seldin was an entrepreneur with a passion for giving back. He was instrumental in shaping the national and local legislation related to affordable and fair-housing statutes and a generous advocate of the University of Iowa and the College of Law. During his 89 years, Ted made a lasting impact on all of the communities he served.

Jason Rantanen, a professor at the UI College of Law, spent his Fall 2020 Obermann Fellow-in-Residency collecting and analyzing data about such cases. Rantanen, whose research area is intellectual property, specifically patent law, wants to help ensure that such cases are being decided objectively.

The University of Iowa College of Law has partnered with several other law schools across the United States to advocate for compassionate release during COVID-19, including clinical faculty at University of California Irvine and the University of Chicago. For each of these institutions, advocating for compassionate release not only provides incredible learning opportunities for their students; it also begins to establish a precedent within the courts that lengthy sentences and mandatory minimums must be reevaluated.

Great writing and great libraries are created by those with great passion. The remarkable collection of our Law Library, which includes this selection of “loveliest books,” owes its breadth and depth to the passion and vision of bibliophile Professor Arthur Bonfield, who served as the Law Library’s Director from 1985-2014.

Iowa Law has established its human rights program as a stand out in a competitive and changing world, recently earning an A+ rating for Human Rights Law from preLaw Magazine, a National Jurist Publication.

After a difficult interview process, Marshall-Loving was offered – and accepted – a coveted Iowa Supreme Court clerkship, which she will begin after graduation. “Professors went above and beyond to provide me with letters of recommendation and explain to judges what I could offer to their chambers. I am more than grateful for Iowa Law’s valuable insight and help, and can’t wait to discover yet another corner of the Midwest through my clerkship in Des Moines.”

In 2009, Iowa Law launched an alumni awards program to recognize law alumni who have made significant achievements in their careers and in their service to the College of Law. The program features four award categories: Emerging Leader, Alumni Achievement, Alumni Service, and the Iowa Law Review Alumni Achievement.