Kate Melloy Goettel, a national leader in immigration law and federal court practice, joined the College of Law in 2024, where she directs the Federal Impact Litigation Clinic. The Federal Impact Litigation Clinic works at the intersection of immigration, administrative law, federal litigation, and civil rights. 

Professor Goettel most recently served as senior legal director for the American Immigration Council, where she led impact litigation focusing on unlawful detention, the laws surrounding immigrant youth, interior enforcement, and family separation.. Prior to that, she was senior litigation counsel at the Department of Justice and a litigator at the National Immigrant Justice Center. She has practiced in 40 federal district courts, eight courts of appeal, and the U.S. Supreme Court. 

In 2019, Professor Goettel received the NGO Lawyer of the Year award from the Federal Bar Association’s Immigration Law Section and in 2022, received the association's Barry Frager Award for service to the section. In 2025, she received the Dean's award for excellence in clinical or experiential teaching. 

Professor Goettel currently serves as Chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association's Federal Court Litigation Section and is a member of the executive board of the Federal Bar Association's Immigration Law Section. She regularly presents CLEs and trainings on immigration litigation in Iowa and around the country.