Written by: Gloria Kosir
JoAnna Voss (26JD) inherited a lot from her mother: blonde hair, blue eyes, and a passion for rural legal practice. This month, JoAnna will graduate and walk across the same stage her mother, Iowa Law graduate Janette Voss (92JD), did 34 years prior—and will continue to learn from her as she makes Janette’s practice a family firm.
Journey to law
Janette grew up in a farming family in a rural area of Jones County, Iowa, during the 1980s farming crisis. Her father encouraged her to become a lawyer to ensure a stable future, so she made it her plan to attend the University of Iowa College of Law.
Janette returned to Jones County, Iowa, to work with Remley, Willems, & McQuillen, LLP, after graduating from Iowa Law. The firm’s work aligned well with the rural practice areas she was interested in and allowed her to use her law degree to help and serve her community members' various needs. Janette enjoyed the firm’s flexibility and the rate at which she learned from her partners, and after seven years as an associate, Janette became a partner.
For the majority of her career, Janette practiced primarily in family law. She gained experience from her partners, who concentrated on real estate, estate planning and probates, while her family law litigation opportunities strengthened her skillset.
JoAnna grew up watching her mother help members of their community through her legal work. In kindergarten, JoAnna drew a picture of herself and wrote, “I would like to be a lawyer because my mom is one.”
JoAnna is the only one of Janette’s four children who showed an interest in pursuing a legal career. “As soon as she drew that, I went to [my husband] Jeff and said, ‘I got a shot at this one,’” Janette said.
JoAnna’s passion continued to develop as she worked the reception desk at her mother’s firm throughout college. Interacting with clients and learning more about the firm’s work solidified her determination to become a lawyer.
When their daughter’s enthusiasm became clear to Janette and Jeff, they decided to pave a road for them to practice together. JoAnna achieved her goal of attending Iowa Law and began as a student in the fall of 2023, while Janette took over and renamed the firm that same year. This fall, JoAnna will join Voss Law Firm, PLC, as an associate, moving back to Jones County to work in Anamosa.
Working together/mentorship
Janette and JoAnna are thrilled to learn from one another as colleagues at the firm. Training any new attorney is a great investment of time and energy, but to Janette, training her daughter is even more fruitful.
“Even if there's no guarantee that she’s going to stay [at the firm], she’s my girl,” Janette said. “It’s any parent’s dream.”
JoAnna is looking forward to working in an environment where she’s completely at ease asking questions and gaining hands-on experience. She plans to focus on estate planning in her first few months while Janette mentors her in family law practice.
Living near the community they serve has made the pair passionate about rural practice. Until JoAnna is licensed, Janette is a solo practitioner and emphasizes the need for more rural lawyers.
“I was one of the only female [attorneys] to come to Jones County [when I started practicing]. Our county attorney was a female, too, but there were no females practicing,” Janette said. She explained that in 1992, there were about 19 attorneys residing and practicing in Jones County. Now, that number is about four.
“The people in Anamosa could probably go to Cedar Rapids and get their work done, but I think they like having someone in town that they could go to,” JoAnna said.
Practicing Iowa Law lessons
Separated by 34 years, Janette’s and JoAnna’s law school experiences have been very distinct. Janette was a writer for the Journal of Corporation Law and had two summer internships, including at the firm she eventually worked at after graduation. Janette says she is also impressed by how immersed her daughter has been in her own Iowa Law journey.
JoAnna also had two summer internships and is the senior online editor for the Iowa Law Review. This last semester, she has externed with Justice Oxley of the Iowa Supreme Court, where she’s been able to meet the judges in front of whom she’ll practice next year.
"I feel like she’s optimized her law school experience,” Janette said. “She’s not afraid to talk to a professor or reach out to other classmates and get information, but she goes to a lot of the tailgates and fun stuff, too.”
In preparation for joining Voss Law Firm, PLC, JoAnna took advantage of Iowa Law’s selection of courses and enjoys her family law course with professor Katharine Baker, who holds the Aliber Family Chair in Law.
“I really appreciate that course because Professor Baker makes it more practical. We have simulated custody and property division negotiations, which are extremely helpful because that’s exactly what I'll be doing next year when I’m practicing,” JoAnna said.
Janette and JoAnna are eager to practice together as colleagues. Their separate Iowa Law and internship experiences allow them to bring different skillsets to the table and round out Voss Law Firm, PLC, to create a successful family business.
“At the end of the day, I think it's pretty cool that my daughter didn’t follow the exact same journey as me, but she’s ending up in the same place—and she really did it on her own,” Janette said.