|
40
new attorneys admitted to Iowa bar
 Yesterday,
40 new attorneys from 15 law schools around the country were admitted to
practice law in Iowa at the 128th Bar Admission Ceremony at Hoyt
Sherman Auditorium in Des Moines. Iowa Supreme Court Justice Daryl L. Hecht
gave the keynote address and administered the oath.
"I
wish for each of you that 20, 30 and 40 years from now you will pause from time
to time to contemplate and appreciate how fortunate you are to be a lawyer. Whether you are then doing transactional work, practicing family law, handling
criminal cases, working as a civil litigator, teaching law, practicing public
service law, serving on the bench or using your law degree in some other
capacity, I hope that you will be aware of what an extraordinary honor it has been
to play a role in our legal system,” remarked Justice Hecht.
He also urged the
new admittees to meet the aspirational goal for pro bono service each year. In
a time when knowledge of and respect for government institutions seem to be
waning and cynicism seems to be increasing, he went on to say, lawyers have
countless opportunities to be good ambassadors for the rule of law.
Additional
speakers included Board of Law Examiners Chair F. Richard Lyford, ISBA
President Bruce Walker, ISBA YLD President Joseph Goedken and Iowa Legal Aid
Executive Director Dennis Groenenboom.
Only
30 of the 44 individuals who took the exam for the first time were successful.
Click here to see the complete list of
successful applicants.
General Practice,
Construction Law Sections seek eligible chairperson
The ISBA is searching for members who are interested in becoming a
section chairs for the General Practice and Construction Law Sections for the
upcoming year. Section chairs are responsible for the facilitation of
discussions, exchanges of ideas, development of potential legislative
initiatives and overall representation of their particular section.
Candidates must have section membership for the period in which
they serve. Bar association members interested in serving one year as chair of
either the General Practice Section or the Construction Law Section are
encouraged to visit with Dwight Dinkla. His email address is ddinkla@iowabar.org.
May Iowa Lawyer now available online
 The May issue
of the Iowa Lawyer Magazine is now available online. Those who elect to receive
the print version of the magazine should see it in mailboxes in the next week
or so. In this issue, ISBA focuses on attorney wellness.
Members can
view the digital version of the May issue by
navigating to www.iowabar.org, clicking on "Publications,”
then "Iowa Lawyer Magazine.” Those who no longer
wish to receive the printed version of the magazine can elect to receive it
electronically by navigating to their ISBA account settings and selecting
"yes” for the "Iowa Lawyer Magazine Online” option.
Questions
regarding the Iowa Lawyer Magazine can be directed to the ISBA Communications
Department at communications@iowabar.org or
515-697-7898.
Government Practice
Seminar registration open
 Registration is now open for the
Government Practice Seminar scheduled for May 20 at the ISBA headquarters in
Des Moines, Iowa. The seminar will provide 6.25 state hours, including one
ethics hour.
The CLE line-up includes sessions on
solar power purchase agreements, government employment law updates, select
topics of appellate advocacy, appeals of administrative rulings to a district
court and more. Attendees may attend in person or via live-webinar.
Early-bird registration is open
through May 19 and can save participants $50 on their registration fees. For
more details or to register for the seminar, visit the Government Practice Seminar event
on the ISBA website.
Continuing a
Tradition of Civil Rights in Iowa lecture May 3
 University of Iowa College of Law
Professor Angela Onwuachi-Willig will present her lecture, Continuing a
Tradition of Civil Rights in Iowa, Tuesday, May 3, from 12 - 1 p.m.
at the John and Mary Pappajohn Education Center, 1200 Grand Avenue, in downtown
Des Moines. Professor Onwuachi-Willig will discuss the history of social
justice and civil rights in Iowa, including the social justice work that
individuals at the College of Law have accomplished and are currently pursuing
as part of The University of Iowa Provost’s Office of Outreach & Engagement
Hawkeye Lunch & Learn lecture series.
The Office of Outreach &
Engagement debuted the Hawkeye Lunch & Learn lecture series in January 2014
and now hosts monthly lectures in Des Moines and Iowa City. Each lecture
showcases the diverse work of a passionate expert while increasing the
knowledge of how Iowa citizens can collaborate with the university and create a
better future for Iowans. The lecture series is free and open to the public,
however RSVPs are encouraged. Attendees are invited to bring their lunch, and
drinks and desserts are provided.
For more information about the
lecture series and the May 3 event, click here. To register, click here.
National Taxpayer
Advocate Public Forum
 National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E.
Olson and Senator Charles Grassley, a member and former chairman of the U.S.
Senate Finance Committee, will hold a public forum to discuss what taxpayers
want and need from the IRS to comply with their tax obligations. This public
forum will be held Thursday, May 5, at 8:30 a.m. at the YMCA, 101 East Cherry
Street, Red Oak, Iowa.
In the National Taxpayer Advocate’s
2015 Annual Report to Congress, Olson recommended the IRS solicit comments
from taxpayers and tax professionals regarding a plan that envisions how the
IRS will operate in five years and beyond, the "Future State” plan, including
their thoughts on the extent to which taxpayers will continue to need telephone
and in-person assistance. The objective of the public forums held around the
country is to ensure the "Future State” plan will better reflect the needs and
preferences of U.S. taxpayers as they seek to comply with the tax code.
The May 5 public forum will feature
an invited panel of representatives from the agricultural and local taxpayer
communities, including the following: Varel Bailey, President Bailey Farms,
Inc.; Tamara Borland, Director Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, Iowa Legal Aid;
Alvin LaMar, Enrolled Agent Iowa Farm Business Association; Kristy Maitre, Tax
Specialist Agricultural Education & Studies, Iowa State University; and
Wendy Smith, VITA Program Coordinator United Way of Wapello County. Members of
the public will also have an opportunity to speak.
For information about the forum, go
to TaxpayerAdvocate.irs.gov/public-forums.
Supreme Court Opinions
April 22
|
|
No. 14–0569
EXCEPTIONAL PERSONS, INC.; NEW
CHOICES, INC.; HANDICAPPED DEVELOPMENT CENTER; LIFE WORKS COMMUNITY SERVICES;
CANDEO, VOCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER, INC., HEALTHY CONNECTIONS, INC.; and
KRYSILIS, INC. vs. IOWA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES Medicaid service providers challenge
payment rates set by the Iowa Department of Human Services, contending the
rates are not authorized by the department’s administrative rules. COURT
OF APPEALS DECISION VACATED; DISTRICT COURT JUDGMENT REVERSED.
No. 14–1362
CONCERNED CITIZENS OF SOUTHEAST POLK
SCHOOL DISTRICT vs. CITY OF PLEASANT HILL, IOWA, and the CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF PLEASANT HILL, IOWA A citizens group and a school district seek further review
of a court of appeals decision affirming a district court ruling that a municipality
acted lawfully in amending an economic development urban renewal plan. DECISION
OF COURT OF APPEALS VACATED; DISTRICT COURT JUDGMENT AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED
IN PART, AND REMANDED.
No. 14–1799
STATE OF IOWA vs. SOJI ITUNU
OLUTUNDE Defendant charged with dependent adult abuse seeks reversal of
an order allowing the State to unseal information about a founded complaint
more than ten years old previously sealed under Iowa Code section 235B.9. DISTRICT
COURT RULING REVERSED; CASE REMANDED.
No. 15–0030
STATE OF IOWA vs. DONALD JAMES HILL A defendant appeals the district court’s
sentencing order. DECISION OF COURT OF APPEALS VACATED; DISTRICT COURT
SENTENCE VACATED AND CASE REMANDED.
|
Advertisement
|
|
