The Board of Governors of the ISBA met at the ISBA Building in Des Moines on Wednesday, Sept. 24. Affirmative legislative agenda items were presented for the 2026 legislative session, and the board addressed several other items of interest.

The Probate, Trust & Estate Planning Section of The Iowa State Bar Association cordially invites all ISBA members and law students to join them at their next meeting, which is being held on the second floor of Cartwright Hall on Drake University’s campus, beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 10.

The loss of the rural lawyer’s practice matters to more than rural counties in Iowa. It matters to all lawyers.

ISBA President Kathy Law continues to share her journey with mental illness in this conclusion to last month's letter. 

What began as a simple form has evolved into a powerful communications tool that improves outcomes for youth, strengthens trust in the justice system, and fosters better relationships between judges, attorneys, and juvenile clients.

"Build it and [they] will come" is certainly the most quoted line from the classic movie, Field of Dreams. While the feeling evokes hope, cooperation, and effort, real-world challenges like Iowa’s rural lawyer shortage require more than just building.

Providing access to justice and access to quality legal services is important to all of us, whether rural or urban.

Practicing in a small town doesn’t mean you have to give up your specialty, or that you can’t have one.

Rural communities contend with a long list of challenges, from population loss to the upkeep of roads, schools, and utilities. Among those challenges, two shortages feed each other: too few professionals and too few homes.

In small towns across rural Iowa, the heartbeat of the community is often found in the people who call it home. One of the biggest barriers to growth in small towns is the lack of modern, affordable housing.