ISBA Standing Positions |
The Iowa State Bar Association takes legislative positions on general policy items of importance to the legal profession. The following are guiding principles for the ISBA's public policy positions. Specific examples of issues which fall under those guiding principles are also included.
Caps on Damages
Issue - Should the state limit by law the amount of money that a plaintiff in a lawsuit can recover from a defendant?
Civil Justice System Reform
Issue - Legislative proposals are often made which are intended to “reform” the manner in which civil litigation is handled in Iowa.
Funding for Legal Services
Issue - State funding of a Legal Services Grants Program to ensure access to the judicial system for low-income Iowans for assistance in civil cases – not criminal.
Indigent Defense
Issue - Indigent Defense is a program designed to meet the requirement of the Iowa and United States Constitutions to provide legal representation at state expense to low-income persons accused of a crime that may result in incarceration.
Judicial Branch Budget
Issue - The Judicial Branch is a co-equal branch of government. Given that the Judiciary is a co-equal branch of government, how should the state fund the operation of Iowa’s Judicial Branch?
Jury Nullification
Issue - Jury nullification legislation requires a Judge to give an instruction in cases (civil or criminal) in which the State is the Plaintiff. The instruction tells the jury to judge the law as well as the evidence, and to render a verdict dictated by conscientious consideration.
Title Insurance
Issue - Recent legislative proposals would remove current statutory language (Iowa 515.48(10)) that prohibits insurance companies doing business in Iowa from offering title insurance policies for sale.
Young Lawyers Division
Issue - Student debt is repeatedly the top concern for ISBA YLD’s members. The cost of legal education and associated student debt have grown significantly over recent decades. This cost and debt burdens our youngest and future members impacting their career choices, their clients and those attorneys with which they practice.
