Each year, first-year law students at Drake Law School step out of the classroom and into the courtroom through the First-Year Trial Practicum (FYTP) at the Drake Legal Clinic. This unique program immerses students in a real-life trial, allowing them to observe the legal process from voir dire to final conviction. Classes pause for the...
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Drake Law Students Attend Judicial Clerkship Opinion Writing Conference
Two Drake Law School students, Ankit Pal and Payton Rochford, were among a select group chosen to attend the highly competitive Judicial Clerkship Opinion Writing Conference, hosted by The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C. The conference brings together distinguished jurists and future judicial law clerks from around the country...
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Empowering First-Generation Law Students Through Community
Will Keck’s journey to law school started with a spark of curiosity. None of his family or friends were lawyers but watching the 2008 and 2012 political campaigns he became interested in how laws shape society. This curiosity led him to explore law and policy through student government, a prestigious internship with Senator Chuck Grassley...
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C. Edwin Moore Moot Court Competition: Empowering Advocacy and Shaping Legal Careers
The C. Edwin Moore Moot Court Competition is a hallmark event at Drake Law School, offering first-year students a platform to hone their oral advocacy skills. From navigating complex legal arguments to presenting compelling cases before panels of seasoned judges, this competition serves as a stepping stone for aspiring legal advocates. Today, we spotlight some...
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Drake Law Students Excel in Real-World Trials: Transformative Experiences That Set Them Apart
Drake Law’s supportive legal community—including alumni, mentors, and other practicing attorneys—opens doors that set students apart. Drake Law students graduate with exceptional hands-on experience, taking the lead in real-world trials even before earning their degrees. This year alone, as interns with the Polk County Attorney’s Office, students have: These experiences are more than practice—they are...
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Darbi Spellman and Colegrove Withers – Fighting for Justice with the Drake Wrongful Convictions Clinic
Darbi Spellman’s first week interning with the Drake Wrongful Convictions Clinic (WCC) didn’t start with paperwork or orientation—it began with a high-stakes courtroom observation. She watched as Erica Nichols Cook, director of the Wrongful Conviction Unit for the Iowa State Public Defender’s Office and WCC supervisor, argued for a new trial in the case of...
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From Service to Law: Spotlight on Some of Drake Law’s Student Veterans
In honor of Veterans Day, Drake Law School salutes some of the members of the student body who served in the armed forces. Marie Bowen (1L) served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego. For Marie, joining the Marines was a pathway to escape poverty and adversity and to...
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From Texas to Des Moines: 2L Wyatt Harlan Practices his Passion for Agricultural Law at Drake
Growing up on his family’s farm in the Texas Panhandle, Wyatt Harlan developed a deep passion for the agricultural industry and the people who face the challenge of feeding and clothing a growing population. As his involvement in the farm grew, he realized the integral role law plays on the family farm. “From regulatory compliance...
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2L Eric Wendel Lee II Selected for Baker McKenzie’s National Black Law Student Association Tax Mentor Program
Drake second-year student Eric Wendel Lee II is spending the spring semester as one of 30 mentees in Baker McKenzie’s 2024 National Black Law Student Association (NBLSA) Tax Mentor Program. This competitive program is designed to educate interested NBLSA members about careers in tax law. Eric learned of this opportunity through his active involvement with...
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Celebrating Drake Law School Alumni African American Judges in Iowa
Hon. Luther T. Glanton Jr. Luther T. Glanton Jr. was Iowa’s first African American Judge. He was appointed to fill a mid-term vacancy on the Des Moines Municipal Court in 1958 and won election to that seat the following year. In 1973, Judge Glanton was appointed as an associate district judge and then as a...