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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Law School Spotlights
Category: Law School Spotlights
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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...
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Drake Law Faculty Attend 2024 AALS Meeting
Several Drake Law faculty members attended this year’s Association of American Law Schools (AALS) annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Many presented on topics within their specialties and were appointed to leadership positions. Here are some highlights: Professor Jeremy Kidd was elected to the Executive Board of the Business Associations Section and reelected to the Executive...
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Drake Law Student Named a 2023 Real Pork Scholar
Drake Law second-year student Beth Stevermer is among the nine students named to the 2023 Real Pork Scholars cohort by the National Pork Board. This two-year program is designed to offer professional mentorship and build a strong peer-to-peer network and professional training to help communicate technical information in the agricultural community. Beth discovered the opportunity...
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Student attorneys in the Drake Refugee Clinic assist Afghan refugees through the immigration and family reunification processes
Over the last year, student attorneys with the Drake Refugee Clinic helped numerous Afghan nationals navigate the complexities of the immigration process through the Clinic’s collaboration with the Afghan Legal League of Iowa (ALL Iowa).* They provided direct representation before immigration agencies, and helped develop pro se materials, intake processes, and conducted needs assessments to...
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Drake’s Criminal Law Clinic provides tremendous public service through the Iowa Sentencing Project
Students in the Criminal Law Clinic, under the supervision of the clinic’s director Robert Rigg, participate in the Iowa Sentencing Project, researching and publishing annual updates to the Iowa Criminal Statues Summary Chart (Chart). This sentencing “bible” is used by every criminal defense lawyer, prosecutor, and judge across the state and helps ensure the efficient,...