http://www.abajournal.com/news/ en Copyright 2013 2013-06-19T16:44:45-06:00 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_firm_suffers_7th_traffic_crash_in_10_years_but_4-way_stop_is_not_forthc/ For the seventh time in a decade, a small Iowa City law firm has been the victim of a traffic accident. In this latest incident, its front porch was damaged when a car involved in a collision skidded into its stone foundation. A limestone pillar will have to be replaced.… Business of Law, Government Law, Law Firms, Solos/Small Firms, Real Estate & Property Law, States, Iowa Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:10:51 -0500 44609.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/federal_judge_clashes_with_prosecutors_over_seeking_info_that_could_extend_/ A former federal prosecutor now serving as a federal judge has clashed with federal prosecutors in Iowa over information she has sought in several cases that could be used to extend defendants' sentences. Already under appeal is a sentence in a weapons case imposed on convicted drug dealer Bryan Holm… Appellate Practice, Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice, Prosecutors, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Judiciary, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, 8th Circuit Court, States, Iowa Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:00:27 -0500 44489.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/2010_indictment_unsealed_so_fbi_can_publicize_manhunt_for_disbarred_attorne/ Disbarred Iowa attorney Dennis Bjorklund can be fast on his feet when avoiding the long arm of the law, once reportedly outrunning a process server, although he did lose a shoe along the way. But now the former DUI defense attorney–who may still be selling books on the subject online–is… Criminal Justice, Legal Ethics, 8th Circuit Court, States, Iowa Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:35:16 -0600 42563.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/columnists_decry_iowa_ruling_finding_no_sex_bias_in_woman_fired_for_being_t/ Outraged columnists are still talking about an Iowa Supreme Court ruling issued before Christmas that tossed a lawsuit by a woman who says her boss fired her because he considered her an irresistible attraction. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled on Dec. 21 that the firing of dental assistant Melissa Nelson… Civil Rights, Labor & Employment, States, Iowa Wed, 02 Jan 2013 11:31:22 -0600 42160.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/defendant_douses_his_attorney_as_jury_is_about_to_exit_for_deliberations_in/ Updated: As the jury was about to file out of an Iowa courtroom around lunchtime on Monday to begin deliberations in a first-degree murder case, the defendant gave them something new to think about. Jerome Power, 50, grabbed a cup of water and poured it over the head of his… Criminal Justice, Judiciary, Court Security, Trials & Litigation, Juries, States, Iowa Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:23:21 -0600 41705.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/mistrial_declared_in_conservative_hiring_bias_suit_against_university_of_io/ A federal magistrate judge has declared a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a verdict on one of two claims in a conservative hiring bias suit against the University of Iowa law school. Jurors ruled against Teresa Wagner on her First Amendment claim and deadlocked on her 14th Amendment… Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Law Professors, Law Schools, Trials & Litigation, States, Iowa Thu, 25 Oct 2012 06:49:31 -0500 41288.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/paralegal_makes_discipline_complaint_against_ex-boss_lawyer_is_suspended_fo/ A paralegal who once worked for Iowa attorney Sara Anna Kersenbrock blew the whistle on her former boss, filing a 2010 disciplinary complaint that resulted in a one-month license suspension. In a Friday opinion (PDF), the state supreme court imposed the sanction, rejecting a public reprimand proposed by… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Law Firms, Paralegals, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, States, Iowa Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:00:00 -0500 40845.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/too_much_evidence_cited_as_reason_for_dropping_drug_charges/ A federal judge in Iowa has dropped charges against a fugitive doctor because it's become too costly for federal officials to maintain evidence in the massive online pharmacy case. The case against Miami doctor Armando Angulo, the nation's largest prosecution of online pharmacies, involves more than 400,000 documents, computers, servers… Criminal Justice, White Collar Crime, Criminal Procedure, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, States, Florida, Iowa Fri, 17 Aug 2012 08:03:20 -0500 40306.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/would-be_iowa_law_prof_sues_again_says_new_job_application_noted_then-pendi/ A Michigan immigration attorney who wants to be a law professor has filed new litigation against the University of Iowa, contending that the institution not only discriminated against him in 2010 by refusing to consider him because of his age but retaliated against him due to a then-pending prior age-discrimination… Labor & Employment, Law Professors, Law Schools, Tort Law, Trials & Litigation, States, Iowa Tue, 24 Jul 2012 14:16:27 -0500 39865.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/Whose_Law_License_Was_Suspended_Without_a_Hearing_Because_He_Wasnt_Tryi/ A county prosecutor who summarily had his law license suspended for almost a month by the Iowa Supreme Court's chief justice because of a claimed "temporary disability," admittedly didn't stay on top of his busy criminal caseload. But there was no indication that Appanoose County Attorney Richard Scott was in… Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice, Prosecutors, Judiciary, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, States, Iowa Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:46:02 -0500 39057.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/federal_judge_mulls_prosecutor_sanctions_due_to_dea_agents_concealment/ A federal judge in Iowa is pondering possible sanctions on prosecutors in a narcotics case after learning that a Drug Enforcement Administration agent didn't reveal in investigative reports that GPS monitoring was being used on vehicles related to then-suspect Angel Amaya. U.S. District Judge Mark Bennett said DEA policy required… Criminal Justice, Prosecutors, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, 8th Circuit Court, States, Iowa Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:25:51 -0500 38374.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/lawyer_suspended_30_days_for_charging_2500_minimum_fee_despite_doing_little/ A retired Iowa lawyer has received a 30 day suspension for charging a $2,500 nonrefundable retainer, even though he spent less than four hours of work on the case. The Iowa Supreme Court imposed the suspension on Friday against retired Clinton lawyer William Vilmont, report the Quad-City… Criminal Justice, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, Attorney Fees, States, Iowa Mon, 09 Apr 2012 09:19:52 -0500 38190.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/lawsuits_by_ex-u_of_iowa_official_and_gc_seek_damages_for_firings_over_hand/ A former longtime dean of students at the University of Iowa is seeking to join a former general counsel in litigation against the university and a private law firm, among other defendants, over the manner in which the two men handled a 2008 student sexual assault investigation. Last month, a… Education Law, Government Law, In-house Counsel, Labor & Employment, Tort Law, Trials & Litigation, 8th Circuit Court, States, Iowa Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:30:15 -0600 37372.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ny_attorney_withdraws_last-minute_claim_to_7.5m_iowa_lottery_prize/ A New York lawyer who submitted a winning $7.5 million Iowa lottery ticket by overnight delivery, with the help of a local law firm, has withdrawn his claim to the prize after officials demanded he prove ownership. However, Crawford Shaw's decision not to seek payment doesn't resolve all questions concerning… Contracts, Corporate Law, States, Iowa, New York Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:50:58 -0600 37073.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/former_court_clerk_gets_10_years_for_stealing_500k_from_ticket_and_fine_pay/ A former court clerk was sentenced by an Iowa judge to a 10-year prison term after entering a no-contest plea to four counts of first-degree theft in the middle of her October trial. The prosecution had sought a 20-year term for Tina Marlene Zieser, 46, who must also pay restitution… Criminal Justice, Public Defenders, Sentencing/Post Conviction, White Collar Crime, Judiciary, States, Iowa Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:20:51 -0600 36863.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/pennsylvania_firms_target_whole_practice_groups_and_small_firms_in_2011/ Forget cherry-picking one-off partners and laterals. In 2011, several Pennsylvania law firms launched new practice groups and opened offices by poaching entire practice groups and acquiring small firms. The growth trend also capitalized on hot e-discovery and energy law opportunities, reports the Legal Intelligencer, which tracked… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Lawyer Pay, Law Firms, Mergers & Acquisitions, States, Iowa Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:37:38 -0600 36678.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/political_discrimination_suit_against_former_dean_to_go_to_trial/ A federal appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit against the former dean of the University of Iowa College of Law for failing to hire a part-time employee as a full-time instructor due to her conservative politics. The district court initially granted Carolyn Jones’ motion for summary judgment, which… Appellate Practice, Constitutional Law, Law Professors, Law Schools, 8th Circuit Court, States, Iowa Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:21:50 -0600 36677.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/real_estate_lawyer_is_convicted_in_quad_cities_mortgage_fraud_case/ An Iowa real estate lawyer who says he acted in good faith when he helped close nine real estate transactions for a rogue client was found guilty today in a federal mortgage fraud case in Davenport. The transactions that got Marc Robert Engelmann, 60, convicted of bank fraud, wire fraud… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Criminal Justice, White Collar Crime, Law Firms, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, Real Estate & Property Law, Trials & Litigation, 4th Circuit Court, States, Iowa Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:38:44 -0500 34934.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/8th_circuit_oks_denial_of_social_security_benefits_to_daughter_born_2_years/ A federal appeals court has reversed a trial court ruling that a girl born, with the help of in vitro fertilization, two years after her dad's death is entitled to social security benefits. Upholding an Iowa law, since amended, that was enacted before assisted reproductive techniques made such births possible,… Appellate Practice, Benefits/ERISA, Family Law, Government Law, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, 8th Circuit Court, States, Iowa Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:49:44 -0500 34723.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/iowa_supreme_court_rejects_proposal_to_keep_facts_of_consent_suspensions_se/ The Iowa Supreme Court has rejected a proposal aimed at speeding up the lawyer discipline process by keeping secret the reasons for consent suspensions. Court spokesman Steve Davis told the Des Moines Register the public’s need for information about suspended lawyers who may return to law… Business of Law, Judiciary, Legal Ethics, States, Iowa Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:35:46 -0500 34696.abajournal.com