In-house counsel tasked with enforcing state environmental laws, conducting investigations,preparing administrative orders, and representing the Department in contested cases. Providelegal and policy advice, engage in litigation, draft administrative rules, and ensure compliancewith relevant laws. Additional duties include legislative research, contract review, and serving asgeneral counsel to the DNR's Land Quality Bureau.

Defends tort claims against the state at all stages of the litigation process including but notlimited to discovery, conducting and defending depositions, preparing and interviewingwitnesses, managing clients and associated expectations, investigatory work, attendingmediation, and seeing a case through trial as both first and second chair. Collaborativework process both within the office and with associated governmental entities. Complexcivil litigation including medical malpractice, personal injury, toxic torts, wrongful death,negligence, higher education litigation, and employment discrimination cases amongst others. Supervision of outside counsel on cases involving UIHC.

Accepted, argued and managed my own cases in the areas of criminal law including “C” levelfelonies, juvenile law, family law, and immigration cases, as well as research andinvolvement in complex civil litigation. Work involved preparing exhibits, witnesses,investigatory work, preparation for and conducting depositions, appellate research andbriefing, communication and collaboration with parties including clients, arguments incourt, and sitting first chair on both bench and jury trials. Drafting and filing proposedorders and decrees. Had to show initiative, organization and follow-through as significantmajority of cases and tasks were self-directed.

Work involved compassionate representation of juvenile women involved in the criminal justicesystem in Polk County, creative problem solving, collaborative justice involving workingwith all members of the team including the prosecutor, representation in both formal andinformal hearings, life skills training, as well as connecting staff and clients to communityservices and opportunities. First person in the state of Iowa to hold this position.

Accepted, argued and managed my own cases in the areas of criminal law, juvenile law, familylaw, administrative law hearings, and immigration. Experience included hearings oncontested motions, pleadings, sentencing and competency issues, drafting motions, andproposed orders/decrees, requests for discovery from the State, appellate level briefs, andother trial motions for both criminal and civil cases, as well as successfully managing acriminal jury trial to a not guilty verdict. Attended administrative hearings, both phone andan in-person trial for an abuse registry case and a DOT case. Had to show initiative,organization and follow-through as a significant majority of cases and tasks wereself-directed.

Created and managed a girls club which focused on teaching life skills to high school aged girls;built organizational capacity for host organization; lived and worked in a rural village ineastern South Africa; taught about pressing health issues (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis,diabetes, cancer) to organization and community members via weekly talks at the localclinic; and received an “Advanced” level in Zulu language skills.