〚 1968 〛 

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman retired in July after nearly 49 years on the bench. Her career included service at every level of the Illinois courts, from associate judge to chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court.   

〚 1976 〛 

The University of Iowa Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel Carroll Reasoner announced her retirement in March. Reasoner has served in that role since October 2010 after serving two years as an interim in the position. 

〚 1979 〛 

The Gazette featured Neil Hamilton, professor emeritus of law at Drake University, and his new book, The Land Remains: A Midwestern Perspective on Our Past and Future. In the book, Hamilton talks about the history of Iowa land conservation and the changes in agriculture and public policy that have shaped it.  

〚 1981 〛 

Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, announced the reelection of Sheryl Stoll to the Cornell College board of trustees.  

〚 1982 〛 

Dennis Shields was named the president of the Southern University System and chancellor of Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Shields previously served as the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville since 2010. He has devoted his career to advocating for better access to higher education, especially for those who have been historically underrepresented. Shields held administrative positions in admissions at the University of Iowa College of Law, University of Michigan Law School and Duke University School of Law. He also held a deanship and a teaching position at Phoenix School of Law and acted as the vice president for student affairs at the City College of New York. 

〚 1984 〛 

Legal Aid Chicago honored Maja Eaton as a Champion of Justice in June. Her commitment to pro bono legal work and to Legal Aid Chicago began four decades ago. She served on Legal Aid Chicago’s board for many years, including two terms as co-chair.  

〚 1986 〛 

Georgia-Pacific Senior Vice President and General Counsel Tye Darland was appointed to the Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission by Gov. Brian Kemp. The commission makes recommendations to the governor to fill vacancies in the state courts in Georgia. Darland was previously a member of the Judicial Nominating Commission from 2008 to 2010. 

〚 1988 〛 

Karl Armstrong was appointed to lead the Nevada Taxicab Authority as its administrator. Prior to that he served as an appeals officer with the Nevada Department of Administration where he primarily conducted hearings to adjudicate workers’ compensation disputes.  

IntelinAir Inc., an agricultural technology company, hired Ken Isley to serve as chief legal officer, executive vice president and corporate secretary. Isley most recently served as USDA’s administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service for two years in Washington, D.C. He previously worked in legal roles for Dow Chemical Co. and Dow AgroSciences. 

〚 1989 〛 

XPEL announced the appointment of Stacy L. Bogart to its board of directors. Bogart currently serves as senior vice president, general counsel, corporate secretary and corporate responsibility officer at Winnebago Industries Inc. She also serves as president of the Winnebago Industries Foundation, a director of the Great Twin Cities United Way and a member of the Leadership Council for the Mayo Clinic.  

Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness announced her plans to retire from public office at the end of her term on Dec. 31, 2022. In 2006, she was the first woman elected county attorney for Johnson County. She was reelected in 2010, 2014 and 2018.  

〚 1990 〛 

Cynthia Nance was named interim dean of the University of Arkansas School of Law; she also was dean from 2006 to 2011.  

〚 1991 〛 

The University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business honored Jeff Lorenger with the Oscar C. Schmidt Iowa Business Leadership Award. This award went to Lorenger as well as the HNI Corp. leadership team, which Lorenger joined in 1998. The Oscar C. Schmidt Iowa Business Leadership Award was established in 1980 to recognize outstanding Iowa business leaders.  

〚 1992 〛 

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed attorney Kenneth S. Hoopes to the 14th Circuit Court. He practiced with Ladas & Hoopes Law Offices, specializing in personal injury, probate and estate planning, and Social Security disability.  

Principal Financial Group named Chris Littlefield as president of Retirement and Income Solutions (RIS). Prior to that he served as executive vice president and general counsel of Principal Financial Group.  

〚 1994 〛 

Massachusetts Bar Foundation (MBF) elected Angela McConney Scheepers as president. She is the first president of color in the organization’s history. She joined the MBF Society of Fellows in 2007 and the board of trustees in 2013. She is an administrative magistrate for the Division of Administrative Law Appeals, an independent agency that conducts due process adjudicatory hearings for other Massachusetts state administrative agencies.  

〚 1995 〛 

The Illinois Supreme Court appointed Ruth I. Gudino as at-large circuit judge of Cook County. Gudino practiced law for more than 25 years, including 20 years in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. She most recently served as the supervisor of the Criminal Prosecutions Bureau for the 4th District–Maywood.  

Grand View University named Rachelle Keck as its 14th president. Keck is the first woman to be president of this Des Moines liberal arts college in its 125-year history. Prior to joining Grand View, she was executive vice president and university counsel of Briar Cliff University in Sioux City. 

〚 1996 〛 

Gov. Kim Reynolds appointed Clinton Boddicker as district court judge for Iowa’s Judicial Election District 8B. He previously served as the Lee County attorney. District 8B serves Des Moines, Henry, Lee and Louisa counties.  

Coe College named David T. Hayes (09LLM) as its president in October 2021. Previously, he served as vice president for advancement and professor of business administration and economics.  

〚 1997 〛 

Iowans for Tax Relief announced the promotion of Chris Hagenow to president. Prior to joining ITR, Hagenow served 12 years in the Iowa House, representing parts of Dallas and Polk counties. During his time at the Capitol in Des Moines, he served in various leadership roles, including House majority leader from 2016 to 2019.  

Evangeline M. Mitchell‘s short documentary “Becoming Black Lawyers” has been on the film festival circuit, receiving more than 20 awards, including more than a dozen “Best Documentary Short” recognitions. The documentary shares the personal stories, perspectives and experiences of five Black lawyers who must overcome additional challenges beyond the rigors of studying law in a hypercompetitive environment.  

〚 2000 〛 

Vanessa Benavides was named chief legal officer of Kaiser Permanente at the end of 2021. Benavides is responsible for managing the legal, compliance and regulatory functions and developing and implementing an integrated approach to foster a better understanding of enterprise risks and solutions while advancing support of the organization’s business strategies. She will continue to serve on the organization’s National Executive Team. 

Brian Galligan was elected to serve on the Judicial Nominating Commission for District 5A in Iowa.  

〚 2001 〛  

Jeffrey Armistead was appointed as a magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. He previously served as a staff attorney and senior staff counsel for the Oregon Court of Appeals for more than eight years. 

〚 2003 〛 

Tyson & Mendes LLP announced longtime partner Jacob Felderman was promoted to equity partner. Felderman has served as head of legal operations since 2021 in the firm’s Denver office. 

Dan Schoeni reviewed Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America by Alec MacGillis in an article titled “Nothing. Everything.” The article was published in The JAG Reporter on Feb. 17, 2022.  

Sarah Sidwell joined Maslon LLP’s Labor & Employment Group in Minneapolis as partner.  

 〚 2004 〛 

Beau Brindley argued before the Supreme Court of the United States in defense of Shakeel Kahn, in Kahn v. United States on March 1, 2022.  

United Fire Group Inc. announced the promotion of Sarah Madsen as chief legal officer in February 2022. Madsen oversees UFG’s legal, regulatory, governance, compliance and vendor management matters. She has served as assistant general counsel at UFG since 2018.  

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appointed Sarah Wheelock to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. She is the first Native American ever appointed to this court. 

〚 2005 〛 

Nate Johnson was featured on Minneapolis’s KARE 11 for his organization FreeWriters, which teaches freewriting at the Hennepin County Jail. He is a former prosecuting attorney, veteran, and lifelong lover of literature and creative writing.  

Professor Jill Wieber Lens was named the Robert A. Leflar Professor at the University of Arkansas School of Law.   

The University of Oklahoma College of Law named Professor Megan Wischmeier Shaner the Arch B. and Jo Anne Gilbert Professor of Law. Professor Shaner teaches business associations, contracts, corporate drafting and unincorporated business entities.  

〚 2006 〛 

The University of Northern Iowa recognized Jeff Scudder with the 2021 President’s Philanthropy Award. Scudder is a partner in the Phoenix-based law firm of Snell & Wilmer LLP with concentrations in corporate and securities law and a focus on complex business transactions.  

〚 2007 〛 

Erica L. Harris was promoted to colonel in the Air Force on June 1, 2022. She is chief, Civil Law and Policy Division in the Air Force, stationed at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Col. Harris previously served at numerous assignments at installation, Major Command and Air Staff levels, including as chief of legal assistance and senior legislative counsel. 

The University of Nevada-Las Vegas welcomed Dr. Steven L. Nelson as an associate professor of education policy and leadership studies. His work investigates the intersection of education law, education policy and race in urban educational settings.  

〚 2008 〛 

Tai Duncan, vice president of community integration at Cresco Labs, was named among Crain’s 2022 Notable Leaders in Community Development. The UNBOSSED podcast featured her in February. Prior to joining Cresco, she was a founding member of the adult basketball fitness company Swish House and served as its vice president of business and legal affairs. 

Snell & Wilmer opened a new office location in Dallas, led by partner Scott Hancock. Hancock was previously a shareholder at Winstead PC and an associate in Snell & Wilmer’s Phoenix office focusing on trust and estate planning, business succession planning, and charitable planning. 

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the appointment of Chad Long to serve as public administrator and public guardian of Henderson, Knox and Warren counties. Long is an administrative hearing officer for the city of Galesburg and the owner and member of Statham & Long, LLC. He is president of the Knox County Bar Association.  

Christa Moseng was appointed an administrative law judge for the state of Minnesota. Moseng is known for her technical expertise, commitment to public service, excellence in legal writing, and commitment to inclusion and equity, particularly for the LGBTQIA+ community.  

〚 2009 〛 

Ben Finholt was honored by the North Carolina Bar Association with its 2022 Law School Pro Bono Award. He shared the award with members of Duke Law’s Juvenile Sentence Review Board Clemency Project. Finholt directs the Just Sentencing Project at Duke Law’s Wilson Center for Science and Justice.  

〚 2010 〛 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Christie Canales Norris to serve as judge in Kern County Superior Court. Norris has served as a senior attorney at the Kern County Superior Court since 2018. She was a sole practitioner from 2013 to 2020 and served as a deputy public defender at the Kern County Public Defender’s Office from 2011 to 2013. 

Rob Sand published The Winning Ticket: Uncovering America’s Biggest Lottery Scam with Reid Forgrave. It traces the investigation of a complex fraud case. 

〚 2011 〛 

Medium’s Authority Magazine interviewed Brad Biren on urban farming and community-supported agriculture in April. 

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds appointed Meghan Corbin as district court judge in Iowa’s 7th Judicial District, representing Cedar, Clinton, Jackson, Muscatine and Scott counties.  

Jennifer Hennessy was promoted to partner at Foley & Lardner LLP in Milwaukee. She is a data privacy and cyber security attorney, advising clients ranging from multinational corporations to startups.  

Nicole Saleem was promoted to partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP in Chicago. She focuses on litigation and enforcement matters in the financial services industry, federal securities law, and regulatory and internal  
investigations. 

Jennifer C. Wang joined Fountain House as senior director of national policy and advocacy. She previously served as chief strategic partnerships and research officer for the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum. 

〚 2012 〛 

Vikings Assistant Director of Pro Scouting Chris Blanco has been selected to participate in the inaugural NFL Coach and Front Office Accelerator Program. The program provides leadership development sessions with football operations experts and facilitators.

〚 2013 〛 

Michelle A. Halverson was promoted to senior vice president, general counsel, chief legal officer and corporate secretary at GreatAmerica Financial Services in Cedar Rapids. 

Samantha Rollins was promoted to partner at Faegre Drinker in Minneapolis. She is a labor and employment attorney defending employers across the country.

〚 2014 〛 

Jake Halverson was promoted to the rank of major in the U.S. Army. Maj. Halverson serves as the senior trial counsel for the 101st Airborne Division. 

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds appointed Joshua Schier as district court judge in Iowa’s Judicial Election District 8B, representing Des Moines, Henry, Lee and Louisa counties. 

〚 2015 〛 

Rosa Newman-Ruffin joined Elon School of Law as a property and contracts professor. Her research and teaching  focus primarily on property, land use and business transactional law with additional interest in affordable housing development. 

〚 2016 〛 

Alex Lodge co-authored an article, “Creating a More Diverse and Equitable Legal System,” for the Wisconsin Lawyer. He advocates for underserved clients through pro bono clinics, such as WAAL’s expungement and arrest-record-correction clinics, and provides workshops about Fourth Amendment rights to high school and law students through the Justice101 nonprofit that he co-founded. He practices law in Minneapolis for Cargill Inc. 

〚 2018 〛 

Erick Orantes is serving as the 2022 president of the Hispanic Bar Association for the Greater Kansas City Area. He practices with Stinson in the areas of business litigation, esports, sports technology and wagering, and sports and recreation.  

〚 2022 〛 

Sarah Castle received the National Association of Women Lawyers Outstanding Law Student Award. She is clerking for Judge Mark Houle on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. 

 

Leading Iowa Law 

In 2021 the College of Law launched the Alumni DEI Council, which is committed to increasing and supporting diversity, equity and inclusion at Iowa Law. This group is committed to developing key programs to help recruit underrepresented students to Iowa Law, connect with current students and recent graduates with alumni mentorship, and work with faculty and staff to support DEI efforts.  

Leading Iowa Law 

The Iowa Law School Foundation (ILSF) is governed by a volunteer board of directors consisting of graduates and friends of the College of Law, law faculty, law students, and the dean of the college. The board is led by Maja J. Eaton (84JD); other members are listed below.