I.O.W.A. Meetings

I.O.W.A. typically holds its annual meeting in June. The organization also holds an annual Award Gala to present the Arabella Mansfield and Gertrude Rush awards. I.O.W.A. annually sponsors a continuing legal education program covering a variety of law-related topics.

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Bar Associations

I.O.W.A. occasionally sends representatives to the American Bar Association Annual Meeting and the National Conference of Women's Bar Associations (NCWBA). I.O.W.A. is a member of NCWBA; details are available on their website www.ncwba.org. Participation in these events has helped I.O.W.A. benefit from the experiences of other women's bar associations and, specifically, to learn successful strategies they have used to further their goals. I.O.W.A. often partners with other bar associations to co-sponsor events of interest to its members.

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Judicial Process

I.O.W.A. advocates for more women on the bench and in leadership positions in other bar associations. The group monitors vacancies in those positions and encourages its members to apply for judicial positions and to support qualified women candidates.

As part of this advocacy, I.O.W.A. periodically hosts Judicial Bootcamps.  The next one is the Judicial Application Bootcamp, being held virtually on September 28, 2024, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm.  It is open to I.O.W.A members and law students and registration is limited to 10 participants.   The Bootcamp will cover the process of applying for state level judicial positions in Iowa with a focus on the interview portion of the process.   

The I.O.W.A. Professional Action Committee developed this Proposed Judicial Nomination Process (PDF, 52KB). I.O.W.A. is an active participant in the Infinity Project, working toward increasing the number of women on the federal and state benches throughout the Eighth Circuit.

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Community Projects

I.O.W.A. members actively participate in community affairs. Currently, I.O.W.A. sponsors a Visiting Mom Project at Mitchellville, and a Book Club at Mitchellville as well. For more information on these programs and past community projects, go to the Community page.

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Awards

Each year, I.O.W.A. gives two awards, the Arabella Mansfield Award and the Gertrude Rush Award. The awards are presented at the I.O.W.A. annual meeting. For more information on these awards and how to submit a nomination, go to the Awards page.

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