Polk County Bar Association

Join us for the first lecture in the new Dean's Speaker Series on Leadership in the Legal Profession! The program features a fireside chat/Q&A facilitated by Dean Roscoe Jones, Jr., exploring themes of leadership in public service.

Panelists include:
Robert Andeweg, LW'87 – Mayor, City of Urbandale, Iowa
Paula Dierenfeld, LW'84 – Mayor, City of Johnston, Iowa
John Edwards – Mayor, City of Clive, Iowa, and Associate Dean, Drake Law School
Scott Raecker – Executive Director, The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University, and former Iowa state representative

📅 Date: Thursday, October 3, 2024
🕒 Program: 3 p.m. | Reception: 4 p.m.
📍 Location: Cartwright Hall, Drake University
Register here: https://bit.ly/3ZjLg4e

We had a fantastic time at our September luncheon, featuring a fascinating presentation by Cory Gourley of Gourley, Rehkemper & Lindholm. Cory shared his insights into the legal process of opening his restaurant, Prime & Providence in West Des Moines along with some additional great information about the establishment from the restaurant’s General Manager and Sommelier.

If you missed this event, don't worry! We're already planning our next luncheon - mark your calendar for October 8, 2024. See all of our events at pcbaonline.org/events.

Check out some of the awesome moments from our 2024 Bench & Bar Golf Outing!

We had a great day of fun and connection, and we are so excited to share that we raised over $30,000 for the PCBA Volunteer Lawyers Project! This money will go a long way in helping those in our community who need pro bono legal assistance.

Huge thanks to everyone who played, sponsored, and helped out. You all made this event a huge success, and we couldn't have done it without you. A special congratulations to our winning team from Nyemaster Goode, P.C.!

This Tuesday, the Polk County Bar Association held our Annual Meeting. The Nominating Committee presented their nominees for the 2024-2025 Officers, Board of Directors, and Board of Governors.

Outgoing PCBA President Stacie Codr received a well-deserved award for her outstanding leadership during her term, presented by PCBA President-Elect Drew Gentsch. Congratulations, Stacie!

We were also honored to have Iowa Senator Nate Boulton and Iowa Representative Brian Lohse join us, providing a legislative update that was both informative and engaging.

Here's to another great year ahead for the Polk County Bar Association!

The Polk County Bar Association is thrilled to have hosted another inspiring Law Day celebration at the Iowa Supreme Court . This annual event is all about fostering creativity and understanding of the law among the brilliant minds of Polk County area students. This year's Law Day theme, "Voices of Democracy," encouraged students to create projects on the topics of actively engaging in our democracy, discussing issues civilly, and exercising the right to vote. A huge thank you to all the students, teachers, judges, speakers and volunteers who made this event possible!

Judges have to follow the law, even when they disagree with it, even when doing so is unpopular. While people may disagree with a court decision or a law, personal attacks on judges are unacceptable. The ABA is committed to upholding the Constitution, the judicial process and equal justice under the law. Learn more at: https://ambar.org/vgq1zs5e

Today, the Polk County Bar Association's Bench & Bar Committee hosted a presentation on sports betting in Iowa with Mark Weinhardt of the Weinhardt Law Firm, Jeff Peterzalek of the Office of the Attorney General of Iowa, and Cody Edwards of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.

The session provided a variety of perspectives and insights into Iowa's sports betting regulations covering legal considerations and compliance protocols and included a demonstration of geofencing technology.

This week, the PCBA was delighted to welcome Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham as the keynote speaker at our monthly luncheon. Her insights into the work of the Polk County Attorney's Office and her strong engagement with attendees made the event truly memorable.

A quick rundown of the pros and cons of AI for lawyers and law students: https://ambar.org/4b9jfp0b

With your help, the the PCBA Volunteer Lawyers Project helps hundreds of people in our community every year - learn more about our program and consider making a tax-deductible donation: https://rb.gy/waep6d

We're hiring!!! The Polk County Bar Association (PCBA) and Volunteer Lawyers project (VLP) are seeking a Program Manager to serve both organizations in their related core functions. The PCBA is a non-profit organization supporting the education of and collegiality among attorneys and judges in Polk County, Iowa. The VLP is a separate arm of the PCBA, coordinating the provision of volunteer pro bono legal services within Polk County. Both the PCBA and VLP share an Executive Director and office space, although each organization is directed by a separate board of volunteers. Get details here.

Position: PCBA Program Manager The Polk County Bar Association (PCBA) and Volunteer Lawyers project (VLP) are seeking a Program Manager to serve both organizations in their related core functions. The PCBA is a non-profit organization supporting the education of and collegiality among attorneys and judges in Polk Couty, Iowa.  T...

It's a great day to go and play Golf. Sign up now to play in our Annual Bench & Bar Tournament on June 9th at Bright Grandview Golf Club. Proceeds will go to support the PCBA Volunteer Lawyers Project. Don't have a foursome? No problem. Sign up with one, two or three players and we'll add you to a group. The registration form is below, or just send an email to [email protected]

We are also still looking for sponsors for this tournament. Sign up to sponsor here: https://tinyurl.com/mv8n8dkz or send an email to [email protected] for more info.

Seniors, do you need help preparing for an uncertain future? Get help with Lawyers in Libraries! Lawyer Deanna Steinbach from Iowa Legal Aid will present on both financial and health power of attorneys, living wills, and the Final Disposition Act. Participants can get more answers during the question-and-answer session.

Lawyers in Libraries is a joint effort by The Iowa State Bar Association , State Library of Iowa , Iowa Legal Aid and Polk County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project to help provide free legal information to Iowans across the state.

At the PCBA Annual Meeting yesterday.

Law Day on May 1st. It was great fun to see all the students receive their awards.

More photos from PCBA Law Day on May 1 at the Judicial Branch Building, Des Moines, Iowa.

At the Polk County Bar Association Law Day Celebration yesterday.

This year's Bench & Bar Golf Tournament, to support the Polk County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project, will be held on June 9th at Bright Grandview Golf Course. We are looking for sponsor and players. Early bird registration for players ends on April 30th.
The Gold sponsorship level includes a foursome of golfers. Register players and sign up to sponsor at the below link or email us at [email protected] or call 515-697-7880. https://tinyurl.com/mv8n8dkz

At the PCBA luncheon, April 11th. Spencer Cady and Matthew McGuire from Nyemaster Goode, PC, presented a 2022-2023 Iowa Supreme Court Mid-Term Review.

Polk County Bar Association updated their phone number.

Polk County Bar Association updated their business hours.

Sign up now. Space is limited.

Thank you to all of the generous donors who made this effort an amazing success!

Here is what one VLP client said:
I ask 100 questions and my VLP lawyer took time to explain. They got my case complete within 2 weeks and all I had to do was show up when it was over. Very sympathetic to my stress and made me feel support and safe. – VLP Client
Donate now!
https://secure.affinipay.com/pages/pcba/pcbachallenge