Johnson County Lawyers

Mark Thompson practices criminal defense law in Iowa City and the surrounding areas in Eastern Iowa. He has been operating his own firm, practicing in criminal law, since 2005. He has represented clients in over 2,000 criminal cases, with a majority of these cases being OWI / DUI. Mark has also handled contract defense cases for the Iowa State Public Defender, served as defense counsel for the Johnson County Drug Treatment Court, and served as a Judicial Magistrate. Now he focuses solely on his private criminal law practice.

Melvin O. Shaw is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law (2004). He has a Master’s in journalism from the UI, and a B.S. in political science from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Melvin has been a solo practitioner since he opened his law firm in 2006. Melvin will serve a one-year term as president of the Iowa State Bar Association starting June 2024. He is Chair of the Iowa Judicial Qualifications Commission and has served on the JQC since 2018. Melvin was appointed to the Lawyers Trust Account Commission 2024-2027 under an order of...

Attorney George B. Jones is the founder and owner of the The Law Office of George B. Jones, PLLC, in Lamoni, Iowa. A top-rated, award-winning trial lawyer with more than 35 years of legal experience, Mr. Jones devotes his practice primarily to personal injury, including car wrecks, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, work injuries, medical negligence, wrongful death, slip and fall, and other injury cases. During his extensive career he has tried hundreds of cases, and taught law courses at Graceland University, and trained prosecutors, judges and attorneys in trial practice techniques. No matter the issues his clients are facing or how...

Craig Nierman mediates and arbitrates complex insurance, tort, and healthcare claims. His quarter-century of litigation experience includes representing plaintiffs and defendants—including hospitals, individuals and families, insurers, domestic and international businesses, as well as government entities—in jury trials, appeals, and arbitrations. His insurance experience includes: First party claims; Third party cases; Extracontractual damages; Agent/broker errors and omissions; ERISA; Subrogation; and Carrier/producer disputes. His health law practice has involved complex reimbursement and revenue cycle issues (e.g., experimental, medical necessity, and exclusion questions), medical malpractice and devices, primary and secondary payor conflicts, provider contracts, and HIPAA compliance. He previously taught Insurance Law as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Iowa College of Law....

Jessica Malott is the owner and managing partner of Malott Law, PLC, and practices primarily in immigration. Jessica earned her Juris Doctor, with honors, in 2006 from Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa. During law school, she worked as an intern at the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) and was Editor-in-Chief of the Drake Law Review. Since graduating, Jessica has worked as a law clerk, federal government attorney, law school career advisor, and private practice attorney.

In her current practice, she focuses primarily on removal defense in Immigration Court and family-based immigration; however, she also takes an assortment...

At Johnston, Stannard, Klesner, Burbidge & Fitzgerald, P.L.C., our Iowa City criminal defense attorneys have more than 50 years of combined experience providing our community with excellent legal advocacy in criminal law. We’re thoughtful, skilled and resourceful legal professionals prepared to fight for your rights and protect your best interests wherever your case may take you.

Thomas D. S. Farnsworth was born and raised in Iowa City, Iowa. Thomas received a Bachelor of Business Administration, in Finance, from the University of Iowa and the Henry B. Tippie College of Business. During Thomas' undergraduate experience he clerked at a local law firm and worked as a pretrial interviewer for the Sixth Judicial District of Iowa. In 2004 Thomas began the accelerated program in at the University of Iowa College of Law and graduated in December of 2006. While in law school Thomas was licensed by the Iowa Supreme Court to work as a prosecuting legal intern. Thomas...

Gary has been working with individuals and families to help with their estate and tax planning for almost thirty years. He has a robust tax practice, preparing both individual and fiduciary returns. With this background, he also advises his clients on their estate planning, bringing his areas of expertise together to draft comprehensive plans that accomplish their goals. Gary also facilitates trust and estate administration, and so further helps families carry out their plans. In his career, Gary has worked with multiple generations, providing guidance and counsel on issues relating to finances, taxes, wealth transfer, and almost everything in between.

Originally...

Tom was born and raised in Iowa City. He received his BA degree from Harvard University in 1975 and then returned home to attend the University of Iowa College of Law. After completing law school in 1978, Tom joined the law firm where he has been a partner since 1983. Tom represents individuals, businesses and tax-exempt organizations on a variety of legal matters principally in areas of business and transactional law, including contracts, real estate, business and non-profit entities, estate and gift planning, administration of trusts and estates, healthcare, and charitable foundations. In addition to his legal practice, Tom has...

Dan was admitted to the Iowa Bar in 2004, and has been practicing law in Iowa and throughout the United States since then. Shortly after graduating from law school, Dan had his first felony jury trial, which resulted in an acquittal on a forgery charge in Johnson County, Iowa. Two years later, Dan represented a woman facing child endangerment charges and gained valuable jury trial experience on a case that he argued all the way to the Iowa Supreme Court (State v. Mitchell, 757 N.W.2d 431, Iowa 2008).

Dan’s next appearance before the Iowa Supreme Court resulted in...

As a licensed attorney in both Iowa and California, Adam Pollack has been practicing law since 1998. As a former prosecutor for Johnson County (Iowa City area), Adam Pollack has an experienced and nuanced view regarding the complexities of the criminal justice system. Pollack has practiced criminal defense in Iowa for over a decade.

Dean grew up on a grain and livestock farm near Iowa City, passed the Certified Public Accountant exam, and focuses on pre-death estate planning and post-death trust/estate administration. His practice includes (i) establishing revocable (living) trusts to avoid probate and facilitate privacy, (ii) creating wills, trusts and retirement-account beneficiary designations with customized provisions to accomplish family-specific goals, such as delaying inheritances for immature beneficiaries, (iii) implementing powers of attorney for finances and for healthcare/medical directives (living wills), and (iv) administering probate estates and trusts and filing the necessary tax returns.

Bruce is proud to have actively participated in a wide range of professional and volunteer groups throughout his career, including The American College of Trial Lawyers (State Committee), Iowa Defense Counsel (President), Defense Update Magazine (Board of Editors), American Board of Trial Advocates (member), and The Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (Midwest Regional Membership Chair & Board of Directors). Bruce is a past president of the Iowa State Bar Association and continues to serve on the administrative committee. He is also a member of the Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission and serves as the chair of the Language Access...

Jessica maintains a civil litigation and trial law practice dedicated to defending hospitals and medical professionals. She also represents licensed health care professionals and medical institutions in connection with administrative investigations and complaints. Jessica has extensive trial experience having done more than two dozen criminal and civil jury trials. She has also handled criminal and civil appeals to the Iowa Court of Appeals and the Iowa Supreme Court.

Jessica was born and raised in Iowa City. She attended the University of Oklahoma for her undergraduate studies and then returned to Iowa for law school. After receiving her JD, Jessica practiced for...

Will was born in raised in the Iowa City area and obtained his undergraduate degrees and his law degree from the University of Iowa. He was admitted to the practice of law in Iowa in 2005 and has successfully argued cases before the Iowa Court of Appeals and the Iowa Supreme Court. He is also admitted to practice in all federal courts in Iowa. His diverse practice includes business litigation, real estate litigation, personal injury and wrongful death litigation, divorce and child custody litigation, landlord-tenant law, business formation and acquisition, and representing creditors in bankruptcy proceedings.

Will lives in Iowa City...

Dick was admitted to the practice of law in Iowa in 1975. He has spent the last 40 years as a trial lawyer focused on representing health care professionals and institutions in medical malpractice litigation and regulatory proceedings. He has also successfully argued cases before the Iowa Court of Appeals and the Iowa Supreme Court. In recognition of his skills as a trial lawyer and the respect he has among lawyers on both sides of lawsuits, Dick has been elected by his peers to membership in the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers and the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Dick was...

Carolyn (“Dazi”) Russell Wallace was born and raised in Iowa City. She left to attend college in North Carolina, returned to Iowa City for law school, and began practicing at the firm in October 2013.

Carolyn maintains a general law practice that includes both transactional and litigation components. On the transactional side, Carolyn assists clients with estate planning, real estate matters, reviewing and negotiating contracts, and other general transactional issues. Carolyn’s litigation practice focuses on defending physicians in medical malpractice cases. Carolyn particularly enjoys legal research and writing, and she routinely assists clients with appellate matters.

In her free time, Carolyn likes...

Pope grew up in Iowa City and, after attending college at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and working in the technology industry in San Francisco, California, returned to Iowa to pursue a career in law. After graduating with his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2003, he started his legal practice at Phelan Tucker Law Offices, where he continues his successful litigation practice. He primarily practices in the field of medical malpractice defense, health care law and represents the interests of healthcare professionals. He is admitted to practice in the State of Iowa and is a...

Derek Hong is a founding partner of Hong Law, PLC. At Hong Law, PLC, the attorneys are dedicated in providing bankruptcy litigation. Derek attended the University of Iowa, where he received his J.D. Whether you are looking for assistance with the Means Test or debt negotiations, the attorneys at Hong Law, PLC know what it takes to get you through this challenging time. Contact us today at (319) 632-1400 to speak to a member of our team.

Nick has tried over 100 contested cases to conclusion and has been recognized for his legal skill and professional achievement. Nick is a fellow of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers which is open to membership for only 225 of the over 20,000 lawyers in Iowa. Membership is by appointment only. Nick is also Board Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. To obtain certification, the lawyer must pass a difficult examination, have demonstrated the requisite ski in your field to the examiners' satisfaction, have a clean ethical record, submit samples of your legal writing and submit recommendations from...

Thomas Williams has spent most of his adult life in and around Iowa. A graduate of Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, Thomas spent several years working in a management development program for a company in the Quad Cities providing services to businesses across Eastern Iowa. After graduating with distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law, Thomas practiced corporate litigation in the State of Delaware, primarily focused on claims related to director and officer duties to shareholders and the corporation. He and his wife later returned to the Iowa City area where Thomas spent several years practicing transactional...

John Hathaway is an immigration and criminal defense attorney. He graduated from University of Iowa Law School, with distinction, in 2016. He initially worked at the immigration and criminal defense firm, Kasaby and Nichols, LLC, in Omaha Nebraska, then returned to Iowa City, Iowa to practice at Vondra & Malott, PLC, and now Malott Law, PLC. He practices before state district and appellate courts in Iowa, the Norther Federal District of Iowa, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, various immigration courts, USCIS, and the Board of Immigration Appeals. His focuses in removal defense, criminal defense, affirmative...

Mindi Vervaecke is an Attorney at Law for Wertz Law Firm, P.C. Her practice focuses on Workers' Compensation. Mindi joined the firm in 2021 and is committed to representing injured workers throughout the state of Iowa. As a 1996 graduate of the University of Iowa Law School with distinction, Mindi has been a member of the Iowa Association of Justice Workers' Compensation Core Group, Continuing Education Committee, Iowa Supreme Court Nominating Commission. Mindi currently serves as a member of the Iowa Supreme Court Commission on Continuing Legal Education, in addition to her memberships with the Iowa Association of Justice and Iowa Association...

Russell Nicolet has always been focused on helping people through difficult situations. He became an attorney and has integrated this personal philosophy into his practice so that he could help people through some of the most stressful situations they will face in life. Russell’s goal in every case is to help his clients get into a better position than where they were prior to contacting him. Russell has focused his legal practice to the area of Personal Injury in Wisconsin and Minnesota. This focused approach allows him to provide clients with knowledgeable and effective representation while maintaining the...

I'm Tim Semelroth. I'm a board-certified trial attorney in Iowa, and I fight for fairness for Iowans who have been injured because of someone else's fault. My firm handles personal injury and workers' compensation cases, as well as denied Social Security Disability claims and employment law matters. If you need someone to fight for fairness for you, contact me today.

Some lawyers dabble in many different areas of the law. Not so for Tom Wertz. Shortly after moving into private practice, he turned his focus to workers' compensation and representing injured workers. Wertz quickly recognized the need for experienced attorneys in this specialized field. His commitment has resulted in a legal practice representing injured workers for more than 35 years. His record before the Iowa Supreme Court has led to major legal changes on behalf of injured workers. These changes include: Compensation benefits for tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and acute psychological injuries. Home medical care for out-of-state injured workers. These workers no...

My name is Pressley and I am a trial lawyer. The only thing I am before that is a father of my two sons. I have worked hard to live authentically in all aspects of my life. I always try to grow and learn. This has been true in my lawyering as well as my personal life – they are, in many ways, one in the same – because I am who I am, whether at home, meeting with clients, or in the courtroom.

My name is Scott Shoemaker, and I am your Personal Family Lawyer. I grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. My youth and young adulthood were spent pursuing my dream of becoming a classical musician. I went so far as to earn degrees in music from Coe College, University of Nebraska, and the University of Iowa. I even spent a few years teaching at a couple of different institutions of high education. Along the way, I realized my real passion was helping other people bring about their dreams. So I ended up in law school. While I was a student at Nebraska Law,...

Growing up I learned how to serve client interests from my father and grandfather, who are both attorneys in northeast Iowa. They taught me to take a hands-on approach to learning and to work hard to understand the underlying causes of a conflict, not just address the immediate problem. I applied that philosophy throughout my academic and professional education by learning the construction industry beginning as a carpenter and then architectural intern at OPN Architects, SOM, and Kahler Slater Architects. After I earned my Bachelors of Architecture from Iowa State University and my Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa,...

Jacob attended Drake University School of Law, obtaining his Juris Doctorate in May 2023. While in law school, his extracurriculars included serving as the Vice President for the St. Jude Club, the Treasurer for the Drake Outdoor Leadership Club, the Philanthropy Chair for Sigma Phi Epsilon, and as a volunteer for Court Appointed Special Advocates. Before pursuing his law degree, Jacob earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Business Management from Drake University in May 2019. Jacob is currently licensed to practice law in the state of Iowa. Prior to joining the Cedar Rapids, Iowa divorce and family law...

CHRISTINE L. CRILLEY is a General Practice Attorney and Collaborative Lawyer with over thirty years of experience in a variety of legal areas such as family law, adoptions, business law, litigation, construction law, probate and wills.

In Addition to her law practice Ms. Crilley is also an accomplished Mediator and Arbitrator as well as a nationally approved Mediation Trainer. She offers basic Mediation training and advance Mediation training as well as Collaborative Law Training, and Parent Coordinator Training. Christine is also a Parenting Coordinator and Parent Coach.

After earning her B.A. degree at the University of Northern Iowa in 1979, Christine...

I have spent my career representing individuals and families throughout Iowa in personal injury and employment law claims. In 2017, after 12 years at a successful firm in Cedar Rapids, I started my own law firm, Ann Brown Legal, where we help our clients navigate the legal system from the beginning of a case all the way through the appeal process if necessary.