Title XV, JUDICIAL BRANCH AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURES (Ch. 595 - 686D)

Appointments shall be for three-year terms and shall commence on July 1 of the year in which the appointment is made. Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment of the supreme court. Members shall serve no more than three terms or nine years, whichever is les…

The members thus appointed shall take and subscribe an oath to be administered by one of the judges of the supreme court to faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of the office. The members shall, in addition to receiving actual and necessary expenses, set the per diem c…

1. The supreme court may appoint from time to time, when necessary, temporary examiners to assist the board, who shall receive their actual and necessary expenses to be paid from funds appropriated to the board. 2. The members of the board authorized to grade examinations shall m…

1. The supreme court shall set the fees for examination and for admission. The fees for examination shall be based upon the annual cost of administering the examinations. The fees for admission shall be based upon the costs of conducting an investigation of the applicant and the …

Any person who has been admitted to the bar of any other state in the United States, the District of Columbia, or a territory of the United States, may, in the discretion of the court, be admitted to practice in this state without examination or proof of a period of study. The pe…

All persons on being admitted to the bar shall take an oath or affirmation, as promulgated by the supreme court, declaring to support the Constitutions of the United States and of the state of Iowa, and to faithfully discharge, according to the best of their ability, the duties o…

Any member of the bar of another state, the District of Columbia, or a territory of the United States actually engaged in any cause or matter pending in any court of this state, may be permitted by such court to appear in and conduct such cause or matter, without being subject to…

An attorney and counselor who is guilty of deceit or collusion, or consents thereto, with intent to deceive a court or judge or a party to an action or proceeding, is liable to be disbarred, and shall forfeit to the injured party treble damages to be recovered in a civil action. …

An attorney and counselor has power to: 1. Execute in the name of a client a bond, or other written instrument, necessary and proper for the prosecution of an action or proceeding about to be or already commenced, or for the prosecution or defense of any right growing out of an a…

The court may, on motion of either party and on the showing of reasonable grounds therefor, require the attorney for the adverse party, or for any one of the several adverse parties, to produce or prove by the attorney’s own oath, or otherwise, the authority under which the attor…

An attorney has a lien for a general balance of compensation upon: 1. Any papers belonging to a client which have come into the attorney’s hands in the course of professional employment. 2. Money in the attorney’s hands belonging to a client. 3. Money due a client in the hands of…

Any person interested may release such lien by executing a bond in a sum double the amount claimed, or in such sum as may be fixed by any district judge, payable to the attorney, with security to be approved by the clerk of the supreme or district court, conditioned to pay any am…

Such lien will be released, unless the attorney, within ten days after demand therefor, files with the clerk a full and complete bill of particulars of the services and amount claimed for each item, or written contract with the party for whom the services were rendered. [C73, §21…

An attorney who receives the money or property of a client in the course of the attorney’s professional business, and refuses to pay or deliver it in a reasonable time, after demand, is guilty of a theft and punished accordingly. [C51, §1627; R60, §2717; C73, §224; C97, §330; C24…

When the attorney claims to be entitled to a lien upon the money or property, the attorney is not liable to the penalties of section 602.10119 until the person demanding the money proffers sufficient security for the payment of the amount of the attorney’s claim, when it is legal…

The supreme court may revoke or suspend the license of an attorney to practice law in this state. [C51, §1620; R60, §2710; C73, §217; C97, §323; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 10929; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §610.23 ] 83 Acts, ch 186, §10202(2) CS83, §602.10121

The following are sufficient causes for revocation or suspension: 1. When the attorney has been convicted of a felony. The record of conviction is conclusive evidence. 2. When the attorney is guilty of a willful disobedience or violation of the order of the court, requiring the a…

The proceedings to remove or suspend an attorney may be commenced by the direction of the court or on the petition of any individual. In the former case, the court must direct some attorney to draw up the accusation; in the latter, the accusation must be drawn up and sworn to by …

If an action is commenced by direction of the court, the costs shall be taxed and disposed of as in criminal cases; provided that no allowance shall be made in such case for the payment of attorney fees. [S13, §325; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 10932; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 7…

If an action is commenced on the petition of an individual, the court shall notify and refer the matter to the attorney general. The attorney general, within thirty days of the referral, shall submit a report to the court concerning the appropriateness of bringing the action unde…

The clerk of the district court shall immediately certify to the clerk of the supreme court a copy of the accusation. [C27, 31, 35, §10934-b2; C39, § 10934.2; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §610.28 ] 83 Acts, ch 186, §10202(2) CS83, §602.10126

Thereupon the chief justice of the supreme court shall notify the attorney general of such accusation and cause a copy thereof to be delivered to the attorney general, and it shall thereupon become the duty of the attorney general to superintend either through the attorney genera…

The supreme court shall designate three district judges to sit as a court to hear and decide such charges. [C27, 31, 35, §10934-b4; C39, § 10934.4; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §610.30 ] 83 Acts, ch 186, §10202(2) CS83, §602.10128

The hearing shall be at such time as the chief justice of the supreme court may designate, and shall be held within the county where the accusation was originally filed. [C27, 31, 35, §10934-b5; C39, § 10934.5; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §610.31 ] 83 Acts, c…

The determination of all issues shall be heard before the said judges selected by the supreme court as herein provided for. [C27, 31, 35, §10934-b6; C39, § 10934.6; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §610.32 ] 83 Acts, ch 186, §10202(2) CS83, §602.10130

The records and judgment at such trial shall constitute a part of the records of the district court in the county in which the accusations are originally filed. [C27, 31, 35, §10934-b7; C39, § 10934.7; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §610.33 ] 83 Acts, ch 186, §1…

To the accusation, the accused may plead or demur and the issues joined thereon shall in all cases be tried by said judges so selected and all of the evidence at such trial shall be reduced to writing, filed and preserved. [C51, §1624; R60, §2714; C73, §221; C97, §327; C24, §1093…

The court costs incident to such proceedings and the reasonable expense of the judges in attending the hearing after being approved by the supreme court shall be paid as an expense authorized by the executive council from the appropriations addressed in section 7D.29 . [C27, 31, …

If the accused pleads guilty, or fails to answer, the court shall proceed to render such judgment as the case requires. [C51, §1625; R60, §2715; C73, §222; C97, §328; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 10935; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §610.36 ] 83 Acts, ch 186, §10202(…

In case of a removal or suspension being ordered, an appeal therefrom lies to the supreme court, and all the original papers, together with a transcript of the record, shall thereupon be transferred to the supreme court, to be there considered and finally acted upon. A judgment o…

When a judgment has been entered in any court of record in the state revoking or suspending the license of any attorney at law to practice in the said court, the clerk of the court in which the judgment is rendered shall immediately certify to the clerk of the supreme court the o…

The right to practice law in this state shall be renewed in multiyear intervals by the supreme court upon such conditions as the court shall determine. Any moneys received from those persons admitted to practice law and which are designated for a client security fund or similar f…

A client security fund established by the supreme court is not an insurance company and the insurance laws of this state and the rules of the commissioner of insurance are not applicable to such a client security fund. [C75, 77, 79, 81, §610.46 ] 83 Acts, ch 186, §10202(2) CS83, …

The board shall organize following its appointment and shall elect a chairperson and vice chairperson. [S13, §311-a; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 10910; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, §610.4; C75, 77, 79, 81, §610.47 ] 83 Acts, ch 186, §10202(2) CS83, §602.10139

The public members of the board shall be allowed to participate in the administrative, clerical, or ministerial functions incident to giving the examination, but shall not determine the content of the examination or determine the correctness of the answers. The public members sha…

1. A member of the board shall not disclose information relating to the following: a. Criminal history or prior misconduct of the applicant. b. Information relating to the contents of the examination. c. Information relating to the examination results other than final score excep…

As used in this chapter , unless the context otherwise requires: 1. “Book”, “record”, or “register” means any mode of permanent recording, including but not limited to, card files, microfilm, microfiche, and electronic records. 2. “Chief judge” means the district judge selected t…

The judicial branch consists of all of the following: 1. The supreme court. 2. The court of appeals. 3. The district court. 4. The clerks of all of the courts of this state. 5. Juvenile court officers. 6. Court reporters. 7. All other court employees. 83 Acts, ch 186, §1102, 1020…

1. The state shall assume responsibility for components of the court system according to the following schedule: a. On October 1, 1983, the state shall assume the responsibility for and the costs of jury fees and mileage as provided in section 607A.8 and on July 1, 1984, the stat…

1. Persons who were paid salaries by the counties or judicial districts immediately prior to becoming state employees as a result of this chapter shall not forfeit accrued vacation, accrued sick leave, or longevity, except as provided in this section . 2. As a part of its rulemak…

1. Persons who were covered by county employee life insurance and accident and health insurance plans prior to becoming state employees as a result of this chapter shall be permitted to apply prior to becoming state employees for life insurance and health and accident insurance p…

1. Commencing one year prior to each category of employees becoming state employees as a result of 1983 Iowa Acts, ch. 186 , new employees shall not be hired and vacancies shall not be filled, except as provided in subsection 2 , with respect to any of the following agencies or p…

Commencing one year prior to county employees becoming state employees as a result of 1983 Iowa Acts, ch. 186 , the county employees shall not be promoted or demoted, and shall not be subject to a reduction in salary or a reduction in other employee benefits, except after approva…

1. Commencing on the date when each category of employees becomes state employees as a result of 1983 Iowa Acts, ch. 186 , public property referred to in subsection 2 that on the day prior to that date is in the custody of a person or agency referred to in subsection 3 shall not …

1. A person who becomes a state employee as a result of this chapter is a public employee, as defined in section 20.3, subsection 9 , for purposes of chapter 20 . The person may bargain collectively on and after July 1, 1983, as provided by law for a court employee. However, if t…

The membership of district judicial nominating commissions for judicial election districts 5A and 5C shall be as provided in chapter 46 , subject to the following transition provisions: 1. Those judicial nominating commissioners of judicial election district 5A who are residents …