Join former Iowa Supreme Court Justice Michael Streit, The Iowa State Bar Association (ISBA) Independence of the Judiciary Committee Chair Guy Cook, Justice Not Politics President Connie Ryan, and Des Moines Register editorial board member Rox Laird in conversation on the purpose Iowa’s judicial retention elections and what a “yes” or “no” vote means. This virtual event will include opening remarks from ISBA President Melvin Shaw and be moderated by ISBA Past President Bob Waterman, Jr.
Learn answers to these questions and more:
1. What are Judicial Retention Elections?
2. Why Does Iowa Have Retention Elections?
3. What does a “yes” or “no” vote mean in a retention election?
SPEAKERS
Guy R. Cook is past president of The Iowa State Bar Association, chair of the association's Independence of the Judiciary Committee, and a former member of the State Judicial Nominating Commission. He has served as counsel in more than 1000 litigated matters and has tried more than 200 jury trials. Cook is a double-board certified trial lawyer by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
Rox Laird is a retired Des Moines Register editorial writer and an emeritus member of the Des Moines Register's editorial board. Laird’s work has been recognized by many including the Iowa Supreme Court.
Connie Ryan is president of Justice Not Politics (JNP), the state’s leading coalition on judicial independence. She was instrumental in establishing the JNP in 2010 to protect Iowa’s courts from politicization and attacks by special interest groups. Connie has served on several non-profit boards including One Iowa, Iowa Safe Schools, Iowa Citizen Action Network (ICAN), Friends of Iowa Legal Aid, and Iowa Immigration Education Coalition.
Melvin O. Shaw is the The Iowa State Bar Association’s 138th President. He has been a member of the ISBA Board of Governors since 2019. He is chair of the Iowa Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) and was appointed as member of the Iowa JQC by the late Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady in 2018. Shaw is chair-elect of the American Bar Association’s General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division.
Honorable Michael J. Streit served for over 27 years on the bench in Iowa District Court, the Iowa Court of Appeals and the Iowa Supreme Court. Former Justice Streit received the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award for his role in the Iowa Supreme Court decision recognizing marriage equality.
Robert V.P. Waterman, Jr. is a past president of The Iowa State Bar Association and remains active in numerous law related organizations. He has focused his civil litigation practice for the defense primarily in the areas of professional malpractice, product liability, and insurance coverage litigation for 40 years.
