WALCOTT, IA, February 25, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Leah Patton has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Driven to pursue a career in public service. Ms. Patton excels today as a managing attorney of Iowa Legal Aid's HELP Regional Office. Since 2018, she handles a wide variety of civil cases and specializes in housing, family law, and expungement cases. She enjoys doing impact litigation cases and appeals. Besides representing clients in court, she manages an office of staff, including an office manager, staff attorneys, paralegals, AmeriCorps members, interns, and volunteers.
Before joining Iowa Legal Aid, Ms. Patton gained valuable experience with Prairie Slate Legal Services as a VAWA funded staff attorney, Muscatine Legal Services as a staff attorney and independent contractor with the State of Iowa Public Defender's Office, and State of Iowa Public Defender's Office as a public defender handling criminal cases. Before practicing law. She completed judicial clerkships with Judge Terry Huitink of the Iowa Court of Appeals and with the judges of the Third Judicial District of Iowa.
Ms. Patton graduated from Drake Law School in 2005 with a Doctor of Jurisprudence, as well as with certificates in Litigation and Dispute Resolution and Public Service. She graduated in the top 15% of her class, was on the Dean's List, and was awarded the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Insurance Law. Finally, she participated in several moot court competitions and was a staff member of both the Drake Law Review and the Drake Journal of Agricultural Law.
Ms. Patton also graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology, graduate with distinction, and was inducted into several prestigious honor societies. She authored several poems that were published in Sketch, a student run publication. She also was awarded the Freda Hunke Award for writing excellence in ISU's Department of English. During her time at ISU, she studied abroad at Swansea University in Wales and travelled extensively in Europe.
Ms. Patton is currently licensed to practice law in the states of Iowa and Illinois and recently became licensed to practice law in the Southern District of Iowa. She is currently a member of the American Bar Association, the Iowa State Bar Association, the Illinois Bar Association, the Scott County Bar Association, the Rock Island County Bar Association and the Clinton County Bar Association. She has been a Seventh Judicial District commissioner for the Iowa Supreme Court's Grievance Commission. Her article on pregnancy and infant loss in the legal profession was published in Iowa Lawyer magazine.
Alongside her work in law, Ms. Patton gives back to her community. Currently, she is treasurer of the Walcott School's Parent Teacher Association and is a commissioner of the City of Walcott's Planning and Zoning Commission. Previously, she was a member of the City of Walcott's Splash pad Committee, secretary of the Walcott Athletics Board, troop leader of two different Girl Scout Troops, and a board member of SEAP (Supplemental Emergency Assistance Program). She has also volunteered with many other local organizations and committees.
In a career filled with highlights, it is difficult to pick one that stands out. However, Ms. Patton notes her jury trial experiences and almost two dozen state appeals that she has handled as standout moments in her professional life. In the coming years, her goal is to ultimately become a judge.
About Marquis Who's Who®
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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