After two previous terms marked by historic turnover due to retirements, deaths, and new appointments, the Iowa Supreme Court closed the books on the 2020-21 term last month with all seven justices serving the entire term. Thus it’s possible to observe some trends among new…
In 2019, the Iowa General Assembly passed a law adding funding conditions that barred abortion providers from participating in two federally funded educational grant programs. These programs focus on educating Iowa’s youth on sexual education, including pregnancy prevention. Planned Parenthood of the Heartland (PPH) has…
During a visit to the Mt. Crescent Ski Area in Honey Creek, Iowa, Thomas Lukken stepped off an elevated platform and whizzed down a zip line only to be met with a crash at the end, fracturing his neck. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled this…
Opinions in four cases are expected to be released by the Iowa Supreme Court Friday, June 4. With those four cases decided, 20 cases that were argued in the 2020-21 term remain to be decided. Go to On Brief’s Cases in the Pipeline page and…
Opinions in two cases are expected to be released by the Iowa Supreme Court Friday, March 26. Following are On Brief’s previously published summaries of the cases. Go to On Brief’s Cases in the Pipeline page to read briefs filed with the Court in these…
The developer of a wind energy project planned in Worth County did not have a “vested right” to continue with the project after the Worth County Board of Supervisors enacted an ordinance the developer claimed doomed the project, a divided Iowa Supreme Court held in an April 24 decision.
The Iowa Supreme Court issued opinions in eleven cases in February 2026. At the links immediately below, you can read On Brief’s analysis of the following opinions:
The State Auditor has broad access under Iowa law to state and local records in conducting audits, including otherwise confidential information, but the Auditor’s access does not extend to records shielded by attorney-client privilege, the Iowa Supreme Court held in an April 17 decision.
The Iowa Supreme Court reversed a $20.5 million Polk County jury verdict against homebuilder D.R. Horton for negligence arising from a subcontractor’s employee being briefly buried under several feet of dirt while working in a trench.
On Brief: Iowa’s Appellate Blog is devoted to appellate litigation with a focus on the Iowa Supreme Court, the Iowa Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
