Rule 31.15 - Permitted practice by law students and recent graduates(1) Law students enrolled in a reputable law school as defined by rule 31.8 and Iowa Code section 602.10102 and certified to the office of professional regulation by the dean of the school to have completed satisfactorily not less than the equivalent of three semesters of the work required by the school to qualify for the J.D. or LL.B. degree, may, under the following conditions, engage in the practice of law or appear as counsel in the trial or appellate courts of this state: a. Appearance by students as defense counsel in a criminal matter in any trial court must be confined to misdemeanors or Class "D" felonies, and the student must be under the direct supervision of licensed Iowa counsel who must be personally present.b. Appearance by students in matters before the Iowa Supreme Court or the Iowa Court of Appeals must be under the direct supervision of licensed Iowa counsel who must be personally present. A student presenting an oral argument before the supreme court or the court of appeals must file with the clerk of the supreme court an appearance with proof of compliance with rule 31.15(1). The appearance must be filed no less than seven days prior to the argument and must be served upon all counsel of record and parties not represented by counsel.c. Appearance or assistance by students in other matters must be under the general supervision of licensed Iowa counsel, but such counsel need not be personally present in court unless required by order of the court.(2) Students who the dean of a reputable law school certifies have completed not less than the equivalent of two semesters of work required to qualify for the J.D. or LL.B. degree may appear in a representative capacity in a contested case proceeding before an administrative agency. a. Appearance by students who have completed only two semesters of work must be under the direct supervision of licensed Iowa counsel who must be personally present.b. Students who have completed at least three semesters may appear in a representative capacity in a contested case proceeding before an administrative agency under the general supervision of licensed Iowa counsel, but such counsel need not be personally present unless required by order of the tribunal.(3) Except as allowed by rule 31.15(4), students may not engage in the practice of law or appear as counsel in any court of this state or before an administrative agency unless such practice or appearance is part of an educational program approved by the faculty of the students' law school and not disapproved by the Iowa Supreme Court, and such program is supervised by at least one member of the law school's faculty. Students may continue to practice before courts or administrative agencies of this state after completion of an educational program so long as the placement is substantially the same as it was during the educational program, approved by the law school, and performed with the supervision required under rules 31.15(1) and 31.15(2).(4) Law students may assist licensed Iowa counsel to the same extent as a non-attorney without being part of an educational program or being certified to the office of professional regulation, but the students must be under the general supervision of licensed Iowa counsel who need not be personally present. Law students may not appear in representative capacities in contested case proceedings before administrative agencies without complying with rules 31.15(2) and 31.15(3), or before trial or appellate courts without complying with rule 31.15(1).(5) Law students must not receive compensation other than general compensation from an employer-attorney or from a law-school-administered fund.(6) Graduates of reputable law schools who have applied to take the Iowa bar examination are authorized to perform all activities described in this rule on behalf of the public defender's office, the attorney general's office, county attorney offices, or approved legal aid organizations under the following conditions: a. Supervision of graduates must be the same as supervision of law students under rules 31.15(1) and 31.15(2), but graduates do not need to meet the requirements of rule 31.15(3).b. Graduates may perform under this rule beginning with the receipt of a law school dean's certification of graduation and terminating either upon the withdrawal or denial of their application to take the Iowa bar examination, their failure of the next administration of the Iowa bar examination, or upon the date of the admissions ceremony for those who pass that examination.c. Graduates may practice up to 25 hours per week from receipt of a J.D. or LL.B. degree until the administration of the next Iowa bar examination.d. Graduates are not limited in hours of practice under this rule from administration of the bar examination until the date the bar examination results are posted for those who fail or the date of the admissions ceremony for those who pass.e. Graduates who have failed any state bar examination in the past are not eligible to practice under this provision.f. The supervising organizations listed in rule 31.15(6) must file a certificate with the office of professional regulation listing the starting dates for all graduates practicing under rule 31.15(6) and must file a second certificate indicating when the practice under this rule has terminated.(7) For purposes of this rule, an "approved legal aid organization" includes a program sponsored by a bar association, law school, or a not-for-profit legal aid organization, approved by the Iowa Supreme Court, whose primary purpose is to provide legal representation to low-income persons in Iowa. a. A legal aid organization seeking approval from the court for the purposes of this rule must file a petition with the office of professional regulation certifying that it is a not-for-profit organization and reciting with specificity the following: (1) The structure of the organization and whether it accepts funds from its clients.(2) The major sources of funds the organization uses.(3) The criteria used to determine potential clients' eligibility for legal services the organization performs.(4) The types of legal and nonlegal services the organization performs.(5) The names of all members of the Iowa bar who are employed by the organization or who regularly perform legal work for the organization.(6) The existence and extent of malpractice insurance that will cover the law student or graduate. b. An organization designated as an approved legal aid organization under the provisions of rule 31.19(2)(c) is an approved legal aid organization for purposes of this rule.(8) A law student or law graduate practicing under this rule must be identified by the title "Law Student" or "Law Graduate" in any filing made in the courts of this state.Court Order April 4,1967; May 15,1972; January 14, 1974; April 8,1975 withdrawn ; April 9,1975; April 8, 1980; April 28, 1987; June 5, 1996, effective 7/1/1996 (Prior to 7/1/1996, Court Rule 120 ); 1/9/1998, effective 2/2/1998; 11/9/2001, effective 2/15/2002; 6/4/2008, effective 7/1/2008; 3/21/2014; 11/20/2015, effective 1/1/2016; 11/18/2016, effective 3/1/2017; 12/13/2017, effective 1/1/2018; court order September 9, 2024, effective 9/9/2024.