Brent Appel

Hon. Brent Appel is a Distinguished Lecturer and Jurist in Residence at Drake University Law School. He served as a Justice on the Iowa Supreme Court from 2006 to 2022 and previously practiced law with Dickinson, Mackaman, Tyler & Hagen, P.C. and Wandro, Baer & Appel. He holds a BA from Stanford University, B.S. and M.A. in History, and a JD from UC Berkeley. His expertise spans Professional Responsibility, Constitutional Law, Employment Law, and Public Law Education.

Appel's research focuses on constitutional boundaries between government branches, employment rights, and legal ethics. His notable work includes analyses of item veto powers, employment-at-will doctrines, and attorney-client confidentiality. He has authored influential articles on judicial precedent cases like Nix v. Williams and Nix v. Whiteside.

Appel has received the Rolland E. Grefe Pro Bono Publico Award (2022) and won the McBaine Moot Court Competition (1976). He chaired the Iowa Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission (2016-22) and served on the Federal Advisory Committee on Evidence Rules (2010-2016). His career includes significant briefings before the U.S. Supreme Court in landmark cases such as Puerto Rico v. Branstad and Nix v. Whiteside.

Appel's professional journey includes roles as Deputy Attorney General (Iowa), First Assistant Attorney General, and law clerk at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. He has contributed editorially as Research Editor of the California Law Review and maintains active involvement in legal education and judicial reform initiatives.