Josephine Gittler

Josephine Gittler serves as the Wiley B. Rutledge Professor of Law at the University of Iowa College of Law, where she joined in 1973 as the institution's first female faculty member. She maintains secondary appointments as Professor of Health Management and Policy at the College of Public Health, Professor of Pediatrics at the College of Medicine, and Professor of Nursing at the College of Nursing.

Her educational background includes a BA from Barnard College (1965) and JD from Northwestern University School of Law (1968). Prior to academia, she served as a police legal advisor, special prosecutor, and law clerk for federal and state judges at trial and appellate levels.

Professor Gittler's research spans Health Law and Policy, Elder Law and Policy, Children and Families Law (covering child maltreatment, juvenile delinquency, and child welfare systems), Alternate Dispute Resolution (specializing in negotiation and mediation), and Legislative Process with emphasis on statutory drafting. She founded the National Health Law and Policy Resource Center, a nationally recognized interdisciplinary think tank addressing maternal and child health, aging policy, and conflict management systems.

Her distinguished contributions to public service have earned national recognition:

• Public Service Award from the Association of Maternal and Child Health for leadership in national/state advocacy
• Public Service Award from Iowa AARP for advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations

As Co-Director of the Resource Center, she has administered numerous federally funded projects related to maternal and child health and children with special needs, providing technical assistance and training to health agencies across 30+ states and D.C. She serves as Coordinator and Reporter for the Iowa Supreme Court Guardianship and Conservatorship Task Force and co-directs the Institute on Guardianship and Conservatorship with Drake University.

Her conflict management expertise includes mediation services for Atlanta's Justice System, state courts, and national special education disputes. She has significantly influenced federal and state legislation through roles as chief counsel for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee subcommittee and special counsel to the Iowa General Assembly.