Judge Potterfield, Tiffin, was appointed to the Court of Appeals in 2008. She was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and raised in Daytona Beach, Florida. Judge Potterfield attended Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia, where she received her bachelor's degree in 1969. She received her law degree, with honors, from the National Law Center, George Washington University in 1974.
Judge Potterfield worked as a criminal defense attorney for the Georgia Criminal Justice Council and, later, for Prisoners' Legal Services in New York City. She moved to Iowa in 1982 and worked in the Linn County Public Defender's office. She was in private practice from 1989-2001 before being appointed to the district court bench. Judge Potterfield is married, has one son, and nine grandchildren.