The Iowa Supreme Court is composed of seven justices. Appointments to the court are made by the governor from a list of nominees submitted by the State Judicial Nominating Commission. To be considered for appointment a person must be an attorney licensed to practice in Iowa.
A justice serves an initial term of office that is one year after appointment and until January 1 following the next judicial retention election after expiration of such year. The regular term of office of justices retained at election is eight years. A justice must retire upon reaching the age of 72. A retired justice may serve as a senior judge if assigned by the court to the senior judge program.
Chief Justice
The justices elect the chief justice to serve a two-year term at the first meeting in each odd-numbered year.
Susan Christensen
Chief Justice Christensen was appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court in 2018. The members of the court selected her as chief justice in February 2020. She was born and raised in Harlan, Iowa. She earned her bachelor's degree from Judson College in 1988 and her law degree from Creighton University...
Thomas D. Waterman
Justice Waterman was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2011. Justice Waterman, who was born in Davenport, Iowa, earned his bachelor of arts degree from Dartmouth College in 1981. He graduated Order of the Coif from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1984. He was in private practice...
Edward M. Mansfield
Justice Mansfield was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2011. Justice Mansfield was born and raised in Massachusetts. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard in 1978, and his law degree from Yale in 1982. After law school, he clerked for Judge Patrick Higginbotham of the U.S. Court of Appeals,...
Christopher McDonald
Born overseas into a military family, Justice McDonald was raised in Des Moines. He earned his undergraduate degree from Grand View University in 1997 and his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2001, where he graduated with highest distinction and received the John F .Murray...
Dana Oxley
Justice Oxley was appointed to the Supreme Court in January 2020. Justice Oxley was born in Neosho, Missouri, and grew up in Greenfield, Iowa. She received her undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Northern Iowa in 1990 and received her J.D. from the University of Iowa in 1998,...
Matthew McDermott
Justice McDermott was appointed to the Supreme Court in April 2020. Justice McDermott was born and raised in Carroll, Iowa. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 2000. He received his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2003, where he served as an editor of the...
David May
Justice David May was appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court in 2022. Justice May was born and raised in Kirksville, Missouri. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri - Columbia, his Master of Public Health degree from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, and his law...