Women by the Numbers: A Look at Shuttleworth & Ingersoll Women Attorneys
March 29, 2021
The number of women attorneys at Shuttleworth & Ingersoll is impressive, but the women of Shuttleworth & Ingersoll are never just a number: they are an integral part of our firm and of Iowa’s legal community leadership.
Women comprise over 45 percent of our firm’s attorneys. Similar numbers are reflected in our partnership ranks, with women making up 44.44 percent of our partners. A majority of our associates are women, with 20 percent of our associates being women of color.
Women are also leaders within Shuttleworth & Ingersoll. Two out of five Executive Board positions are occupied by women: Laurie Dawley and Caitlin Slessor. Women also make up 50 percent of our compensation committee, and chair half of our practice groups and half of our committees.
- Caitlin Slessor chairs the Family Law Group, and co-chairs the Client Development Committee.
- Connie Alt chairs the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and the Health Law Group.
- Jennifer Rinden chairs the Medical Malpractice Group.
- Kelly Cwiertny co-chairs the Environmental and Natural Resources Practice Group.
- Laurie Dawley co-chairs the Client Development Committee, and chairs the Banking and Financial Institutions Practice Group, and the Buildings and Grounds Committee.
- Linda Kirsch chairs the Ethics Committee.
- Marty Stoll chairs the Real Estate Practice Group.
- Teresa Baumann chairs the Appellate Law Group.
- Terri Davis chairs the Labor & Employment Law Group.
Outside the office, the women at Shuttleworth & Ingersoll have been in leadership positions on the state and local bar associations. They have also excelled in groups that support attorneys in specific practice areas, and dedicated their time and energy to their community. Through their involvement, they have developed Shuttleworth & Ingersoll’s culture of ambitious leadership and loyal service not only to the firm, but also to a variety of causes and organizations. Below are just some highlights of their achievements.
Iowa State Bar Association
Three of our women attorneys have served in the Iowa State Bar Association Executive Council, five have chaired a practice section, and seven have served in varying committees within the association. Additionally, two of our women attorneys have received the Iowa State Bar Association Award for Graduating Law Students, an award that recognizes the potential in law school graduates to make great contributions to the bar in the future: Kristymarie Shipley (2015) and Sarah Thielen (2018). The first woman president of the Iowa State Bar Association was also a Shuttleworth & Ingersoll attorney at the time.
Iowa Supreme Court Commissions and Advisory Boards
Shuttleworth & Ingersoll women attorneys have also dedicated their time to the improvement of the profession at the state level. Various women attorneys have served in different Supreme Court Commissions, including Connie Alt and Kristymarie Shipley, who have both served in the Commission for Continuing Legal Education at different times. Our attorneys have also been tapped to serve in the Iowa Supreme Court Advisory Boards, where they shared their extensive experience to improve the corresponding procedural rules: Connie Alt (Rules of Evidence), Diane Kutzko (Rules of Civil Procedure), and Nancy Penner (Rules of Appellate Procedure).
Linn County Bar Association
At the local level, Shuttleworth & Ingersoll has been integral in the leadership of the Linn County Bar Association. Three Shuttleworth & Ingersoll women attorneys have presided over the Linn County Bar Association: Connie Alt, Caitlin Slessor, and current LCBA President Megan Merritt. But they are not the only ones. Six of Shuttleworth’s current women attorneys have served in the Board of Governors, including Sarah Thielen whose term began in 2019.
Additionally, five women attorneys at Shuttleworth & Ingersoll have served on the Executive Board of the Linn Law Club, the young lawyers division of the Linn County Bar Association: Hayleigh Hansen-Boardman, Desiree Kilburg, Megan Merritt, Kristen Shaffer, and Kristymarie Shipley.
Practice Specialties and Legal Organizations
Shuttleworth & Ingersoll women attorneys have also distinguished themselves within their practice areas, often taking leadership positions and being recognized in organizations dedicated to the types of law and communities they practice in.
- 4 out of the 23 women Fellows of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers are from Shuttleworth & Ingersoll. The invitation-only Fellowship in the Academy is limited to 250 attorneys and requires sponsorship, recommendations, and a unanimous vote by the Board of Governors: Connie Alt, Terri Davis, Tricia Hoffman-Simanek, and Jennifer Rinden. Attorney Connie Alt was the second woman president of the Academy, out of only four in its 59-year history.
- 2 Shuttleworth & Ingersoll women attorneys have received the Iowa Defense Counsel Association’s Rising Star Award: Megan Merritt (2014) and Kristymarie Shipley (2020). 2 out of the 12 Iowa women Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers are Shuttleworth women: Connie Alt and Jennifer Rinden. The ACTL is an invitation only fellowship of exceptional trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds from the United States and Canada. The College thoroughly investigates each nominee for admission and selects only those who have demonstrated the very highest standards of trial advocacy, ethical conduct, integrity, professionalism and collegiality. Only 95 Iowa attorneys have been admitted.
- Nancy Penner is a member of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. To be eligible for membership, a nominee’s practice must have focused substantially on appeals during at least the last 15 years.
- In addition to the above organizations, our women attorneys also represent Shuttleworth & Ingersoll in numerous other practice-relevant organizations. Community InvolvementWomen attorneys at Shuttleworth & Ingersoll have blazed trails and set the example for civics involvement. 100% of Shuttleworth & Ingersoll’s women attorneys are involved in pro bono work, being through our partnership with Iowa Legal Aid’s Volunteer Lawyer Program, volunteering for various non-profit organizations, or through service on a variety of non-profit boards and committees.
- Tricia Hoffman-Simanek was the first and only woman president of the Elmcrest Country Club.
- Ten Shuttleworth & Ingersoll women attorneys have been recognized as Waypoint Services Women of Achievement Honorees. Each year, Waypoint Services recognizes women for their personal, professional, and civic contributions to the community. Reflecting Waypoint’s mission of inspiring people to move forward, the women recognized are agents of change in the Corridor through their innovations, organizational enhancements, leadership, and service to others. Seven Shuttleworth & Ingersoll women attorneys are Corridor Business Journal 40 under 40 Honorees. The CBJ Forty under 40 Awards celebrate 40 individuals each year under the age of 40 who are making a difference as role models and leaders in their fields and community. Shuttleworth & Ingersoll attorneys have been recognized 14 times in the Awards’ 16-year history.
- Six Shuttleworth & Ingersoll women attorneys are Leadership for Five Seasons Alumnae. Each year, 35 individuals are selected from area businesses, public and private agencies, civic and other organizations to participate in the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance’s community leadership program. Our own Laurie Dawley, Tricia Hoffman-Simanek, Linda Kirsch, Nancy Penner, Marty Stoll, and Megan Merritt have participated in the program. Two Shuttleworth & Ingersoll women attorneys have been recognized by HER Women of Achievement. HER Women of Achievement is part of the Gazette’s HER brand. It is an annual celebration, recognizing women of Eastern Iowa who have achieved incredible personal and professional milestones. Marty Stoll and Caitlin Slessor have been honorees.
1 out of the 4 women Justices in Iowa Supreme Court history is a former Shuttleworth & Ingersoll attorney. Iowa Courts have a 175-year history, with a total of 114 Justices serving in its highest court to date. Out of 114 Justices, the four women were Justice Linda K. Neuman, Justice Marsha K. Ternus, current Chief Justice Susan Christiansen, and former Shuttleworth & Ingersoll attorney Justice Dana Oxley.