District court, Judicial District 6
Valerie Clay
District Court Judge · District 6
About
Judge Clay of Linn County was appointed to the bench on September 22, 2021. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Iowa in 1997. She then earned her Juris Doctorate at the University Of Maryland Law School in 2006. After graduation from law…
Retention votes
| Election | Yes | No | Kept by |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 8, 2022 | 90,425 | 34,429 | 72.4% yes |
What lawyers said
Before each retention vote, the Iowa State Bar Association asks lawyers who’ve appeared before the judge to rate them from 1 (very poor) to 5 (excellent), and whether the judge should be kept.3
100% of 127 responding lawyers said to keep the judge (2022).
| Question | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Knowledge and use of the law | 4.50 |
| Sees the facts of a case clearly | 4.58 |
| On time for court | 4.68 |
| Listens to arguments and testimony | 4.71 |
| Runs the courtroom well | 4.61 |
| Temperament and manner | 4.69 |
| Clear, well-written decisions | 4.59 |
| Rules promptly | 4.69 |
| Uses technology to improve the courts | 4.58 |
| Avoids needless personal criticism | 4.63 |
| Decides on the law and facts, not outside pressure | 4.57 |
| Courteous and patient | 4.58 |
| Treats people equally | 4.68 |
| Fair to people without a lawyer | 4.70 |
| Said to keep the judge | 100% |
| Lawyers responding | 127 |
Source: Iowa State Bar Association Judicial Performance Review: 2022 (page 37).
Appeals from this judge’s cases
1 appeal on record; 1 reversed or vacated at least in part.4
- Dupaco Community Credit Union v. Iowa District Court for Linn CountyAI summary A credit union and its attorneys challenged a decision that upheld sanctions against them for making incorrect statements in court. The Iowa Supreme Court vacated the previous decision and removed the sanctions. The case has been sent back to the lower court f…