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Danielle Shelton

Professor of Law

danielle.shelton@drake.edu

Expertise: Legal Writing, Appellate Advocacy, Trial Law, Commercial Litigation

Education

JD, Harvard Law School, magna cum laude
BA, Augustana College, summa cum laude

Experience

Drake Law School professor since 2003
Law Clerk for the Hon. Ed Carnes of the U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
Partner and Of Counsel for Belin McCormick, P.C.
Of Counsel for Weinhardt and Lantz, P.C. (formerly The Weinhardt Law Firm)

Selected Publications

Defending Disability in the Age of Originalism, 71 Wayne Law Review 181 (2025).
Accommodating Victims with Mental Disabilities, 127 Dickinson Law Review 163 (2022).
Legal Analysis and Writing: An Active Learning Approach (Wolters Kluwer, 2020) co-author.
Discovery of Expert Witnesses: Amending Rule 26(b)(4)(E) to Limit Expert Fee Shifting and Reduce Litigation Abuses, 49 Seton Hall Law Review 475 (2019).
Iowa's Animal Torture Law Following State v. Meerkink: A Call for Clarity and Enforcement, 62 Drake Law Review 743 (2014).
Rewriting Rule 68: Realizing the Benefits of the Federal Settlement Rule by Injecting Certainty Into Offers of Judgment, 91 Minnesota Law Review 865 (2007).

Significant Accomplishments

Bar Admissions: Iowa, Illinois, Southern District and Northern District of Iowa, Eighth and Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, United States Supreme Court
Recipient, Madelyn M. Levitt Distinguished Community Service Award (2024)
Recipient, Nellie Ball Research Fund Grant (2020-2023)
Speaking at regional and national legal writing conferences, including the Legal Writing Institute National Conference; ALWD National Conference; Rocky Mountain Legal Writing Institute Conference; Central State Legal Writing Institute Conference, and Regional One-Day Workshops.
Former Member of Iowa Supreme Court Task Force for Civil Justice Reform, Subcommittee on Specialty Courts and Rules (established pilot project for Iowa’s Business Specialty Court) and Iowa Supreme Court's Continuing Legal Education Commission

Biography

Professor Danielle Shelton has over 30 years of legal experience and brings that expertise to her primary focus—teaching first-year legal writing. She emphasizes the power of clear, precise writing as the foundation of effective lawyering. In her classes, students develop essential analytical and communication skills that prepare them for clerkships, internships, the bar exam, and long-term success in practice.

Beyond the classroom, Professor Shelton is deeply committed to service. She has advised multiple student organizations, chaired key law school committees, and led reform initiatives. She also contributes significant pro bono work. Her scholarship centers on improving legal procedures to build a more efficient and accessible justice system.

HeinOnline Curriculum Vitae

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Drake University Law School is approved by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association, 321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654, 312-988-6738. Drake Law School is also a charter member of the American Association of Law Schools and a member of the Order of the Coif.

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