Market data
Criminal defense in Iowa: market data
What public records say about the market for criminal defense in Iowa: how much demand the courts and agencies count, how many law offices serve it, how many people need help in Spanish, and the ad rules that apply. Every number links to the record it comes from.
Demand: what courts and agencies count
Counts of filings, crashes, complaints and enforcement in the records each agency keeps. A count shows where problems were recorded, not how many people will hire a lawyer.
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal criminal defendants charged | 644 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Iowa state | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:state-IA:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal drug defendants | 243 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Iowa state | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:state-IA:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal fraud defendants | 39 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Iowa state | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:state-IA:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal immigration-offense defendants | 31 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Iowa state | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:state-IA:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal criminal defendants charged | 322 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Northern District of Iowa federal district | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:IAN:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal drug defendants | 112 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Northern District of Iowa federal district | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:IAN:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal fraud defendants | 22 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Northern District of Iowa federal district | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:IAN:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal immigration-offense defendants | 15 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Northern District of Iowa federal district | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:IAN:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal criminal defendants charged | 322 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Southern District of Iowa federal district | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:IAS:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal drug defendants | 131 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Southern District of Iowa federal district | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:IAS:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal fraud defendants | 17 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Southern District of Iowa federal district | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:IAS:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal immigration-offense defendants | 16 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Southern District of Iowa federal district | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:IAS:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Rising or falling
The change between the last two periods each source publishes. No threshold and no smoothing.
| Measure | Before | Latest | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal criminal defendants charged Iowa · record criminal-filings:state-IA:2026-06-30 | 715 2025-12-31 | 644 2026-06-30 | falling (-9.9%) |
| Federal drug defendants Iowa · record criminal-filings:state-IA:2026-06-30 | 294 2025-12-31 | 243 2026-06-30 | falling (-17.3%) |
| Federal fraud defendants Iowa · record criminal-filings:state-IA:2026-06-30 | 34 2025-12-31 | 39 2026-06-30 | rising (+14.7%) |
| Federal immigration-offense defendants Iowa · record criminal-filings:state-IA:2026-06-30 | 37 2025-12-31 | 31 2026-06-30 | falling (-16.2%) |
Lawyer supply
How many law offices and lawyers the federal statistics count here.
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New lawyers admitted | 339 lawyers a year | 2025 | Iowa state | bar-pipeline v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721443 record ia-bar-pipeline · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties under 1 law office per 10,000 residents | 5 counties | 2026-Q1 | Iowa state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-19 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties with no law office | 3 counties | 2026-Q1 | Iowa state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-19 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Residents living in those low-office counties | 1.8 percent of residents | 2026-Q1 | Iowa state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-19 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Employer law firms | 1,208 firms | 2022 | Iowa state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-ia-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Receipts of employer law firms | 1,238,932,000 US dollars | 2022 | Iowa state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-ia-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Law offices per 10,000 residents | 4 per 10,000 residents | 2026-Q1 | Iowa state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-19 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Self-employed lawyers (nonemployer firms) | 1,140 firms | latest Nonemployer Statistics year | Iowa state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-19 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Private law offices | 1,294 establishments | 2026-Q1 | Iowa state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-19 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Lawyers employed (wage-earning, BLS OEWS) | 3,550 jobs | May 2025 | Iowa state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:IA:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Median annual wage of employed lawyers | 123,550 US dollars a year | May 2025 | Iowa state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:IA:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Spanish-language demand
People who speak Spanish and speak English less than very well, and the lawyers who speak Spanish, from the Census Bureau survey (with margins of error).
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers who speak Spanish at home (ACS) | not published lawyers | 2020-2024 | Iowa state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:IA:lawyers-spanish · status U · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English per Spanish-speaking lawyer | not published people per lawyer | 2020-2024 | Iowa state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:IA:lep-per-spanish-lawyer · status U · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English (ACS) | 59,207 ±2,073 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | Iowa state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:IA:spanish-lep · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English | 59,207 ±2,390 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | Iowa state | legal-need v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886 record legal-need-ia · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Ad rules that apply
The rules a law firm's ads in Iowa have to meet, summarized from the official texts. The full rules, with quotes, are on the state page.
| Topic | Status | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Ad filing or review | P primary source | The rules have no filing or pre-review requirement for ads or solicitations, and Rule 32:7.2 has no record-keeping clause. A lawyer may communicate information about the lawyer's services through any media (7.2(a)). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Required content | P primary source | Every ad includes the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content (7.2(d)). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Waiting periods for contact | P primary source | The rules set no waiting period. Rule 32:7.3 bars live person-to-person solicitation when a significant motive is the lawyer's gain, with exceptions, and bars solicitation after a refusal or involving coercion, duress or harassment. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Claims and results | P primary source | No clause bans testimonials, endorsements or past-result statements. A communication is false or misleading if it has a material misrepresentation or omits a needed fact (7.1). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | A lawyer may not pay or promise anything of value for recommending the lawyer's services. Exceptions: ad costs, the usual charges of a legal service plan or a not-for-profit or qualified lawyer referral service, buying a practice, non-exclusive reciprocal… official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Call recording | P primary source | Recording a communication without right or authority is a serious misdemeanor, but the statute does not apply to a sender or recipient, or one openly present and participating, recording the communication. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Texting | D default rule | No state telephone-solicitation statute with its own calling rules was found in the official code; the federal TCPA applies. |
| Ad filing or review | P primary source | Iowa: no filing or review of lawyer ads is required. official source · filing v1.2.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721409 · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | Lawyers in different firms may split a fee in proportion to the work each does, or if each takes joint responsibility for the matter, as long as the total fee is reasonable. official source · referral v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23747113 · checked 2026-10-27 |
Prices and pay (national)
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs in legal services (seasonally adjusted) | 1,249 thousand jobs | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:CES6054110001:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| CPI-U: legal services | 230 index | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:CUUR0000SEGC01:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| PPI: offices of lawyers | 338 index | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:PCU541110541110:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| PPI: criminal legal services | 102 index | 2023-03 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:PCU541110541110B:2023-03 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
What is missing
Datasets linked to this practice that have no figure here, and values the source withholds. We never fill these in.
- state-courts (demand): the dataset has no records for Iowa (it covers other places)
- ca-courts (demand): the dataset has no records for Iowa (it covers other places)
- firm-web-census (supply): the dataset has no records for Iowa (it covers other places)
- language (spanish): Lawyers who speak Spanish at home (ACS) (Iowa): value withheld by the source (status U)
- language (spanish): Spanish speakers with limited English per Spanish-speaking lawyer (Iowa): value withheld by the source (status U)
Download and cite
The rows behind this page, with every dataset, version, DOI, record id and check date.
Cite as: Probative Growth, The new-lawyer pipeline by jurisdiction: bar exam pass rates and new admissions, 2025 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721443); Federal criminal cases by offense and district (U.S. Courts Tables D-1, D-2 and D-3) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206); Legal deserts: law offices and lawyers per resident in every U.S. county v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430); Spanish-speaking demand vs Spanish-speaking lawyer supply, by state and metro v1.1.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758); Law firm size, solos and receipts, by state: Census SUSB 2022, Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and Economic Census 2022 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997); Law offices, jobs and pay by county, with solo-practice counts: BLS QCEW, Census CBP and Nonemployer Statistics v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415); Lawyer, paralegal and legal-staff pay by state and metro (BLS OEWS) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840); Legal need by county: who may need a lawyer, from the American Community Survey v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886); Legal-services prices and jobs, monthly (BLS CPI, PPI and CES) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854); CC BY 4.0. https://probativegrowth.com/markets/iowa/criminal-defense/
Use it in your AI tool
The same answers come from our free MCP server for AI assistants (no account): https://probativegrowth.com/mcp/markets
How this page is built
Each figure is copied from one record of the dataset named with it, joined to this state and practice through the open practice and place crosswalk. Nothing is estimated. Methods, inputs and limits.