A LONG TRADITION OF LEGAL EXPERTISE AND EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE

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Martindale-Hubbell | AV | Preeminent | Peer Rated For Highest Level Of Professional Excellence | 2019
Rated By Super Lawyers | Jean Z. Dickson | SuperLawyers.com

Jean is from Northfield, Minnesota. A graduate of Luther College in 1989 and the University of Iowa College of Law in 1992, she joined the Betty firm in 1993. She was a judicial law clerk for the Iowa Court of Appeals from 1992 to 1993. Jean specializes in workers' compensation defense and appeals. She represents employers and carriers in both Iowa and Illinois. She has handled dozens of judicial reviews in both states. She has appeared before the Iowa Court of Appeals, the Iowa Supreme Court, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Illinois Appellate Court, Third District, on appeals ranging from family law to products liability and not limited to workers' compensation.

Jean was on the Statewide Nominating Commission from 2005 to 2011, and was involved in the nomination process of a number of judges currently serving on either the Iowa Court of Appeals or the Iowa Supreme Court. She served two terms on the Iowa Board of Law Examiners from 2012-2019. She served two terms on the Pleasant Valley Community School District Board of Directors from 2013 - 2021. She was elected to the Scott County Board of Supervisors in November 2022. She also sits on the Bettendorf Civil Service Commission. She is currently a member of the Iowa State Bar Association and Iowa Association of Workers' Compensation Lawyers, Inc. She was president of the Scott County Bar Association in 2001 to 2002, and president of the Iowa Association of Workers' Compensation Lawyers, Inc, in 2011-2012. Her leadership with the Iowa Association of Workers' Compensation Lawyers included spearheading the revision of the life and remarriage expectancy tables back in 2005-06. More recently, she co-chaired the committee which worked with the Iowa Workers' Compensation Commissioner to develop administrative rules to go with the recent legislative changes which took effect July 1, 2017

Jean is married to Greg Vens. Together, they have six children and one grandchild.

Areas Of Practice

  • Worker's Compensation
  • Appeals

Bar Admissions

  • Iowa, 1992
  • Illinois, 1993

Education

  • University of Iowa College of Law, Iowa City, Iowa
    • J.D. - 1992
    • Honors: With High Distinction
  • Luther College, Decorah, Iowa
    • B.A. - 1989
    • Honors: Cum Laude

Published Works

  • Dickson, J.Z. (1991) In the Interest of HRK and Due Process: Can a Juvenile Court Terminate Parent Rights Without an Adjudication, Issues in Child Abuse Accusations, 3(4), 204-214
  • Dickson, J.Z. (1993) Children and Statements for the Purpose of Medical Diagnosis or Treatment: A Challenge to Scientific Reality, Issues in Child Abuse Accusations, 5(2), 63-71
  • Feeney, J.D. (2000) Timely Service of the Original Notice and Petition, Recent Supreme Court Development, Defense Update, The Iowa Defense Counsel Association Newsletter, Vol XIII, No. 3, pp. 3, 7-8
  • Dickson, J.Z. (2020) House File 518 – Three Years Later, Defense Update, The Iowa Defense Counsel Association Newsletter, Vol. XXII, No. 4

Classes/Seminars

  • Alternate Medical Care – A View from the Trenches, Iowa Workers’ Compensation Advisory Committee, 51st Annual Seminar, June 2013
  • Basics of Iowa Workers’ Compensation, Scott County Bar Association, December 2006
  • Insight, Ideas and Experiences” Best Defense Practices, Iowa Defense Counsel Association, April 2008
  • Iowa Agency Case Law update, Iowa Association of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, Inc. 23rd Annual Seminar, October 2001
  • Legal Issues Particular to Illinois in Case Management, Nurse Case Management seminar, Iowa City, October 2010
  • Motion Practice – Small to Supreme, Scott County Bar Association, April 2007
  • Subrogation – Obligations and Settlement Language, Iowa Association of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, Inc. 27th Annual Seminar, October 2005
  • Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?: The Ethical Approach to Handling Workers’ Compensation Cases, Iowa Association of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, Inc.,30th Annual Seminar, October 2008
  • Workers’ Compensation from the Defense Perspective, ITLA (now known as Iowa Association of Justice), February 2005 and August 2005
  • Workers’ Compensation Liens, Subrogation & Settlements, Iowa Defense Counsel Association 43rd Annual Meeting & Seminar, September 2007
  • Vocational Rehabilitation for Shoulder Injuries, Iowa Workers’ Compensation Advisory Committee, 56th Annual Seminar, June 2018
  • Iowa Workers’ Compensation, Scott County Bar Association, December 2018
  • Post House File 518: Recent Trends in Workers’ Compensation, Iowa Defense Counsel Association, September 2021
  • Shoulder Case Discussion, Iowa Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, 43rd Annual Seminar, October 2021
  • Challenges to Being a Female Trial Attorney, ABA Workers’ Compensation and Employer’s Liability Mid-Winter Seminar, March 2022
  • Appellate Update: Recent Developments in Workers’ Compensation, Iowa Workers’ Compensation Advisory Committee 60th Annual Seminar, June 2022

Honors And Awards

  • Iowa Board of Law Examiners, 2012-2019
  • Iowa Statewide Judicial Nominating Commission, 2005-2011
  • SuperLawyers
  • Martindale Hubbell AV Rated
  • American Jurisprudence – Professional Ethics, 1991
  • The College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, Fellow
  • Nominee, Iowa Court of Appeals Vacancy, 2019
  • Iowa Supreme Court Grievance Commission, 2020 - present
  • Professional Associations and Memberships
  • Iowa Association of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, President, 2011 to 2012
  • Iowa Defense Counsel Association
  • Iowa State Bar Association
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • Scott County Bar Association, President, 2001 to 2002
  • Iowa Association of Women Attorneys
  • Iowa State Bar Association, Public Relations Committee
  • Pro Bono Activities
  • Bettendorf Civil Service Commission
  • Catholic Endowment Board of Iowa, Inc., Board of Directors
  • Pleasant Valley Community School District, Board of Directors
  • Camp Shalom, Board of Directors
  • James Wakefield Dickson Memorial Scholarship, Board of Directors
  • Our Lady of Lourdes, Parish Council, President

Professional Associations And Memberships

  • Iowa Association of Workers’ Compensation Attorneys , President, 2011 to 2012
  • Iowa Defense Counsel Association
  • Iowa State Bar Association
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • Scott County Bar Association, President, 2001 to 2002
  • Iowa Association of Women Attorneys
  • Iowa State Bar Association, Public Relations Committee

Pro Bono Activities

  • Bettendorf Civil Service Commission
  • Catholic Endowment Board of Iowa, Inc., Board of Directors
  • Pleasant Valley Community School District, Board of Directors
  • Camp Shalom, Board of Directors
  • James Wakefield Dickson Memorial Scholarship, Board of Directors
  • Our Lady of Lourdes, Parish Council, President
  • Scott County Board of Supervisors
  • Regional Development Authority, Ex-officio
  • Mississippi Valley Workforce Development Board, Chief Elected Official
  • Seventh Judicial District Court Services Board