Dustin J. Coffman - Brochure
 

Education

J.D. (High Honors), Drake University Law School, 2022

B.A. (Magna Cum Laude), Loras College, Political Science and Philosophy, 2019

  

Practice Groups

  • Board Governance
  • Construction Law
  • Litigation
  • Municipal Utility
  • Procurement/Contracting

Overview

Dustin joined Ahlers in 2025 as a member of the firm’s Government Law Practice Area, with a strong interest in the efficiency and efficacy of government operations. He advises cities, counties, and other public entities on a range of legal issues they encounter, including representing clients in litigation, as well as providing counsel on general municipal law, policy development, procurement and bidding, open meetings, public records, land use, and zoning. He also prepares and reviews contracts, ordinances, agreements, and resolutions to support effective governance and compliance.

Prior to Ahlers, Dustin worked as associate counsel with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. In this position he was involved with preparing and revising contracts, handling records requests, reviewing and drafting administrative decisions, as well as providing general legal advice on issues under the department’s authority. He also worked for Iowa Legal Aid assisting low-income Iowans with contract breaches, evictions, enforcement of municipal rental property code, housing discrimination, general landlord-tenant conflicts, unemployment matters, as well as resolving cases with municipal housing authorities.

During law school, Dustin clerked for the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and two Iowa law firms. Prior to law school, he served our country as a Combat Medic Specialist with the United States Army Reserves from 2013-2019, which included providing medical support on two multinational engineering and training exercises in Romania and Poland.

Bar Admissions

Iowa, 2022

Court Admissions

All Iowa Courts

U.S. District Court – Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa

Memberships

American Bar Association

Iowa State Bar Association

Polk County Bar Association

Iowa Municipal Attorneys Association

Recognitions

Drake University Law School, Student Bar Association, Student Service Award, 2021-2022

Drake Journal of Agricultural Law, Outstanding Student Note Award, 2022

Drake University Law School – CALI Excellence Award, Introduction to International Law (highest scoring student in this law class), 2021

Drake University Law School – Academic Achievement Award, Constitutional Law I (highest scoring student in this law class), 2020

Speaking/Presentations

Iowa League of Cities, Nuisance Abatement Conference, "From Notice to Court Order:  Building an Effective Nuisance Abatement Case," with Samuel McMichael, May 2026

Ahlers & Cooney, P.C., Webinar, "Mandatory Training Available on Open Meetings and Open Records," with Elizabeth Heffernan, December 2025

Published Articles & Books

Pathways to Justice: Positive Rights, State Constitutions, and Untapped Potential, 24 Marq. Benefits & Soc. Welfare L. Rev. 181 (2023)

Note, The Excluded Workers: The NLRA, Farm Laborers, and a Lineage of Exploitation, 27 Drake J. Agric. L. 85 (2022)

Professional, Community and Civic Leadership

Iowa Legal Aid Expungement Clinic, 2024

Drake University Law School, Integrated Study Group Leader, 2020-2021

American Constitution Society – Drake Chapter, Vice President, 2021

Loras College, Political Science Academic Tutor, 2018-2019

United States Army Reserves, 68W – Combat Medic Specialist, 2013-2019

  
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