Rachel M. Conley joined Lane & Waterman in 2024. Her practice focuses primarily on Trusts and Estates, and General Business. She received her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Linguistics from Iowa State University and her Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from The University of Iowa College of Law. Prior to joining the firm, she was a Summer Associate with Lane & Waterman in 2023, and externed with the Multistate Tax Commission in the Spring of 2024.

Rachel is an Iowa native who grew up in the Des Moines area and is married with two kids, one dog, and two cats. She enjoys spending time outside, going to QC Storm hockey games, and exploring the Davenport Farmer’s Market.

We sat down with Rachel to learn more about her background and path to L&W.

Can you tell us a little about your background and what led you to pursue a career in law?
I am a non-traditional student who went to law school after working as a pharmacy technician for almost a decade. As a teen I had dreams of becoming a lawyer, but I found other interests in college and put off thoughts of law school. Covid really put things into perspective and pushed me to make the career change.

What was your favorite class in law school?
My favorite class in law school was Client Counseling. It was a practicum style course that had us using soft skills in pretend legal settings and scenarios rather than the theoretical case-based learning of many 1L courses.

What drew you to Lane & Waterman and why did you decide to join the firm?
Lane & Waterman provides a mix of practices that allows an incoming associate to try areas of law without committing to a specialty on day one. The attorneys here provide great mentorship and answer questions candidly.

What aspects of your work are you most excited about in the coming months?
I am excited to start communicating with clients and being a part of the workflow from start to finish.

What is something that we would not guess about you?
Most people would not guess that I performed mime for a speech competition in high school.

Welcome Rachel!