Background

As explained in my welcome, I practice primarily civil rights and discrimination law in Des Moines, Iowa. This page is to give you some idea of how I came to this area of practice. I am a Des Moines, Iowa–native and have also lived in the Washington, D.C. area. After attending Beloit College (WI) and working in the Washington D.C. court system, I attended Drake University Law School. After graduation I worked in a firm in Des Moines, and then joined the Iowa Attorney General's office. As Division Head of its Civil Rights Division, I was responsible for managing the trial of cases involving race, sex, age, disability and religion discrimination, primarily in employment, on behalf of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission.

Since opening my solo practice in 1983, I have mainly handled civil rights, discrimination, and employment law cases in state and federal agency hearings, court trials and appeals. I have successfully represented complainants, plaintiffs, and defendants in litigation, and have provided consulting services to employers and assisted other lawyers with their civil rights cases. I have extensive administrative law and appellate experience and have served as an expert on the issue of attorney fees in civil rights litigation and on sexual harassment law and practice. I also conducted independent investigations into discrimination complaints for employers. I have presented seminars on a variety of civil rights and legal practice topics, including Retaliation and eDiscovery, as can be seen from the Publications and Links pages on this site.

Believing in cutting-edge technology, I use the latest in Apple® Macintosh computers and web-based communication and research, providing an enhancement to my practice.  I am on Facebook, LinkedIN, Flickr, and Twitter, among other such sites [VictoriaJZ for most]

I am interested in and active in politics and various community issues and endeavors. My husband [Mark McCormick] is a lawyer with the Belin Law Firm. I also enjoy travel with Mark and our family and am an avid reader and photographer. Recently, I have embarked upon a new enterprise known as JourneyZing which provides customized trip and travel research to people and businesses traveling through the United States and overseas as well as selling photographic fine art from my travels. A selection of locales and photographs can be found at that site as well as at my Gallery at JourneyZing. I am currently involved in displays of my photography and sales of my work as art photography.

Over my career as a lawyer I have been involved in a host of law-related activites and hold many memberships, among them:

• American Association for Justice (1983-present); member, Executive Board of the Employment Rights Section (2002-present); Chair of the Employment Rights Section of AAJ, (July 2007 to July 2008);  Editor of the Section Newsletter.
• American Bar Association (1989-present)
• Iowa State Bar Association (1976-present)
• Iowa Trial Lawyers Association (1989-present)
• Iowa Organization of Women Attorneys (1993-present)
• National Employment Lawyers Association (1988-present)
• Polk County Women Attorneys Association; (1976-present); President (1976-1977)
• Supreme Court of Iowa, Grievance Commission (1993-1999)
• Board of Directors of the Youth Law Center, incl. President (1999-2004)
• Leadership Iowa (Class of 1991-1992)
• The Best Lawyers in America (1997-present)
• Who's Who in Finance and Industry (1989-present)

Representing persons in legal matters over the years, I have been involved in cases under statutes such as: Title VII (banning sex, religion, race and national origin discrimination in employment), the ADEA (Age Discrimination in Employment Act), Title VIII (Fair Housing Act), the ADA (the Americans with Disability Act), the Equal Pay Act (providing that men and women with comparable employment should earn equal pay), and the Iowa Civil Rights Act, Chapter 216 of the Iowa Code. There are other employment issues, such as the Wage Payment Collection Act (in Iowa), Iowa's Drug Testing statute (Section 730.5 of the Iowa Code) and other statutes and causes of action (such as retaliatory discharge and privacy matters) in which I have been involved.

Of course, what specific laws or protections apply in a situation is something that can only be determined after a careful review of the facts involved. Visit my services & fees page, for more information.