On Thursday, September 25, 2025, the Supreme Court of Iowa issued a public reprimand to attorney Scott J. Nelson. The reprimand stems from a complaint considered by the Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board.
The case is entitled “Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board v. Scott J. Nelson,” with case no. 25-1496.
The Disciplinary Board found that Nelson failed to promptly turn over a client file to his former client, Jarrell Johnson, and Johnson’s new attorney upon request. Nelson’s justification for withholding the file, citing closed matters and work product, was deemed to have no legal basis. Furthermore, the Board noted that Nelson’s subsequent provision of the file with the condition that it be returned to him was also without legal foundation, as client files are the property of the client. This conduct was found to violate Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct 32:1.15(d) and 32:1.16(d).
The Board also expressed concern regarding Nelson’s decision to provide the file to attorney Sims, who was the prosecutor in Johnson’s new criminal matters, even if Sims was intended only to act as a messenger. While Sims did not review the file and Nelson retrieved it before he could, the Board determined that this action constituted an attempted violation of Rule 32:8.4(a) as it relates to Rule 32:1.9(c)(2). The Board stated that Nelson’s handling of the file demonstrated a troubling view of his responsibilities concerning client files.
As a result of these findings, the Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board publicly reprimanded Nelson for violating Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct 32:1.15(d), 1.16(d), and 8.4(a). The order for the reprimand has been included in the court’s records as a public document.
According to Avvo.com, Mr. Nelson is a general practice attorney in Dubuque, Iowa. He acquired his law license in Iowa in 1991.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
