On Thursday, September 25, 2025, the Supreme Court of Iowa issued a public reprimand for attorney T.J. Hier. The reprimand was filed with the court clerk after the Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board (Board) determined Hier had not filed an exception to the Board’s recommendation within the allotted time. The court has ordered that the reprimand be included in its records as a public document.
The case is entitled “Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board v. T.J. Hier,” with case no. 25–1419.
The disciplinary action originates from a case where Hier represented a mother in a termination-of-parental-rights proceeding. The Iowa Supreme Court clerk’s office received an email from Hier’s client on the appeal deadline, stating that she and Hier had not met to sign the appeal papers. The clerk then docketed the mother’s letter as a notice of appeal. The Iowa Supreme Court granted Hier additional time to file an amended notice of appeal signed by both Hier and the mother. While Hier filed the amended notice, she failed to file the petition on appeal.
Thirteen days after the petition deadline, the State filed a motion to dismiss the appeal. Hier then filed a motion for an extension, citing a family health emergency that took her out of state. The Court denied the motion and dismissed the appeal.
The Attorney Disciplinary Board found that Hier’s failure to comply with appellate rules and deadlines violated Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct, specifically Rule 32:1.3, concerning the duty to handle a client’s matter with reasonable diligence, and Rule 32:3.2, concerning the duty to expedite litigation. The Board’s decision was also influenced by Hier’s prior disciplinary history, which includes a 2011 private admonition and public reprimands in both 2012 and 2014, all related to appellate neglect.
According to Avvo.com, Mr. Hier is a child custody attorney in Baxter, Iowa. He acquired his law license in Iowa in 1997.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
