Allison McCarthy

Director of Refugee Clinic & Instructor of Law, Drake College of Law

Allison McCarthy is the Director of the Drake University Refugee Clinic and an Instructor of Law. Since 2020, she has led the Clinic’s work supporting refugees and immigrants.

Her background includes roles as Managing Attorney at McCarthy Law, PC; Associate Attorney at Vondra & Mallot, PLC; and Assistant Public Advocate with the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy. She also clerked for the Iowa Supreme Court.

McCarthy’s writing has been published in Heraldo Hispano and the Iowa Lawyer, covering topics such as U.S. Supreme Court immigration cases, Iowa’s sanctuary city legislation, and the 2008 Postville immigration raid.

She earned both her J.D. and B.A. with distinction from the University of Iowa and serves on the executive committee of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Iowa/Nebraska Chapter.