Daniel James Vondra

Daniel James Vondra was admitted to the Iowa Bar in 2004 and has since built a robust legal practice in Iowa and throughout the United States. Early in his career, he achieved an acquittal in a felony jury trial for a forgery charge in Johnson County, Iowa. Just two years later, he gained further jury trial experience by representing a client in a child endangerment case, which he successfully argued before the Iowa Supreme Court in State v. Mitchell, 757 N.W.2d 431 (Iowa 2008).

Vondra's impactful representation continued with the landmark case of Morales Diaz vs. State of Iowa, 896 N.W.2d 723 (Iowa 2017), where he argued that the client's trial counsel failed to inform him of the immigration consequences of a guilty plea, leading to a decision that the plea was not made knowingly and voluntarily.

In addition to his state court achievements, Vondra has extensive experience in Iowa's federal courts. He is admitted to practice in the Northern and Southern District Courts of Iowa and has served as trial counsel in federal courts in Davenport, Des Moines, and Cedar Rapids. His federal appellate work includes a notable victory at the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, where the court ruled against the use of hearsay evidence in a supervised release revocation hearing in United States vs. Timmons, 950 F.3d 1047 (8th Cir. 2020).

Vondra is also recognized for his contributions to immigration law, having successfully represented families in immigration cases across the United States, from courts in San Diego and Los Angeles to New York City. His deep understanding of criminal and immigration law makes him a sought-after speaker at community events and continuing legal education (CLE) seminars.