« Back to Tim Semelroth's Profile

Bar Admissions

  • State of Iowa
  • US District Courts
    • Northern District of Iowa
    • Southern District of Iowa

Designations

American College of Trial Lawyers

  • Induction 2019

International Society of Barristers

  • Induction 2017

Trial Lawyer’s College – “F” Warrior

  • Graduation 2016

National Board of Trial Advocacy

  • Board certification 2012 – Civil Trial Law
  • Board certification 2019 – Truck Accident Law

American Board of Trial Advocates

  • Induction 2010

Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers

  • Induction 2005

Million Dollar Advocates Forum

  • Induction 2005

Great Plains Super Lawyers List

  • Named 2014 – present

AV Rated – Preeminent – Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Ratings

  • Named 2016

AVVO.com Rating – 10 out of 10

  • Named 2015

Experience

  • RSH Legal (Riccolo, Semelroth & Henningsen, PC), Partner, 2001-Present
  • University of Iowa College of Law, Adjunct Professor, 2005-2010, 2022-Present
  • Riccolo & Baker, PC, Associate, 1998-2000
  • Judicial Law Clerk to Honorable John Jarvey, Chief Magistrate Judge, United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, 1997-1998

Education

University of Iowa College of Law, Iowa City, Iowa

  • J.D. with High Distinction, 1997
  • Outstanding Student in Trial Advocacy, 1997
  • Director, Trial Advocacy Board, 1996-1997
  • Iowa Law Review, 1995-1996

Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa

  • B.A., summa cum laude, 1994
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • National Champion, National Collegiate Mock Trial Tournament, 1993

Involvement

Iowa Association for Justice

  • Key Person Award, 2021
  • Outstanding Member Award, 2010
  • President, 2008-2009
  • President-Elect, 2007-2008
  • Vice President, 2006-2007
  • Parliamentarian, 2005-2006

Iowa Foundation for Justice

  • Board, 2007-present

Iowa Legal Aid

  • Board of Governors, 2007-2016

Iowa State Bar Association

  • Chair, Litigation Section, 2015-2020
  • Chair, Scope and Correlation, 2013-2014
  • Young Lawyers Division Award of Merit 2005
  • President, Young Lawyers Division, 2002-2003
  • Representative, Board of Governors, 2000-2003
  • Chair, Law-Related Education Committee, 1997-2000

American Board of Trial Advocates, Iowa Chapter

  • President, 2016-2017

American Inns of Court, Dean Mason Ladd Chapter

  • Master, 2015-present

American Association for Justice

  • Leaders Forum
  • Member, Trucking Litigation Section
  • Member, Motor Vehicle Collision, Highway and Premises Liability Section
  • Member, Professional Negligence Section

American Bar Association

  • Chair, Section of Litigation Distance Learning Committee, 2004-2007
  • Chair, Section of Litigation Membership Involvement Committee, 2003

Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys

  • Board of Regents, 2020 – present

Trial Lawyers College

  • Faculty, 2020 – present

Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa

  • Board of Directors, 2022-2024

Presentations

2022
  • Finding Whistleblowers: How to talk to the other side’s employees without breaking the rules, 2022 Bob Chaloupka Kick Ass Trial Skills Seminar, Scottsbluff, NE
  • Eight Ways to Wreck Your Truck Accident Case, Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association 2022 Annual Convention, Lander, WY
  • Bad Weather Truck Crashes: Establishing the Standard of Care, Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys May 2022 Webinar
  • Eight Ways to Wreck Your Truck Accident Case, 2022 360 Advocacy How to Win Trucking Cases Seminar, Las Vegas, NV
2021
  • Former Employees and Other Similar Incidents, Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys Symposium
  • Finding Whistleblowers:  How to Talk to the Other Side’s Employees Without Breaking the Rules, Iowa State Bar Association Webinar
2020
  • The Remote Deposition Checklist, Dean Mason Ladd American Inn of Court November Program
  • Onboarding New Clients in the Age of COVID, Great Legal Marketing Heroes and Icons Summit
  • Deposing Records Custodians in Truck Crash Cases, Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys Symposium
  • Demonstrative Evidence in Truck Crash Cases, Iowa Association for Justice Webinar
  • Using Demonstrative Evidence at Trial, Iowa State Bar Association Bridge the Gap Seminar
  • Avoiding the Roadblocks to Establishing the Trucking Standard of Care, 360 Advocacy’s How to Win Trucking Cases Seminar
  • 10 Years of Restatement (3rd) of Torts in Iowa, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers Annual Seminar
2019
  • Using Demonstrative Aids in Trial: Key Concepts and Iowa Law, Dean Mason Ladd American Inn of Court October Program
  • Focus Groups: Harnessing the Wisdom of Crowds, Iowa Association for Justice Annual Convention
  • Wrongful Death Cases in Iowa: 10 Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them), Iowa State Bar Association Litigation Section Webinar
  • Bad Weather Truck Crashes: Using the Safety Regulations & Industry Standards to Prove the Trucker’s Standard of Care, 360 Advocacy’s How to Win Trucking Cases Seminar

2018

  • Sticky Situations in the World Wide Web: How the Internet Can Cost Attorneys Verdicts, Reputations and Even Their Law Licenses, ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section Property Damage Conference
  • Eight Ways to Wreck Your Truck Case, 360 Advocacy’s How to Win Trucking Cases Seminar
  • Eight Ways to Wreck Your Truck Case, Iowa Association for Justice Annual Convention
  • Prudence v. Negligence: Managing Risk in Concussion Response, Iowa State Bar Association Litigation Section Webinar
  • Focus Groups:  Harnessing the Wisdom of the Crowd, Iowa State Bar Association Bridge the Gap Seminar
  • Prudence v. Negligence: Managing Risk in Concussion Response, Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa Annual Conference
  • Truck Accidents:  Don’t Snooze on Driver Fatigue & Hours of Service Violations, Minnesota State Bar Association Webinar

2017

  • Sticky Situations in the World Wide Web: How the Internet Can Cost Attorneys Verdicts, Reputations and Even Their Law Licenses, University of Iowa College of Law Alumni Weekend Seminar
  • What Hollywood Can Teach Us About Direct Examination, Iowa State Bar Association Bridge the Gap Seminar
  • What’s Between Me and A 1/3 Fee? – Landmines in General Personal Injury Claims, Iowa State Bar Association Annual Meeting
  • Let’s Make a Deal: Strategies for Negotiating With (or Without) Mediation, Iowa State Bar Association Annual Meeting
  • Systematic Discovery of Information Applicable to Trucking Cases:  Getting Everything to Which You Are Entitled, 360 Advocacy’s A New Look at How to Win Trucking Cases Seminar
  • Witness Preparation: The Rules, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers Annual Seminar

2016

  • Wisdom of the Ages Panel: Lessons Learned During 102 Years of Trial Lawyering, Iowa Association for Justice Annual Convention
  • Social Media in Labor and Employment Litigation, Iowa State Bar Association Labor and Employment Seminar
  • Witness Preparation: The Rules, The Science, and The Art, Iowa State Bar Association Bridge the Gap Seminar
  • Social Media in Family Law Litigation, Iowa State Bar Association Annual Meeting

2015

  • Landmines in Personal Injury Cases, Iowa State Bar Association Nuts & Bolts Seminar
  • Discovery of Social Media:  How to Ethically Get What You Need, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers Annual Seminar
  • Dos and Don’ts of Dealing with Clients, Iowa Defense Counsel Association Law Student Seminar

2014

  • Nothing "Minor" About It:  Iowa Civil Litigation When Children Are Involved, Iowa Association for Justice Annual Convention
  • Working Smarter, Not Harder:  Effectively Using Technology Before You Get to the Courtroom, Iowa Association for Justice Criminal Law Seminar
  • Social Media in Litigation: Discoverability and Evidentiary Issues, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers Annual Seminar
  • Work Comp’s Velvet Rope: Who Qualifies as an Employee Under Iowa Workers Compensation Law, Iowa Workers Compensation Seminar

2013

  • Wisdom of the Ages:  Timeless Tips from Past Presidents, Iowa Association for Justice Annual Convention
  • Crash Claims 101: 15 Things Every Chiropractor Needs to Know about Treating Crash Claims, Linn County Chiropractic Society Meeting
  • All I Really Need to Know about Trying Cases I Learned in Boy Scouts, Iowa State Bar Association Bridge the Gap Seminar
  • Workers Compensation 101, Iowa State Bar Association Nuts & Bolts Seminar

2012

  • The Plaintiff’s Pre-Trial Checklist:  How to Prepare Your Case for Trial, Iowa State Bar Association Bridge the Gap Seminar
  • What Works and What Doesn’t in Jury Trials:  Audio-Visual Aids, Exhibits and Demonstrative Evidence, Iowa Public Defenders Annual Seminar
  • Litigation Orientation for the Client:  Teaching a Client How Not to Hurt Their Case, Iowa Association for Justice Personal Injury Seminar
  • Applying Damages, The Rules and The Reptile in Iowa Courtrooms, Iowa Association for Justice Annual Convention
  • Do I Need an Attorney:  How to Handle a Call from an Injured Motorist, Iowa State Bar Association Nuts & Bolts Seminar

2011

  • What Every Trial Lawyer Should Know About Facebook and Social Media: An Ethical Analysis, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers Annual Seminar
  • Facebook, Twitter and YouTube: Oh MySpace:  The Discoverability of Social Media, Iowa Association for Justice Webinar Series (with Emily and Dan Anderson)
  • Applying Rules & Damages in Closing Argument, Iowa Association for Justice Personal Injury Seminar
  • Workers Compensation 101, Iowa State Bar Association Nuts & Bolts Seminar

2010

  • What Hollywood Can Teach Us About Trial Preparation, Iowa State Bar Association Bridge the Gap Seminar
  • Dram Shop Cases in Iowa: Seven Mistakes Friends Don’t Let Friends Make, Iowa Association for Justice Webinar Series
  • The Paralegal’s Mediation Checklist:  How to Prepare Your Attorney for Mediation, Iowa Association for Justice Webinar Series

2009

  • The Traps of the New Case Processing Standards:  What Your Staff Doesn’t Know Can Hurt You, Iowa Association for Justice Webinar Series
  • Ten Bad Ideas about Bad Faith Claims in Iowa, Iowa Association for Justice Workers Compensation Seminar (with Tito Trevino)
  • What Hollywood Can Teach Us About Jury Selection, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers Annual Seminar (with Megan Antenucci)
  • Suing Government Entities: How to Avoid Eight Common Mistakes, Iowa State Bar Association Bridge the Gap Seminar

2008

  • What Works and What Doesn’t in Jury Trials:  Audio-Visual Aids, Exhibits and Demonstrative Evidence, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers Annual Seminar (with Guy Cook)
  • Tips for Effective Objections at Trial, Iowa State Bar Association Nuts & Bolts Seminar
  • What Hollywood Can Teach Us About Cross Examination, Iowa State Bar Association Bridge the Gap Seminar
  • Wrongful Death Cases in Iowa: 10 Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them, Iowa Association for Justice Annual Convention

2007

  • Voir Dire and Using the New Rule 1.903(3)(b), Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers Annual Seminar
  • Objections and Making a Record, Iowa State Bar Association Bridge the Gap Seminar
  • Cross Examination, Iowa State Bar Association Nuts & Bolts Seminar
  • Preparing Damages Witnesses for Trial: A Systematic Approach, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention

2006

  • What’s New in Trial Technology:  Using Today’s Tools to Learn from the Masters, Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers Annual Seminar
  • How to Know When Your Case Got Tougher:  Recognizing Medical Negligence, Products Liability, Workers’ Compensation and Wrongful Death Issues in Personal Injury Cases, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association Personal Injury Seminar
  • Now It’s Up to Us:  Using the New Rule 1.903(3)(b) to Get Fair Juries, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention

2005

  • Eight Errors that Can Wreck an Iowa Truck Accident Case, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association Personal Injury Seminar
  • Demonstration of Plaintiff Cross Examination of Defense Expert Witness, American Board of Trial Advocates Masters in Trial Seminar

2004

  • Seven Reasons Why Iowa Lawyers Should Be Using Focus Groups, Iowa Trial Lawyers Association Personal Injury Seminar