The University of Iowa College of Law is one of the country’s top public law schools, and its presence is a great benefit for Iowans in many ways. Not only is it a rich source of legal talent for the state, but our faculty, students and alumni provide services vital for Iowa’s economic growth.

For instance, our students contribute pro bono legal aid valued at more than $1.5 million during their three years at the university. That’s about $8,500 per student.

Much of their work saves taxpayers money by providing important legal services at little or no cost to state and local governments. For example, UI law students worked with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission to write two reports: one about the use of service animals by persons with disabilities and the other about the use of undercover tester programs to identify discriminatory hiring practices. These reports recently were forwarded to 27 local human rights commissions in Iowa for consideration.

Iowa law students work as public defenders on misdemeanor cases, providing an important legal service to indigent Iowans and supporting the underfunded State Public Defender’s system. Students also work as law clerks in the public defender’s office, and they represent dozens of victims of domestic violence each year, helping them live safely in their homes with their children.

We also help Iowa’s businesses grow and expand their markets. Law students have helped hundreds of businesses across the state bring their stores and offices into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For instance, we recently worked with Veridian Credit Union to ensure that its technology, services and branches throughout Des Moines and Eastern Iowa are designed with all customers and employees in mind.

Law faculty and students work with developers and home builders so that new residential construction is fully accessible to anyone who wants to buy or rent. This year, we’re helping the Mason City Human Rights Commission ensure full ADA accessibility in historic preservation and new construction.

The law school’s Larned A. Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center serves as a consulting firm of sorts for nearly 4,000 nonprofit agencies, strengthening a sector that employs 9 percent of the state’s workers. Our Institute of Public Affairs works with local governments across Iowa.

But our most important contribution to keeping the state’s economy vibrant is our 4,000 alumni who practice in all 99 counties – 900 of them in Polk County alone. They help businesses expand, ensure that billions of dollars in property changes hands properly every year, and transfer millions of dollars in investment capital to new business start-ups.

Added up, University of Iowa College of Law alumni, students and faculty make Iowa’s communities stronger, more livable places.

Gail Agrawal is dean of the University of Iowa College of Law.