Welcome New Summer Associates

Dickinson, Bradshaw, Fowler & Hagen, P.C. is pleased to welcome our 2026 Summer Associates, (L-R): Emma Carlson, Abbie Boeding, and Madison Diaz.

Emma Carlson

Emma is currently attending the University of Iowa College of Law where she will graduate with the class of 2027. She holds an undergraduate degree in trauma studies with a minor in philosophy from Central College in Pella.

While obtaining her legal education, Emma worked at Kollmorgen, Schlue & Zahradnik, P.C. in Belle Plaine, Iowa, and has volunteered at Lavender Legal Center, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. In addition, she completed a course practicum at the Iowa City branch of Iowa Legal Aid.

As a native of southeast Iowa, Emma grew up in Fairfield, where her natural interests, including creative writing, led her to seek a career in the law.

“I have always loved to read, write, research, and stare into the middle distance apprehensively,” she said. “I think it is terribly fun to do all these things on behalf of others, and a legal career is the perfect fit.”

Emma is interested in diving into family law, but she is also excited to explore a range of practice areas alongside Dickinson Bradshaw’s attorneys this summer.  “I’ve yet to meet an area of the law that didn’t interest me in at least one way,” she said.

She decided to pursue a summer position at the firm after meeting several attorneys at a University of Iowa event.

“I admired so much their wit, kindness, and clear dedication to their work – a combined ethos I very much wished to be part of as a summer associate. I am grateful to have gotten the chance,” she added.

Outside of academia, Emma enjoys writing creatively, which has shaped the way she approaches ideas and communication.

“I feel it has made me highly attentive to the nuance of language and the power it holds, especially in the legal context,” she commented.

Emma enjoys several interests outside of the office, including spending time with her friends and family, playing piano and guitar, reading contemporary poetry and short-form personal essays, rooting for her favorite WNBA players, as well as cooking, sewing, drawing, painting, and losing quite badly at long games of chess.    

Emma and her partner are two loving moms to their rescue dog, Mione.

Abbie Boeding

Abbie graduated from Waukee High School in 2020 and went on to attend the University of Iowa where she graduated in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish. She currently attends the University of Iowa College of Law where she will also graduate with the class of 2027.

While at Iowa Law, she serves as research assistant to Professor Mary Ksobiech and participates in appellate moot court where she recently competed in the 2026 Van Oosterhout-Baskerville Moot Court Competition.

Last summer Abbie clerked for Magistrate Judge Helen Adams (a former long-time Dickinson attorney), at the District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.

Abbie decided to pursue a legal degree because she wanted to make a difference.

“I want a career that is financially stable and to feel like I am making a difference in someone’s life,” she commented. “I love to problem solve and collaborate.”

With an interest primarily in transactional work, Abbie is open to exploring corporate work, bankruptcy law, and serving small businesses while at Dickinson Bradshaw this summer.

“I have heard such great things about the people and culture here, and the variety of practice areas gives me an opportunity to find my interests,” she said.

Outside of work, Abbie is an experienced yoga instructor and she enjoys reading, hiking, gardening, and baking in her spare time.

Madison Diaz

Madison was raised in Miami, Florida and grew up speaking Spanish as her first language. Her parents homeschooled her and her four younger siblings at their financial planning firm, where they learned from real-world examples of math, client interactions, and business planning.

Her family relocated to Waverly, Iowa, just as she was starting her senior year of high school, and she later graduated from Waverly-Shell Rock High School.

Madison went on to attend Grand View University and finished her degree in just three years. Currently, she is a student at Drake University Law School where she served as a junior staff member of the Drake Law Review and will graduate with the class of 2027.

Her accounting degree, combined with experience in her family’s firm, sparked Madison’s interest in distinguishing herself by obtaining a law degree and becoming an attorney with a focus on estate planning. She would also like to explore the related area of tax law while at Dickinson Bradshaw this summer.

“The attorneys and staff at Dickinson Bradshaw were very kind to me during my interview process and took an interest in my upbringing and relevant experiences,” she said. “Also, the firm’s estate planning attorneys seemed very knowledgeable and helpful.”

While at Drake law, Madison was able to use her bilingual skills and legal training to assist Dickinson Bradshaw attorneys at the firm’s annual Financial and Powers of Attorney and Simple Wills Clinic at Drake Law this past fall.

“It was a great experience for me. I loved being able to use my ability to speak Spanish to help someone in the career I want to work in.”

Outside of the classroom and office, Madison has been a wrestler since she was nine years old. And, before that, she participated in judo and jiujitsu.

“My entire family wrestles, so it’s a really big part of my life,” she adds.

She recently finished her last college season this spring and is now an assistant coach for the Grand View women’s wrestling team.

“I was blessed to become a four time College All-American, which was a goal I never even dreamed of accomplishing throughout high school or my early college years,” she said.

When she’s not studying, working, or wrestling, she spends much of her spare time with her parents, siblings, brother-in-law, and her two amazing nephews.