Practice Areas & Expertise
Get to know Jennifer
I am an attorney and co-owner of Zupp and Zupp Law Firm, P.C. I am licensed to practice law in Iowa and have been since 2006. The focus of my practice is workers’ compensation and personal injury, on behalf of injured workers, injured people, or their families. Growing up, I wanted to be either a doctor or a lawyer and since my work as a lawyer is focused on medical issues, you could say I’m living the dream!
But, this work is not easy. It requires dedication, a good, strong worth ethic, a lot of foresight, experience, knowledge, and, as George W. Bush once famously said, “strategery”. I am almost always at the office Monday through Friday, 8-5. I pride myself on returning phone calls or emails in a timely manner and always get my work done on time, usually ahead of time. My typical day at the office involves reading at least 100 pages of medical records, if not more, and it is often more, researching legal and medical issues, writing briefs, sending or responding to emails, preparing exhibits, coordinating with experts, assessing values of cases, working with insurance companies, nurse case managers, medical providers, other lawyers, deputies and judges and my most-fun thing, actually talking to my clients! Apparently, this is rare for some law firms, which I find sad.
One reason I stand out from other lawyers is because I am heavily involved with different organizations which helped to shape me as a lawyer. They include the Iowa Association for Justice, where I’ve served on the Continuing Legal Education Committee and the Workers’ Compensation Core Group for seven years. I currently serve on the Amicus Committee for IAJ which is a group that writes appellate-level briefs for cases with significance to other people beyond the parties of the case. I have also co-chaired the annual Iowa Workers’ Compensation Symposium for two years, which is the largest workers’ compensation seminar in Iowa and an honor to anyone who is asked. I also serve on the Board and am a member of the Executive Committee for the Iowa Association of Workers’ Compensation Attorneys, which is a group comprised of both claimants’ and defense lawyers. I’m at the point in my practice where other lawyers call me for advice, rather than the other way around. And, I’m happy to provide it because doing good work includes helping others.
I am married to my college sweetheart, Brian Smith, and together we have two kids, Sophia and Jack. Besides school, Sophia stays busy with competition dance, gymnastics, and cheerleading while Jack stays busy with basically every sport. They are the reason I don’t do much on the weekends other than whatever activity they have! Brian owns a concrete construction company, so I help with that, too – and by “that”, I mean doing the books, not running a skid loader. I have to draw the line somewhere!
Most of my clients come to me because they were referred by a friend or family member who had a good experience. While no case is perfect, I do my best to get everyone a fair result under the law after a careful assessment of all of the evidence, risks, and my clients’ desires. I have worked on everything from a fingernail avulsion injury to death claims and I treat them all the same. If you do your part as a client, then I will do my part as the lawyer to get you the best result I can for your particular case. Feel free to call me for a free consultation and we’ll see if I can help you, or, at the very least, get you headed in the right direction.
Education & Credentials
- J.D., University of South Dakota School of Law, 2006
- B.A., Buena Vista University, 2003
- Bar Admissions Iowa, 2006
Professional Associations
- Iowa Association for Justice IAJ, Member 2006-Present
- IAJ Continuing Legal Education Committee 2009-2013
- IAJ Workers’ Compensation Core Group Member 2009-2016
- Iowa Association of Workers’ Compensation Attorneys IAWCA, Board Member 2014-Present
- IAWCA Seminar Committee 2013, 2014
- Iowa Workers’ Compensation Advisory Committee
- Annual Workers’ Compensation Symposium Co-Chair 2013-2014, 2014-2015
- Crawford County Bar Association, Past-President, Present Member