About Us
Barbara Outside the Office
Barbara Durden Davis, formerly known as Barbara Durden Romar, is a divorced and remarried mother of two adult children and guardian of her granddaughter. In her couple of hours of spare time, she spends time scrapbooking, knitting and pedaling her bike around town with her husband and granddaughter. She also has a keen interest in vintage British motorcars.
Experience Counts
Barbara has years of experience in both teaching and practicing family law. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Drake University Law School in December of 1982. During the summer previous, Barbara studied Civil Rights at the University of Washington, and then began her career as Assistant Polk County Attorney in April of 1983. In November of 1986, Barbara became the Juvenile Justice Coordinator at the Iowa Center for Law-Related Education, Drake University, and started her own firm in August of 1987. Additionally, Barbara shared her extensive knowledge by teaching family, constitutional, and business law classes through Des Moines Area Community College for 18 years. She continues to enrich the family law community by presenting regularly in continuing legal education seminars. She continues her solo practice today, based out of her office in West Des Moines.
Professional Associations
- Iowa State Bar Association (ISBA)
- Family Law Section of the ISBA
- Juvenile Subcommittee of the ISBA, Subcommittee Chair 2002-2013
- Continuing Legal Education Subcommittee of the ISBA, 2001-present
- Quality of Representation Task Force, Iowa Court Improvement Project, Iowa Supreme Court, 2009-2011
- Children’s Justice State Council, Iowa Supreme Court, 2010-2011
- Former Temporary Examiner on the Board of Bar Examiners, Supreme Court of Iowa
Other Associations
- Friends of YJI, 505(c)(3) non-profit corporation, President and founding member 2011-2016
- Youth Justice Initiative, Community Board Member, 2010 – present
- Polk County Adoption Day, Participant 2000-2008, 2012
- Expert Witness for Guthrie County District Court, sufficiency of Chapter 600A.4, Code of Iowa, Release of Custody
- Children and Families of Iowa, Board Member 1992-1998