Maria Brownell
Attorney/shareholder, Ahlers & Cooney PC
Age: 39
Husband: Kevin Brownell
Children: Carmen (11), Oscar (7)
Accomplishments that make you deserving of being a Forty Under 40:
I became a shareholder attorney at Ahlers & Cooney P.C. in 2020 and provide legal services to local government clients statewide.
I served as immediate past president and a board member of the Polk County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers' Project, a nonprofit that provides pro bono legal services to Polk County residents who qualify financially, along with service on several other local community nonprofits and boards.
I am a volunteer coach and judge for the Iowa Mock Trial program, including coaching high school students at Valley High School and initiating and implementing a middle school mock trial team at Sacred Heart middle school in West Des Moines.
I serve on the Drake Law School Board of Counselors.
What's your biggest passion, and why?
Education. I find joy in always learning new things and being able to share what I know with someone else to help them in some way.
What are your goals in your role at work?
Connecting clients with the information they need to reach their goals. I strive to listen to our local government clients and advise them on the options available to empower them to accomplish their goals and tackle any legal problem.
What are your goals in a role outside of work?
Work on collaborative efforts throughout the community to connect Iowans with tools they need to have meaningful access to our courts, legal counsel and resources to fully participate in all types of legal proceedings.
Tell us about an experience or memory that influenced how you see the world or what you want to do in life.
A purpose-driven education is at the center of all of my most formative memories: sitting in as my father's “special guest” in seminary classes as a preschooler, volunteering to assist immigrants with my mom as a high schooler, then being a student at Creighton and Drake, where I learned how to put my education to work helping to make a better world.
What are your aspirations for the future?
Expanding access to justice, from encouraging young people to learn and flourish for many years through the mock trial program to working with the courts and other stakeholders on community-based programs that facilitate greater access to legal resources for underserved clients.
What's one piece of advice you'd give to a young professional?
Run your own race – do not compare yourself to others. Instead, set your own goals, work hard every day and seek out coaches (mentors) and great team members.
What's one fun fact about you?
I lived in seven different places from birth to middle school, from Chicago to Oaks, Okla.
Hobbies: Watching Creighton Bluejays basketball, spending time with family and friends, and running outside on the trails or taking a sculpt, barre, or yoga class at one of the Power Life Yoga studios.
One word that describes you: Diligent.
What is your favorite local restaurant? Cooper's on 5th in Valley Junction.
Name one book, podcast, movie or show you love. “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah.
What is your go-to activity to do in Central Iowa in the evenings or during the weekend?
Currently, my go-to activities in the evenings and weekends involve youth sports and/or music programs for our two children.
Is there anything else people should know about you?
I am so lucky to be surrounded by smart, talented colleagues at my firm. I have had incredible mentors throughout my career; I am particularly grateful to my first boss, the late Chief Justice Mark Cady, who was a model of professionalism, leadership and compassion, and who always encouraged me to never lose sight of what is most important in life.