About Ms. JoAnn L Barten
Ms. JoAnn L Barten Bigelow built her legal foundation in the Midwest. She earned a J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law in 1994 and completed a Labor and Employment certification while there. Two years earlier she received a B.S. in Agricultural Business from Iowa State University. Those years set the stage for a career that has moved between courts, private practice and civic engagement.
Her early legal work included a clerking stint at the Missouri Court of Appeals in 1997. The work gave her a close view of appellate procedure and judicial decision-making. By 1999 she had moved into private practice as a lawyer at the Boliver Law Office, gaining hands-on experience in client work and courtroom practice. In 2005 she became the managing lawyer at Barten Law Office, P.C., a role that involves both case handling and firm oversight.
Bigelow is admitted to practice in Iowa and before the Eighth Circuit. She holds a certification from the Supreme Court of Iowa indicating she practices primarily in immigration law. Over the years she has been a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association since 1998 and twice served as chapter chair for the Iowa-Nebraska chapter, in 2002–2003 and again in 2004–2005. Those positions placed her in the middle of regional discussions about immigration policy and professional education for practitioners.
Her involvement extends beyond bar associations. Since 2009 she has been part of the Immigration Committee for the Fifth District Juvenile Court, contributing to discussions about immigration issues that touch young people and the juvenile system. Since 2008 she has served on the board of Worldly Goods, a fair-trade organization, and has held the role of board president. Those roles reflect an interest in community and policy matters that intersect with legal practice.
Colleagues and court records show a steady career arc rather than sudden leaps. She moved from clerking to associate work and then into firm management. The arc also shows continuity in immigration law practice, reflected in her long-standing membership in the national immigration lawyers association and in the Supreme Court of Iowa certification.
Her office history lists Barten Law Office, P.C. as her current firm, following earlier service at Boliver Law Office. She balances casework for individuals and families against administrative responsibilities at the firm. She currently practices primarily immigration law at Barten Law Office, P.C.
