About Nicole
Nicole Hughes has built a career at the intersection of bankruptcy law and public service. She earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Creighton University in 2000 and a J.D. from Creighton University School of Law in 2003. Those years in Omaha shaped a practice grounded in procedure and practical problem-solving.
Early in her career Hughes gained admission to practice in Nebraska, Iowa and in the Eighth Circuit. She gravitated toward bankruptcy matters and consumer insolvency work. That path led to a string of professional roles that combined courtroom work, case administration and bar leadership.
In 2022 she was appointed a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Panel Trustee for the Northern District of Iowa, the Southern District of Iowa and the District of South Dakota. In that role she administers bankruptcy estates, oversees distributions to creditors, reviews claims and conducts the hearings that bring Chapter 7 cases to a close. The trustee position places her at the center of many routine and contested matters in the federal bankruptcy system.
Hughes has been active in bar and professional organizations. She currently holds memberships in the Iowa State Bar Association, the Nebraska State Bar Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute and the Pottawattamie County Bar Association. She served as State Chair of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Lawyers from 2007 to 2014. Since 2014 she has been a director of the Federal Bar Association, Iowa Chapter and of Bankruptcy Seminars, Inc.
Her community involvement includes service as a director of the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation since 2018 and participation on the School Bond Citizens Committee during 2018. Those roles reflect an interest in local education issues alongside a busy legal schedule.
In practice Hughes handles consumer bankruptcy matters and related contested proceedings. She represents clients in Chapter 7 and consumer-focused matters, and she works regularly with trustees, creditors and the federal courts. Her experience on both sides of bankruptcy disputes informs how she approaches case strategy and estate administration.
Hughes maintains an active practice in Nebraska and Iowa, holds admission in the Eighth Circuit and continues to serve as a Chapter 7 trustee for multiple districts. Her current practice focuses on consumer bankruptcy and Chapter 7 trustee administration.
