UNI “Academic Heisman” finalist named partner of international law firm
UNI “Academic Heisman” finalist named partner of international law firm
Law firm Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP has announced the promotion to partnership of Josh Mahoney, a 2009 University of Northern Iowa alum.
With 1,200 attorneys and consulting professionals, Faegre Drinker is one of the largest law firms in the United States, with an office in Des Moines. The full-service international law firm also has offices in London and Shanghai. Mahoney practices in Faegre Drinker’s Chicago office.
Mahoney double-majored in economics and English at the University of Northern Iowa. He also played football for the Panthers and was inducted into the UNI Hall of Fame in 2015.
“My time spent at UNI was instrumental in preparing me to be a lawyer,” said Mahoney. “My professors in the economics and English department, in particular, were excellent teachers and mentors who helped me develop the analytical and writing skills I lean on every day as part of my antitrust practice. Faegre Drinker is an outstanding firm with deep roots in the Midwest, too, and is a great place for UNI folks who are interested in pursuing a legal career.”
“Josh was a wonderful student at UNI,” recalls Lisa Jepsen, one of Mahoney’s professors. “He was intellectually inquisitive. He was always striving to master every concept. His academic achievements were all the more impressive given his role as a starting linebacker on the football team.”
As a student-athlete, Mahoney maintained a 4.0 grade point average which led to numerous awards. He was a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy in 2009, often called the “Academic Heisman,” where he shared the stage with the University of Florida’s Tim Tebow and the University of Texas’ Colt McCoy. He also received the Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship Award, which is the highest academic award the NCAA administers, and the inaugural Merlin Taylor Academic Hall of Fame award at UNI.
“Even in his early years at UNI, Josh established a reputation for asking insightful questions in class and digging deeper into the topics we discussed,” said Jepsen. “In Law and Economics, he would quickly identify the key points of a case. He would debate both sides of an issue, which is a hallmark of a good legal mind. I'm sure his clients are receiving excellent legal advice from Josh.”
Mahoney’s promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2024.
