Ryan Shellady grew up between Iowa City and Kalona, Iowa. He says “between” because he, himself, is a product of family law. Ryan chose to dedicate his practice to pay forward the many lessons he learned growing up in contentious circumstances and wants his clients to know they have someone in their corner who has personally experienced many of the same challenging circumstances they have faced. He has a heart for helping people in this process and provides knowledgeable, personalized counsel for each of his clients. His practice focuses on divorce, custody, modifications, Guardian Ad Litem services, and guardianship and conservatorship work.
Ryan grew up attending the Mid-Prairie Community School District before ultimately graduating from Iowa City City High School. After attending Luther College for a year, Ryan returned home to earn his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Iowa with high distinction and honors in Ethics & Public Policy and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. After his undergraduate studies, Ryan chose to stay local and again attend the University of Iowa College of Law, where he graduated with distinction on May 10, 2019. During law school, Ryan was a member of the Graduate and Professional Student Government at the university, had his Law Review Note published in the Iowa Law Review—after which it was quoted in the New York Times Magazine, and was voted Best Advocate at the Van Oosterhout Moot Court Competition in 2018. Ryan was also awarded the Bergstrom Child Welfare Law Fellowship at the University of Michigan Law School’s Child Advocacy Clinic.
When he is not working, Ryan is an active member of the community serving on local non-profit boards such as Orchestra Iowa, the Hawkeye Area Wrestling Klub, and Crooked Path Classics. Ryan also coaches the Iowa City Liberty Mock Trial team who qualified for State for the first time in school history in 2025. Ryan lives in North Liberty with his wife and two dogs, Sven and Ollie.
