Ben Stone

Ben Stone is the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, a nonpartisan, non-profit membership organization founded in 1935. The ACLU of Iowa is the fifth-oldest ACLU affiliate in the nation, and will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding in 2010.

Mr. Stone, a native of Des Moines, graduated with honors from Drake Law School in 1995, and obtained a masters degree in history and philosophy from Iowa State University in 1990. Prior to coming to the ACLU of Iowa in 1996, he was an associate attorney at the Parrish Law Firm in Des Moines. From 1990 to 1993, he served as executive director of United Students of Iowa, a statewide student advocacy association.

While serving as the director of the ACLU of Iowa, Mr. Stone practiced as a court appointed criminal defense attorney, and taught constitutional law in the criminal justice program at Des Moines Area Community College, where he has also taught logic and continues to teach moral philosophy. He has also taught courses in First Amendment Law at Simpson College and American history at Drake University.