Iowa Land Title Association Chain of Title Tracing Ownership Through Time
                                                                                                          Course Four: Legal Descriptions
                                                                                                                          November 6, 2026

                                                                                                               Iowa Finance Authority (IFA)
                                                                                                                       1963 Bell Avenue
                                                                                                    Mississippi River Conference Room (First Floor)
                                                                                                                    Des Moines, IA 50315                               
                                      
All ILTA courses are considered graduate level courses and are designed for persons with at least 3 years of experience in a related field. 

Course Topics:

• Foundation & History: The Importance of Legal Descriptions of Land; Elements of the GSS.
• Mechanics of Surveying: What is "North; Corrections, Corners; Markers and Monuments; Corner Certificates; Water Boundaries and Government Lots.
• Land Measurements: Units of Measure; Calculating Acreage; Understanding Elements of Curves.
• Reading Legal Descriptions: Abbreviations; Power of the Comma; Other Rules of Interpretation.
• Types of Legal Descriptions: Aliquot Parts and the GSS; Metes and Bounds; Platted Land; Quantitative.
• Drawing Legal Descriptions: Distance or Linear Measurements; Direction or Angular References; Curves.

Course Schedule:

The exam is required only for persons pursuing the ILTA Certified Land Title Professional designation and requires a 90% exam score to pass.  Membership in the ILTA is required to obtain and maintain the ILTA CLTP designation. More information is available on the ILTA website: ILTA CLTP Program

This course is approved for 6 hours of CLE by the Iowa Supreme Court Commission on Continuing Legal Education. 

Course Instructors:

--Kirsten Juhl, Attorney, Juhl Law Firm, with primary areas of practice in Real Estate Law and Business Law. She is also the ILTA Curriculum Developer and Assistant Professor of Practice in the Finance Department at the University of Northern Iowa.   
--Ben Goulson, ILTA Certified Land Title Professional, graduated in 2004 from the University of Iowa College of Psychology. He is an owner of Winneshiek Title & Abstract Co. in Decorah and Howard County Abstract in Cresco.  He is a past ILTA Regional Vice President and currently serves on the ILTA Education Committee and ILTA Certified Land Title Professional Task Force.

REGISTRATION & FEE PAYMENT DEADLINE:  October 9, 2026 to ensure that course materials are mailed to you timely in advance of the course.  Course materials will not be mailed until payment in full has been received by the ILTA office.  A late registration fee will apply after October 9th.   Included in the registration fee and provided to all registrants are the tools needed for drawing legal descriptions.

Cancellation Policy: ILTA Course and Exam Retake Fees may be transferred to another person within the registrant’s company with notice given via email to the ILTA prior to the course or exam date.  Unpaid registration will be subject to a $25 late payment fee on the day following the event and additional late payment fees will be applied each month that the registration remains unpaid.  ILTA Course and Exam Retake Fees will be applied to a future course or exam retake for cancellations or no-shows in the event of an emergency.  Emergency is defined as hospitalization of registrant or their family member. Or, death of registrant’s co-worker or family member.  Weather, illness, work-related issues, or other factors are not considered emergencies unless special consideration is given by the ILTA Board of Directors.

If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this course, or you have a special dietary need, please contact ILTA at ILTA@austin.rr.com or 800.778.3789 at least TWO WEEKS prior to the event.

Notice of Disclaimer:  The Iowa Land Title Association (ILTA) Certified Land Title Professional (CLTP) Program is a series of educational and informational courses for title industry professionals that have been developed in collaboration with the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Center for Real Estate Education.  Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in the CLTP program.  However, no liability is assumed by the ILTA, its officers, directors, committee members or employees in the accuracy or presentation of these courses, either verbally or in writing.  No warranty for any particular purpose, either expressed or implied, is granted by ILTA to anyone utilizing the course information and instruction provided by the CLTP Program.

Questions? Contact ILTA@austin.rr.com or 800.778.3789. 

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