diff --git a/services/identity/src/error.rs b/services/identity/src/error.rs
--- a/services/identity/src/error.rs
+++ b/services/identity/src/error.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use aws_sdk_dynamodb::{model::AttributeValue, Error as DynamoDBError};
+use std::collections::hash_map::HashMap;
 use std::fmt::{Display, Formatter, Result as FmtResult};
 
 #[derive(
@@ -51,3 +52,90 @@
   #[display(...)]
   InvalidValue,
 }
+
+pub trait FromAttributeValue {
+  fn to_vec(
+    &self,
+    attr_name: &str,
+  ) -> Result<&Vec<AttributeValue>, DBItemError>;
+  fn to_string(&self, attr_name: &str) -> Result<&String, DBItemError>;
+  fn to_hashmap(
+    &self,
+    attr_name: &str,
+  ) -> Result<&HashMap<String, AttributeValue>, DBItemError>;
+}
+
+fn handle_attr_failure(value: &AttributeValue, attr_name: &str) -> DBItemError {
+  DBItemError {
+    attribute_name: attr_name.to_string(),
+    attribute_value: Some(value.clone()),
+    attribute_error: DBItemAttributeError::IncorrectType,
+  }
+}
+
+impl FromAttributeValue for AttributeValue {
+  fn to_vec(
+    &self,
+    attr_name: &str,
+  ) -> Result<&Vec<AttributeValue>, DBItemError> {
+    self.as_l().map_err(|e| handle_attr_failure(e, attr_name))
+  }
+
+  fn to_string(&self, attr_name: &str) -> Result<&String, DBItemError> {
+    self.as_s().map_err(|e| handle_attr_failure(e, attr_name))
+  }
+
+  fn to_hashmap(
+    &self,
+    attr_name: &str,
+  ) -> Result<&HashMap<String, AttributeValue>, DBItemError> {
+    self.as_m().map_err(|e| handle_attr_failure(e, attr_name))
+  }
+}
+
+pub trait AttributeValueFromHashMap {
+  fn get_string(&self, key: &str) -> Result<&String, DBItemError>;
+  fn get_map(
+    &self,
+    key: &str,
+  ) -> Result<&HashMap<String, AttributeValue>, DBItemError>;
+  fn get_vec(&self, key: &str) -> Result<&Vec<AttributeValue>, DBItemError>;
+}
+
+impl AttributeValueFromHashMap for HashMap<String, AttributeValue> {
+  fn get_string(&self, key: &str) -> Result<&String, DBItemError> {
+    self
+      .get(key)
+      .ok_or(DBItemError {
+        attribute_name: key.to_string(),
+        attribute_value: None,
+        attribute_error: DBItemAttributeError::Missing,
+      })?
+      .to_string(key)
+  }
+
+  fn get_map(
+    &self,
+    key: &str,
+  ) -> Result<&HashMap<String, AttributeValue>, DBItemError> {
+    self
+      .get(key)
+      .ok_or(DBItemError {
+        attribute_name: key.to_string(),
+        attribute_value: None,
+        attribute_error: DBItemAttributeError::Missing,
+      })?
+      .to_hashmap(key)
+  }
+
+  fn get_vec(&self, key: &str) -> Result<&Vec<AttributeValue>, DBItemError> {
+    self
+      .get(key)
+      .ok_or(DBItemError {
+        attribute_name: key.to_string(),
+        attribute_value: None,
+        attribute_error: DBItemAttributeError::Missing,
+      })?
+      .to_vec(key)
+  }
+}