RILEY’S DECADES OF WORK RECOGNIZED WITH SPIRE AWARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE

“Nobody more deserving.” That was the refrain time and time again from current and former Public Defenders when we reached out to them for comments on Tom Riley as the recipient of the 2023 OBA Robert M. Spire Public Service Award. Dig a little deeper, and it’s not hard to see why so many people feel that way about Tom Riley.

Growing up in New England in Chicopee, Massachusetts, Tom ended up in Omaha due to a mix-up that the Omaha legal community is eternally grateful for. Tom’s first choice for law school was Suffolk Law in Boston close to home. But playing it safe, he also applied to Creighton Law as his backup, on the advice of the head of the American Studies Department at St. Michael’s College in Vermont, where Tom went to undergrad. When Suffolk didn’t send him a yes or no on admission and time was running out on the summer, Tom chose to pack up and move to Omaha to attend Creighton Law, sight unseen. As it turns out, Suffolk hadn’t received his test scores from the testing service in the regular time period, so it was only once Riley had landed in Omaha that he found out that he had been accepted to Suffolk Law.

Tom, the son and grandson of a police officer, had grown up in a household brimming with discussion about Criminal Justice. As he began law school, Riley was keen to study with an eye towards criminal defense practice once he graduated. Impressed with the quality of instruction by professors Mike Fenner, Patrick Mullin, and Doc Shugrue, Tom forgot about the plan to transfer to Suffolk Law, and instead focused on making his legal career in Omaha.

When it came time to find that first job after law school, Riley was convinced the right choice was the Public Defender’s Office. For one thing, growing up in Catholic schools had taught Tom to put yourself second and help those less fortunate, and he “bought it hook, line, and sinker.” Secondly, while tending bar at [Mike] Fahey’s Bar, Tom had gotten to know a number of Public Defenders, which sealed the deal. Starting with the PD’s Office in 1975, has now spent 48 years with the Douglas County Public Defender’s Office, 27 of those years as the elected Public Defender for Douglas County and the 13 years prior to that as Chief Deputy.

Tom oversees 50+ attorneys, close to a dozen legal assistants, and 8 law clerks, all of whom help defend approximately 10,000 misdemeanors and 4,000 felonies a year. In addition, he has attorneys in juvenile court and in Board of Mental Health proceedings.

Investigating Tom’s reputation among his colleagues and charges, we reached out to some current and former public defenders, and here’s just some of the responses we got:

“The heart and soul of what it means to be a Public Defender, not just to those of us who worked for him, but to every defense attorney and, indeed, defendant in this state.”

“Best boss I ever had. He gave me a chance. He gave me my first job. Taught me how to be a lawyer, and for that, I will be forever grateful.”

“He allowed us to make mistakes (but didn’t care so much for the repeated ones) but was always available for questions and help.”

“Taught me that your client is a human being, a person, and not just a defendant charged with a crime. Treat them as such.”

“The privilege of learning from him is not lost on any of us.”

“He was a great boss. You always felt he wanted you to succeed no matter where it was, whether it was in his office or outside of it.”

“He never told you your idea was dumb. We all had Tim Burns for that.”

“His relentless advocacy for his client and passion to get it right just rubs off on younger lawyers.”

“He works tirelessly for his clients and wants no recognition for it. To him, he is just doing his job.”

“The best damn lawyer I know. Period.”

The criteria for the OBA Robert M. Spire Public Service Award recipient are (1) The public's knowledge of the law or the legal system has been enhanced in some significant way by the recipient's efforts; (2) The recipient has focused on providing service to the community for purposes other than pecuniary profits; and (3) The recipient has demonstrated long term commitment to the enhancement of the public's knowledge of the law. Tom Riley has fulfilled all of the Award criteria in spades.

As one former Public Defender put it, “Tom has a well-deserved reputation for representing his clients zealously. There is no harder working and well prepared attorney than Tom. He is a master of the courtroom, both in style and in his knowledge of the law. He also is very humble and caring about his clients. Tom represents what the legal community should admire the most a gifted attorney who understands the adversarial nature of the law but does it with class and respect.”

From Tom’s side, he loves what he does, and relishes the opportunity to help guide younger attorneys in his office. Says Riley, “I’m really happy here – I’ve got a wonderful staff of lawyers that I think very highly of who do a great job.” He added, “One of the things I enjoy the most is being a mention to the younger lawyers. I have an open door policy, and they know they can come in and ask a question and I’m not going to say ‘That’s a stupid question.’”

When asked about his longevity in the position, Riley says he never really contemplated another job once he started in the office. “I’m hard-wired to stay until the job’s done…and the job will never be done.”