Newsletter
Omaha Bar Association
Vol. XXXXII No. 1 March 2017
SocialLink
INSIDE Page 2…President’s Message Page 3…OBA Board Holiday Event Page 4…Executive Director’s Column Page 5…Moves & Milestones Page 6 …Nominations for Board Page 7…Year of Gratitude Page 8…Podcasting Page 9…LRS Report Pages 10 & 11…Cover Story Pages 12 & 13…A Tale of Wine Tasting Page 14…Boardgame Throwdown Page 15…Just the Basics CLE Pages 16 & 17…Pizza Review
Connecting Our Community Online: OBA Launches Social Media Platform For Membership
Page 18…NePA report Page 19… OLPA Report Page 20…Calendar
New to the Omaha Bar Association in 2017
is SocialLink, a social media platform for OBA members and select legal community affiliated groups. Launched in January, SocialLink was added to try to meet and connect our members where many of them already spend their time: online. Read more about SocialLink on pages 10 & 11
and twitter! omahabarassociation.com
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President’s Message Dear OBA Members, Knowing that you are busy people, here are a few quick updates: 1. Did you know we launched a new social media platform, SocialLink? We are offering it as another way we try to connect our members via an online community as well as inperson opportunities. We will have a year-long roll out. This is a bit of an experiment. It is a blend of LinkedIn and Facebook formats. What is unique about this system is that it has OBA members as the primary source of content, discussions and engagement. Please try it and let us know what you think. 2. 2016 was OBA’s “Year of the Volunteer.” Our members continue to volunteer in a variety of ways through the OBA. Accordingly, it is appropriate that 2017 is the “Year of Gratitude.” We are thankful for you, our members, and for all you do for others and the good of the community. The OBA is only as strong as all of the volunteer efforts of our members. If you see one of our members doing good work, or you hear about it, please give them your gratitude. 3. The OBA is YOUR organization. Your feedback on who we are and what we do are important. Please, speak up and let us know what you think.
We sincerely try to do the best we can for our members. For example, in 2016, we tried a joint golf tournament with Legal Aid. Because of the feedback we received, we are going back to the traditional Field Day on July 24th at Champions Run. We just had our 17th Annual Wine Tasting at Noah’s Event Center. A big thank you to Dave Sommers and Donna Birkby who through their excellent efforts found a last minute replacement for Brix, where the event was previously held. Because of their quick work and the generosity and sponsorship of Lynda Henningsen, Executive Director and Publisher of the Daily Record, the event went off without a hitch. We have also added five one hour CLEs throughout the year with the focus on “Just the Basics.” What do you think? What can we add? Your feedback is appreciated. We want to make sure we are doing everything we can. The spring is full of wonderful events for the OBA. I look forward to seeing you at them. Thank you for the privilege of being your president.
Douglas F. Johnson
If you are aware of anyone within the Nebraska legal community (lawyers, law office personnel, judges, courthouse employees or law students) who suffers a sudden, catastrophic loss due to an unexpected event, illness or injury, the NSBA’s SOLACE Program can likely assist that person in some meaningful way. Contact Mike Kinney at mkinney@ctagd.com and/or Liz Neeley at lneeley@nebar.com.
3 The Holidays Bring Together Current and Past OBA Leaders
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Executive Director’s Column As the snow melts and the days warm and lengthen, I’m reminded once again that winter does not last forever, nor as long it did during my formative days in North Dakota. Like the ebb and flow of seasons, the OBA continues to change with the times. This edition of the OBA Newsletter focuses heavily on a new social media platform for OBA Members, called SocialLink. Anyone logged into the website can see what it looks like. There’s even an iPhone and Android app for it. The idea is simple: our members want enjoy a robust online community of support and engagement, in addition to our in-person events and programming. The implementation is more complex: The community is only as interactive as members choose to make it. So we are asking for your patience and willingness to try something new while we work out the kinks in this new experiment of ours. Who knows; this could actually work! Also, we are launching the OBA Podcast here soon and we are looking for presenters and interviewers. If you think you have the chops for either, let me know. Looking at the list of events that have happened since the last newsletter, 4 of them had never been done before. As always, we are looking to the future and not afraid of trying new things. Where for a few years we did Pub Quiz nights with trivia, we are moving on to other ideas, like our Pizza Review and Board Game Throwdown. Onwards and upwards! Speaking of the Pizza Review, I need to thank the OBA members who graciously delivered pizzas from the far reaches of the metro: Brady Hoekstra, Jamie Applegarth, Angela Lennon and Hannah Wooldridge. Also, thank you to Rob Schaefer for serving as chief culinary judge for the Review. The Wine Tasting this year included a bit of Brix
www.omahabarassociation.com
drama, but went over as planned, albeit in an different location. The super stars behind the event include Lynda Henningsen of The Daily Record, Jean Roeder, Bonnie Kudron, Mary Easley, and Valentina Saavedra. It was a team effort to get all the food and drink prepped and served! Thank you as well to The Daily Record for sponsoring the event, helping to continue to make it free for OBA members and their guests. Jon Brown and Justin Hochstein jumped into 2017 in a big way by presenting at the first two “Just the Basics” CLEs; thank you for agreeing to the idea of a happy hour CLE…it’s working! We just had the 22nd Annual “Lunch with Fenner,” with Creighton Law Professor Mike Fenner. Back when I was a visiting law student, Professor Fenner was my Evidence professor, and whenever he talks, it takes me right back to sitting in his class, furiously taking notes. Thank you, Professor Fenner. (A Side Note: After reviewing the historical record, we found that there have been, in fact, 27 of these speeches by Fenner over a span of 25 years. I’ve conferred with referee Mardee Korinek, and we agreed to skip ahead next year to “28th Annual” instead of “23rd Annual.” Don’t worry when you see the next Lunch with Fenner notice; you haven’t spaced out 5 years of practice…at least, I hope not.) Finally, I want to thank Monica Freeman and Mandy Gruhlkey for helping with the SocialLink roll out. Connecting our membership with one another is important, and their help getting this off the ground is critically important. In two weeks, President Elect Anne Marie O’Brien and I will attend the ABA Bar Leadership Institute in Chicago, and learn about more ways to make the OBA be the best it can be for you, the membership. It should be an informative, helpful conference. The fact that the conference always coincides with St. Patrick’s Day…well…that’s just a nice little bonus.
Dave Sommers
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ON THE MOVE
MILESTONES
Husch Blackwell welcomes Adam Charlsen to their Omaha office; Brandie Fowler has taken her talents to Koenig Dunne; Carlson Burnett announces the addition of Joe Risko to their firm; Congratulations to Nora Kane on her move to general counsel at Omaha Steaks; Congratulations to Hon. David K. Arterburn on his seat on the bench of the Nebraska Court of Appeals, and to Hon. Susan Bazis on her move to the U.S. District Court as Magistrate Judge; Brent Beller joins Fullenkamp Doyle and Jobeun as partner; Leo Knowles returns to McGrath North from his Senior Vice President position at ConAgra; the Law firm of Govier and Milone has merged with Katskee Suing and Maxell to form the new firm of Govier, Katskee, Suing and Maxell; McGrath North announces the addition of Cody Brookhouser, Rachel C. Meyer, and Matthew Munro; Vandenack Weaver welcomes Monte Schatz, Alex Rainville, Kermit A. Brashear, and James S. Pieper to the firm; McChesney & Farrell adds Joshua Livingston as associate; Hennessy & Roach announces Stephen Murray as associate; Koley Jessen welcomes Michael Keblesh to its ranks; Allison Rockey has joined Copple Rockey as an associate; Woods & Aitken announces Patrick Vint as associate; and Kutak Rock welcomes Torri Criger as Of Counsel and Jacqueline Grau as staff attorney.
Congratulations to OBA YLD Chair Angela Lennon for being named partner at Koenig Dunne; Zach Petersen and Laura Essay named as partners at Dvorak & Donovan; Adam Wachal has been elected director at Gross Welch; Justin Burroughs, Kristina Kamler, and Garrett Lutovsky have been promoted to senior associates at Engles Ketcham; Koley Jessen’s Colleen Medill has be appointed to serve on the ERISA Advisory Council; Adam Barney and Gregory Frayser have been named partners at Cline Williams; Allison Hardy elected partner at Stinson Leonard; Fraser Stryker names Nicole Konen and Mark O’Siochain as new partners; Monica Freeman named partner at Woods & Aitken; Baird Holm announces the promotion of Amy Lawrenson and Krista Eckhoff to partner; and lastly, but certainly not least, the Omaha Bar Association (and fiancé Dave Sommers) is proud to announce the promotion of Hannah Wooldridge to partner at Slowiaczek Albers. Congratulations, Hannah!
OBA Memorial Service May 19, 2017
Legislative Chambers 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
OBA Members
The OBA Lawyer Referral Service is seeking additional attorneys in the following practice areas: Federal Worker’s Compensation Federal and General Employment Law School Law Municipal Law Administrative Law Foreclosure Please call Donna at (402)280-3606 for more details.
6 NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR OBA LEADERSHIP POSITIONS On February 10, 1988, the Omaha Bar Association Executive Council approved the following application form, included below, so all members would have an opportunity to express an interest in the management of our association. The President-Elect position is a three-year commitment as President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past President. The same three-year commitment applies to the Treasurer-Elect. The office of Secretary is a one-year term. Two Executive Council positions of three-year terms are open each year. Every interested OBA member should fill out the application and forward it to the Omaha Bar Association office before April 18, 2017. The applications will be kept strictly confidential and will be seen only by the President, the Executive Director and the Nominating Committee, which is composed of three past presidents. TO:
OMAHA BAR ASSOCIATION NOMINATING COMMITTEE Confidential Application for OBA Officer/Executive Council Position _____ President-Elect (3 year commitment) _____
Secretary
(1 year commitment)
_____
Treasurer-Elect
(3 year commitment)
_____
Executive Council Member (3 year term)
FROM: Name:
____________________________________________________________
Address:
____________________________________________________________
Phone:
________________________ Email: _____________________________
Law School Graduation Year: ________ Present Activity in OBA: Past Activity in OBA:
Date of Membership in OBA: _________
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
Areas for Improvement by OBA: __________________________________________ SIGNATURE:
______________________________________________________
If you would like to nominate someone for a position, please fill in the following: Nominator’s Name: _______________________________________________________ Address:
____________________________________________________________
Phone:
__________________________ Email: __________________________________
Position:
____________________________________________________________ Mail before APRIL 18, 2017 to: Omaha Bar Association, 2133 California Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68178
7 2017: The Year of Gratitude by the OBA The Omaha Bar Association dubbed 2016 the “Year of the Volunteer”, and correspondingly focused on encouraging members to step up and volunteer their time and talents to benefit their communities. The effort was a success, with over 2,000 hours of volunteering committed through the campaign, and events like the Stop Hunger Now food packaging preparing 10,000 meals that were sent to impoverished school children in Central America and the Golf Scramble that raised a record amount for Legal Aid of Nebraska. Volunteerism continues strong in going forward. Now, in 2017, the Omaha Bar Association is excited to announce a coordinated effort throughout the year to show how thankful we are for our members, and all they do for the Omaha Bar Association. We are calling 2017 the “Year of Gratitude” and will take every opportunity to thank and shine a light on all the wonderful people that make up our community. In a world of divisiveness and rancor, we believe everyone could use some love. We are looking forward showing the love to our members. You deserve it!
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Can You Hear Me Now? Podcasting Coming to the OBA
22nd Annual ‘Lunch with Fenner’
A new feature that will be rolled out to OBA members this year is the OBA Podcast. The Podcast will feature interviews with OBA members, recordings of guest speakers at OBA events, and general discussion on law practice, and the future of the legal profession. The goal is to release approximately 20 a year, for an average of one every other week. Length will range from 10 minutes, up to 30 minutes, depending on the subject. We are currently in the formation of the podcasting team, and are looking for 3-4 volunteers to conduct interviews. Interested in sitting down with a legal heavyweight to pick their brain? We need you. Keen on discussing where you see the profession going in the next 30 years? Give us a call. Want to call up an author of a book you’ve read and talk to them? We’d love to record it. Like anything new, we are open to many different angles on where to take the Podcast. Our flexibility in the format will be an asset, and allow us to cover more areas of interest to our membership. More to come on this front. Get ready to plug in and listen!
OBA President Hon. Doug Johnson (left) catches up with speaker and colleague Prof. Mike Fenner. On Wednesday, March 1st, Creighton Law Professor Mike Fenner gave a spirited speech entitled “The Constitution of the United States v. Donald J. Trump, President, United States.” Fenner started the speech by saying, “This is the most difficult one of these talks I’ve ever done. Every day I wake up and there’s something new that I could talk about.” Nevertheless, he persisted, discussing, in one instance, the leaking of an administration meeting on leaks to the media in which the attendees were told explicitly to not leak information about the meeting to the press.
Civil Jury Verdicts In Need of Assistance The OBA Newsletter Committee is seeking a volunteer to help with the compilation of our Douglas County Civil Jury Verdicts. Those familiar with the OBA Newsletter knows that the Civil Jury Verdicts have been a mainstay of the publication going back into the 1980s. The succinct distillation of complex cases, decided with a verdict in our local courts and in front of a civilian jury is one of the most popular installments. For the past 18 years, Mike Havlik has been doing the yeoman’s work to bring that information to our membership four times a year. Mike has done a wonderful job, and we cannot thank him enough for the countless
hours he’s committed to bringing the verdicts to the members. Next time you see Mike at the Courthouse, please thank him for his longstanding dedication to the OBA Newsletter. Like longtime editor Steve Bruckner, and Tom Grennan before him, the Newsletter is a labor of love that really takes a village of volunteer help to put together. All that being said, Mike has decided to let another OBA member take over this most-read section in the newsletter. Here’s Our Mission: We are in search for one or two members interested in compiling the CJV’s. Think you have what it takes to be in print in front of the membership 4 times a year? Email Dave at dave@omahabarassociation. com if you’re interested.
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OBA Lawyer Referral Service Report 2017 marks the 65th year of the Omaha Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service. Not comfortable resting on our laurels, we want the membership to know about some new things at the LRS.
competently handle the referrals they receive, and facilitate a higher level of satisfaction with members of the public using our Service.
Subject Matter Panels. Started in 2016, the LRS has added Subject Matter Panels in certain areas of practice, including Family Law and Criminal Law. These Panels are made up of attorneys who have shown a certain minimum level of practice history in those areas. For example, attorneys on the Panel in the area of Juvenile Law have handled a minimum of 5 cases in the past 3 years. These Panels were added because members of the public often contact LRS and request attorneys with a known history of practice in a certain legal field. The Subject Matter Panels help ensure that each attorney has the basic knowledge necessary to
LRS Blog. New in 2017, the OBA LRS website, www.omahalawyerreferral. com, has added a “Blog” section. These blog posts, written by LRS members, assist in giving the inquiring public some general information on legal matters they may be experiencing. The idea is that the blog posts are an informational service, but also a way to increase the exposure of the LRS site, and drive traffic to use our Service. We look to post approximately once or twice a month on a variety of areas of the law. Already our site traffic is up as a result. If you’re interested in writing on a topic, please let Donna know. She can be reached at 402-280-3606. Referral Results. By now you’re probably familiar with the cost of
joining the OBA LRS ($50 for the first year, $125 per year following), as well as the consultation fee agreement ($40 for up to 30 minutes of consultation), but what you may not hear as often are the results of those referrals. Of the approximately 7,000 calls we get a year, there are significant cases that come out of the Service. A recent monthly report of referrals included the following report of attorneys fees reported back to the Service: $11,100 for a modification of custody, $20,635 for a business collections case, $20,467 from a Worker’s Comp case, and a sexual harassment case that paid the attorney $144,000 in fees. That’s all for now. As always, we invite all OBA members to consider joining the LRS if it fits their practice. And, if someone asks you for a referral to another attorney, please tell them to call Donna at 402-280-3603.
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10 The OBA Launches Online Community Platform: SocialLink What is SocialLink? It’s a mobile-ready social media platform for OBA members. Think of a mashup between LinkedIn and Facebook. What’s unique about the system is that it is community driven. Members are primary source of content, discussions, and engagement. Have a question about practice in juvenile court? Ask it here. Want to announce your promotion to partner? Post it here. Looking to sublease some office space? Submit the information to SocialLink. Have a killer POA you want to share with the newly admitted attorneys? Share it here. How do I get on SocialLink? Logging in to SocialLink can be done via the OBA’s website, www.omahabarassociation. com, using the login in the right hand corner. The site is mobile ready, so it’ll populate correctly on smartphones much better than the OBA site does when not logged in. I’m already on LinkedIn, Facebook, and the email listservs. Why should I spend my time on another social media site? Most importantly, SocialLink is a closed social media platform, unlike LinkedIn and Facebook. Items posted are not discoverable by the general public; only to OBA members who log in. Want to post a generic question about a case (similar to an email listserv) to seek advice from other attorneys? Use SocialLink. (It’s better than posting publicly to Facebook, and getting that not-sohelpful comment from your Aunt Mildred about how she can’t believe how fast you grew up.) Another distinction is that unlike the listserv discussions that get deleted when cleaning up your email, the discussions on SocialLink will be archived and findable by a quick site search, easily findable months and years later. What are some ways to use SocialLink? • Share/Read articles (legal and otherwise) written by OBA members • Announce a promotion, job change, office space for rent, or services for hire • Ask a practice question • Connect with potential mentors/mentees • Look through pictures from the latest OBA event • Share/find best practice documents and practice tips • Share ideas for new OBA events • Coordinate with other OBA volunteers on upcoming events • Read about the latest law practice management methods • Promote involvement among OBA members in the larger
Omaha metro community through public service and community engagement opportunities. • General Networking • Et cetera…The uses of SocialLink are as infinite as the creativity of our OBA Members! Walk me through the different connection circles and groups in SocialLink. Like Facebook and LinkedIn, SocialLink has different levels of interlinking within the system. ALL members will be automatically included in groups that start with the title “SocialLink:” When you want to post a message to all OBA members, use those groups. Separately from Groups, everyone also has their own personal set of “My Connections” that link you with only the people who you have sought out to connect with, or vice versa (and who you have accepted as a connection). So when you want to send a message just to your Connections, simply post the message at the top of Your Feed. Your Feed will show (1) all posts you have made, (2) all posts made by your Connections to their Feed, and (3) all posts made under any of the Groups you are a member of. Certain Groups exist in SocialLink that are optional for members to join. We didn’t want to overwhelm you with too many group options. However, for those who want to get more involved, simply click the “request to join” button on the description of the group. What’s in it for me to use SocialLink? In an effort to get the ball rolling on the platform, the OBA is going to incentivize our members to log in and use SocialLink in 2017. Simply put, the more you log in and use the system, the closer you get to the “Top Contributors” list. (That list can be found on the right side of the screen when logged in through a computer.) At the end of every two months, we’ll give prizes out to our top 10 OBA Member contributors. Are there limits to what can be posted and/or discussed? SocialLink will not be heavily policed, but we do want to the platform to be safe, respectful, and constructive. To that end, users are asked to look through the Guidelines and the Terms of Use pages on the www. omahabarassociation.com. OK, I’m logged into SocialLink. How do I get started? On first login, there’s 3 things you can do to get jumpstarted on using SocialLink. (1) Connect with Fellow Members to create your own
11 network of connections within SocialLink. To connect, search for members by name, and click “Connect”. The system will prompt them to accept your connection upon their next login.
the OBA logo on a white background. Simply click on the logo, and you’ll be redirected to the OBA website and all of the member-only content available to those who are logged in.
(2) Browse the Groups tab, to get familiar with the different discussion threads that exist, and like a post or two.
UPDATE: The SocialLink Mobile App for smartphones and tablets has been fixed from the problems first encountered during the January launch. The easiest way to interact in SocialLink is via the app. Please download it and give the system a test run!
(3) Make sure that your profile information is up to date. This will count towards your being a “Top Contributor” and winning one of the bi-monthly prizes! How do I get back over to the OBA website from SocialLink? In the top left hand corner of the page, you’ll see
The Users of SocialLink The Seasoned Attorney. Experienced lawyers can post best practices documents, browse the discussion boards, look at historical photos, and find information for upcoming CLEs they can attend. Academic and practice articles can be posted and shared with colleagues. The OBA Junkie. Regular event attendees will log in to SocialLink every time they register for an event online. SocialLink will provide them with pictures from events, reminders and notices on upcoming programs, and allow them to connect with other event attendees, adding them to their personal network. The Proud Partner. After putting their nose to the grindstone for years, those who just made partner/shareholder/of counsel will want to share the announcement with the communit`y. The Annoyed But Helpful Judge. After years of watching countless attorneys walk into the same pitfall when practicing in front of them, members of the judiciary can use SocialLink to post (anonymously if they prefer) practice tips in the form of “Do’s and Don’ts” in court. Anonymous posts will be made by the account “Judge J. Doe”, via the OBA staff. The First Year Attorney. Looking for mentoring, practice tips, professional networking, referrals, business advice, events to attend, and answers to questions make new attorneys a perfect fit for SocialLink. The OBA Leaders. Those serving on OBA committees and other leadership roles can communicate and interact with the membership in this online community. One major upside: communication done in SocialLink is archived and not thrown out like yesterday’s email. The Solo Practice Member. Solos sometimes have a tendency to feel disconnected from their fellow attorneys. SocialLink is an online community they can make their own, and source out questions they may want to source to the membership. The Job Seeker/Job Poster. Looking for an attorney for your firm? Post it here. Want to sublease space? Post it to SocialLink. Looking for a job? Actively use SocialLink to raise your profile
and catch the interest of others in the community. The Legal Community Member. The OBA will allow a select few legal community groups to post on a limited basis to SocialLink. These accounts will not be able to see the posts by OBA members. SocialLink is a closed platform in that respect. The community member accounts will be able to post notices of events, pictures from events, announcements related to jobs. This will help connect the legal community as a whole in a greater way online.
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Hit the Brix: The Tale of a Wine Tasting Gone Sideways By Dave Sommers Midmorning on Wednesday, January 11th, an email flashed across my screen. It was from the Event Manager at Brix. “Great!” I thought, “They’re getting back to me on finalizing the menus for the OBA Wine Tasting.” I was worried after not hearing back from them over the past week. With over 150 people already registered, I knew we were looking at a record turnout, and was anxious to get the last items set for the event. I clicked open the email and read the first two sentences. Shaking my head, I read the email again. Brix was closing its doors in the very near future and, effectively immediately, not hosting any events, including the 17th Annual OBA Wine Tasting just 16 days away. I immediately picked up the phone and called Brix. It went to voicemail. Leaving a desperate sounding message, I pleaded my case with the machine. We had been there the last 8 years. With over 175 attendees each of the past 4 years, we were the largest tastings they had. Please, please… once more…for old times’ sake. Hanging up the phone, I realized that reality of the situation: we were two weeks away from one of our largest and most important events of the year, and we didn’t have a venue, a caterer, or wine to taste. What do we do? I walked the two steps over to Donna, the longtime OBA Lawyer Referral Service Director, and started spitballing. Donna has this knack for listening to my crazy ideas and helping me find the best choice in the bunch. I started down the list. Cancel? No way, members love this event. You’ll have a revolt. Reschedule? Not ideal, and hundreds already have this date blocked off to attend this event. Find a new venue, caterer, and wine provider? Yes, absolutely. It’ll be tough, but the best option by far.
renters to bring in any outside food or drink they wanted to; no exclusive catering or liquor contracts. Calling around to caterers to discuss the event, a similar refrain was heard in each conversation. Short notice, no problem. 200 plus people for cocktail hour, no problem. Pricing: $25 per person at a minimum. No, a bare-bones menu of just a cheese platter was not allowed. Goodbye. Deciding to switch gears, I called full service bar services. Similar conversations ensued. Time works, size is fine, and at least $25 per person for wine service. Adding up the costs so far, including the venue rental, I was looking at a $65/per person event, well more than doubling the cost of the event from the previous year. I emailed Noah’s. “What if we go to the store and buy the food and wine ourselves? Will you allow that?” Their response: “Absolutely.” I rang Lynda Henningsen of The Daily Record, sponsor of the event, and told her my idea. Wine Tasting at Noah’s, with outside food purchased, prepped, and served by the OBA (Dave and Donna), with the assistance of members of the Omaha Legal Professionals Association. Wine purchased wholesale by the OBA, and served by professional bartenders. Plastic wine glasses replacing the usual glass ones, to save $5 per attendee on rental costs. Lynda was on board, and generously volunteered to help prep and stage the food. After gathering approval from OBA President Judge Doug Johnson, the email went out to membership: Brix was closed, but the Wine Tasting will go on!
I glanced at my email. Already emails were streaming in from OBA members who had heard about the closing and wondering what was going to happen with the event. Time was of the essence. I gave myself 48 hours, by midday Friday, to get the replacement event locked in and communicated out to membership via email.
The 17th Annual Wine Tasting on January 27th turned out to be the best attended ever. Out of the 340 RSVPs, approximately 240 attended and enjoyed a wide assortment of red and white wines, and even rosé champagne. The event couldn’t have happened without the help of Donna and Tim Birkby, Mary Easley, Jean Roeder, Lynda Henningsen, Bonnie Kudron, and Valentina Saavedra. (Donna probably never imagined that part of her job as LRS director would be cutting 100 pounds of cheese into cubes!) Prepping, plating, and serving the food purchased from Costco, the final food table display looked professionally done. The wine selection was actually improved from the previous years, with the wholesale purchasing allowing for better wines chosen. The Daily Record’s sponsorship of the event went a long way in helping cover increased costs.
24 hours later, I had whittled the replacement venues down from six to three to one: Noah’s Event Venue at 171st and Pacific. Noah’s was new to me, but the space was impressive, and had all the room we needed. Built just a year earlier, the venue boasted all the latest technology and finishes, including drop down Edison bulbs in the ceiling. To boot, they allowed
The event, by all measurements, was a great success, actually better than Brix the past few years as our numbers reached over 200. One cohesive space, rather than a smaller, crowded, and hot room bursting at the seams. The 2004 Academy Award winning film “Sideways” has that title because, to age properly, wine bottles must be laid on their side, and similarly, anyone
Donna was right. The show HAD to go on. The Wine Tasting is free for members and their plus one, as a thank you to our members renewing their membership and paying dues for another year. There would be no tapping out or hitting the pause button on such an important event. Full speed ahead.
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OBA’s 17th Annual Wine and Beer Tasting
stuck in middle age may need to go “sideways in life” so as to change their ways and to grow as a person. Likewise, I like to think the OBA Wine Tasting needed to go “sideways” to push us to find a space better suited to the size of the event. At the end of the night as we were cleaning up, Donna looked over at me, grinned, and said, “You can finally take a breath!” I closed my eyes, and cracked a smile. A few seconds passed. Suddenly, I opened my eyes, the smile leaving my face and Over 225 OBA members and guests braved the January darkness anxiety forming once again, “We have to start planning for next to enjoy another annual wine tasting. Held at Noah’s Event Venue year!” –just two weeks after the original venue (Brix) had closed unexpectedly – the evening was enjoyed by all in attendance.
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YLD Board Game “Throwdown” at Spielbound Café
On a snowy February evening, 30 lawyers and law students gathered around tables at Spielbound Café and played board games late into the night. Hotels were built and rent levied, inhumane cards were played, anagrams were made from bananas, and wild guesses to trivia questions were submitted.
50-Year Practitioners Honored at OBA March Meeting From left, Hon. Nick Caporale, Deryl Hamann, and Howard Kaslow are all celebrating 50 years as attorneys. They were presented certificates for their long service to the Bar at the annual “Lunch with Fenner” event on March 1. “The amount of good done by these longstanding OBA members cannot be understated. The OBA is very fortunate to have them in their ranks as examples to younger members of the Association,” OBA Executive Director Dave Sommers said.
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Just the Basics CLE
…on Expert Witnesses
New to the OBA in 2017, the Young Lawyers Division is hosting a series of 1 hour CLEs on varying areas of the law. The series is entitled “Just the Basics” and entails the providing of overviews of distinct areas of law practice, presented by young lawyers. The first event, held at Corkscrew Wine and Cheese at Blackstone in January, had Jon Brown from Walentine O’Toole presenting on how to choose, prepare, and use expert witnesses in trial. The event was very informative. All “Just the Basics” CLEs will be held from 4-5pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, and the cost to OBA members is just $10 per hour.
…on Estate Planning and Tax
OBA Member Justin Hochstein presented the second in the YLD’s “Just the Basics” CLE Series in February. Justin’s presentation even dove in the potential changes in the new Trump administration. Don’t let the “YLD” in the name mislead you; these CLEs are open to all attorneys!
Law Day Lunch
The 14th Amendment: Transforming American Democracy
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Jon Brown
Justin Hochstein
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YLD Pizza Review at Beercade
On Thursday, January 12, fifty-five amateur judges (along with one Douglas County District Court Judge) descended to the basement party room at Beercade. Their difficult task: to bring judgement down on pizzas from delivered from 6 different pizza
parlors in town. Those in attendance were up to the task, and in between tasting found time to play arcade games and knock back a keg of beer provided by the OBA. The final “review” results can be found below.
PIZZA TASTING RESULTS Omaha Bar Association Young Lawyers Division
1st Annual Pizza Review – Thursday, January 12, 2017
Pizzas: #1 Orsi’s; #2 Nolis; #3 Pitch; #4 Valentino’s; #5 Dante Ristorante; #6 Sgt. Peffer’s
CRUST:
1st: Orsi’s 2nd: Sgt. Peffer’s 3rd: Pitch 4th: Nolis 5th: Dante Ristorante 6th: Valentino’s
SAUCE: 1st: Orsi’s 2nd: Sgt. Peffer’s 3rd: Nolis 4th: Pitch 5th: Valentino’s & Dante Ristorante (Tie)
TOPPINGS: 1st: Orsi’s 2nd: Sgt. Peffer’s 3rd: Nolis 4th: Pitch 5th: Dante Ristorante 6th: Valentino’s
OVERALL : 1st: Sgt. Peffer’s 2nd: Orsi’s 3rd: Nolis 4th: Pitch 5th: Dante Ristorante 6th: Valentino’s
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Daily RecoRD Expertise Second to None
Over 100 years in the industry. 402-345-1303 • legals@omahadailyrecord.com • www.OmahaDailyRecord.com
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Nebraska Paralegal Association News By: Kimberly Brown, ACP The Nebraska Paralegal Association (“NePA”) held its 2016 Recognition Breakfast, Annual Meeting and Fall Seminar on September 22nd and 23rd at UNO’s Thompson Center. The two-day event kicked off with Deborah R. Gilg, Esq., Nebraska’s first female United States Attorney, who shared an empowering keynote speech during breakfast. NePA invites paralegals, attorneys, and law firm management from across the State to attend the Recognition Breakfast. Following the Breakfast, NePA conducted its formal business in its Annual Meeting and Officer Elections. NePA named the following officers for 2016-2017:
Teri Gibbons, President Laurie S. Vik, ACP, Past President Bridget M. Stuhr, CP, President-Elect Andrea Maldonado, ACP, Vice-President Lauriel L. Nelson, Secretary Caryn Redding, CP, Treasurer Sandi Armstrong, CP, District 1 Director Angel Younger, ACP, NALA Liaison Katie M. Wibbels, ACP, Parliamentarian Ruth Bahr, CP, Website Administrator Jill Lorkovic, Publication Editor Following the Annual Meeting and Officer Elections, the seminar included speakers on professional development, federal firearms laws and regulations, civil and criminal health care enforcement, ABLE Account basics, UPL, financial industry issues, social media in the practice of law, bankruptcy, and advanced Microsoft Excel. UPCOMING EVENTS: NePA will hold its Spring Seminar on April 14, 2016 at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, NE. Visit NePA’s website at http://nebraskaparalegal.org for more details coming soon. NePA’s Relay for Life team, the Legal Beagles, is getting ready for 2017’s Relay for Life. To start off this year’s fundraising, NePA will hold an evening of painting at the Corky Canvas in Midtown on May 8, 2017 from 6:30-8:30 pm. Please contact Amber Roberts at amber.roberts@gavilon.com or visit https://www. corkycanvas.com/event/942/american-cancer-society-relay-forlife-fundraiseropen-to-the-public-wishing-wings if you would like to attend. The event is open to the public so bring a friend or two for a fun evening.
NePA’s District I held its winter luncheons on January 20, 2017 and February 25, 2017. In January, Jim O’Connor, Partner of Baird Holm, LLP, presented “Top Ten Cyber-Insider Threats.” In February, special guest speaker, Lauren Piller of Make-a-Wish Nebraska shared information and inspiring stories regarding the Make-a-Wish program. NePA will hold its next District I luncheon and meeting on March 22nd with Megan E. LutzPriefert presenting “Casemaker” and on May 24, Joel Carney will present on “NebDocs.” Please contact Andrea Maldonado, ACP at Andrea. Maldonado@ssa.gov for more information or registration information. The National Association of Legal Assistants (“NALA”) Board of Directors recently endorsed NePA members’ Laurie Vik and Mindy Ware’s presentation, “How to Put on a Fantastic Seminar” by offering the on-demand webinar on its website. Ms. Vik, of HDR, and Ms. Ware, of UneMed, presented this course at NALA’s National Conference in July 2016. The webinar focuses on the key components of putting on a fantastic seminar that is both well attended and well received. Congratulations to Ms. Vik and Ms. Ware for a great presentation! As a reminder to those attorneys who have student interns working in their offices, NePA offers membership at no cost to students. NePA classifies a student as any individual currently enrolled and in good standing in a paralegal program for at least one quarter/semester, at a university, college, junior college, or other school pursuing a course of studies as a paralegal. Please encourage your student interns to complete the Student Membership Application at http://nebraskaparalegal.org/membership/newmembers/ and become a member today. NePA student members receive many benefits for joining! For more information on NePA events, membership and career opportunities, visit our website, read our e-zine the In Brief on our website at www.nebraskaparalegal.org, and check us out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ search/top/?q=nebraska%20paralegal%20association%20
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OMAHA LEGAL PROFESSIONALS ASSN. By Lynda Henningsen, President The Omaha Legal Professionals Association is in the process of planning for its 20th Annual Awards and Installation Banquet on April 19, 2017. Our Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be the Honorable Joseph F. Bataillon. This evening is always a special one for our members. We will be presenting our Boss of the Year Award and Legal Professional of the Year Award. We will also be naming our annual scholarship winners at the banquet. Our banquet will also recognize this past year’s officers and welcome our new officers. A huge thank you to our 2016-2017 officers: Immediate Past President Valentina Saavedra, Attorney’s Bankruptcy Paralegal; Vice President Shirley Simmonds, Law Offices of Tim Kielty and Jim Connor; Secretary Dave Raddatz, Hennessy & Roach, P.C.; Treasurer Lisa Bryan, Dornan, Lustgarten & Troia, PC, LLO; Parliamentarian Bonnie Kudron, HDR, In.; and Chapter Representative Donna Olson, Fraser Stryker, P.C., L.L.O. Your time, expertise and commitment has been greatly appreciated by all. Throughout the year, OLPA members put forth a great deal of effort to raise funds for scholarships. We have also been very fortunate to receive contributions from individual attorneys and law firms. All of this makes it possible for us to award scholarships to two local, worthy students who are pursuing a degree in the legal field. OLPA once again will be participating in the Omaha Bar Association’s Law Day festivities. Members Donna Olson and Jean Roeder are working on the Law Day Essay Contest. Local 8th grade students are encouraged
to submit an essay on this year’s theme, The 14th Amendment: Transforming American Democracy. For more information, please contact Donna Olson at 402.341.6000 or dolson@ fraserstryker.com In February, we welcomed several new guests to our Membership Drive meeting. Guests and members alike enjoyed a presentation by Officer Devin Crinklaw of the Omaha Police Department, who provided education, information, and an entertaining discussion on “Active Threat Response Training.” As a chapter of the Nebraska Legal Professionals Association (NLPA), an OLPA membership also includes opportunities to participate in state and local seminars throughout the year. If you would like to learn more about OLPA, please feel free to contact me at 402.345.1303 or lhenningsen@ omahadailyrecord.com.
Creighton University School of Law / OBA
11th Annual Seminar on Ethics and Professionalism Friday, April 7, 2017
Creighton University Harper Center Hixson Lied Auditorium 2 Hours of Ethics CLE
FREE for OBA Members
Omaha Bar Association
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NEWSLETTER
Omaha Bar Association 2133 California Street Omaha, Nebraska 68178
Omaha Bar Association Newsletter Managing Editors: Stephen M. Bruckner David Riley Dave Sommers
CALENDAR
March 14 Tuesday Medical Legal Dinner Omaha Marriott (Regency) 22 Wednesday
“Just the Basics” CLE: Personal Injury Corkscrew Wine and Cheese (Midtown)
7 Friday
11th Annual Creighton /OBA Ethics Seminar Creighton University Harper Center
Photographers:
18 Tuesday
YLD Baseball Game Watch Party Slowdown/TD Ameritrade Park
Donna Birkby, Lorraine Boyd, and Dave Sommers Some photos courtesy of The Daily Record
2 Tuesday
Law Day Lunch Omaha Marriott (Regency)
17 Wednesday
“Just the Basics” CLE: Employment Law Corkscrew Wine and Cheese (Midtown)
19 Friday
Memorial Service Douglas County Legislative Chambers
24 Monday
OBA Field Day (It’s Back!) Champions Run
Contributing Reporters: Kimberly Brown Lynda Henningsen Hon. Doug Johnson Dave Sommers
Design by: Lorraine Boyd, Avant Garde Publications
Printed by: Elman & Co.
April
May
July
Please check the calendar on the OBA’s Website for more details on upcoming scheduled events. Copyright © 2017 by Omaha Bar Association