2018 Nebraska Legal Profession Winners

Last week’s Law Day Lunch rounded out the past month’s legal profession festivities. This year Nebraska Supreme Court Justice Michael G. Heavican duly received the Robert M. Spire Public Service Award.
 
Hon. Michael G. Heavican was honored for many of his accomplishments, but the one that is near and dear to my heart, would be his success with all of the advancements he has made in improving access to justice to Nebraskans via the Pro Se services available on the state’s website.
 
I was fortunate enough to be on the Strategic Planning Committee for Legal Aid of Nebraska when getting crazy with Pro Se forms that actually work and providing support was just a radical idea on the agenda. 
 
When judges like the Hon. Teresa K. Luther, of Grand Island, and the Hon. Michael G. Heavican came on board, that radical idea came to fruition and subsequently Nebraskans are able to easily and (to the joy of the clerks) efficiently obtain simple divorces, name changes, file guardianship documents, change their name and many other basic civil matters without having to pay thousands of dollars.
 
But as a paralegal on the front line, I know that the true value in creating those Pro Se forms and processes was not the dollar it saved the people, it was indeed the self-confidence that it gave those who weren’t afraid to meet their own legal needs. That is the true definition of empowerment.
 
In addition to the judge, Patrick Cavanaugh, Rodney Dahlquist and David Handleyreceived this year’s Ellick Lawyer Referral Service Awards and the Kluznick Law Library/McGrath North Mullin & Kratz Legal Research Center received this year’s Public Service Award.
 
Once again St. Piux/St. Leo’s 8th Grade History class dominated the annual Law Day Essay Contest, sponsored by Omaha Legal Professionals Association (OLPA), as Mr. Greg Gorske continues to make it an annual part of his curriculum. This year’s winners, all Mr. Gorske’s students, were Gigi Salerno, First-Place; Meg Raabe, Second-Place and Abby Wessling, Third-Place.
 
Pine Creek Elementary in Bennington is the home to Third-Place Winner Kerenzia Amouzou and Second-Place Winner Addison Reinoehl, of the annual Law Day Poster Contest sponsored by the Nebraska Paralegal Association (NePA). Ellie Melton, of Gretna Elementary, took home the grand prize and her poster has been showcased on the billboard at 78th & Dodge Streets in Omaha.
 
Nebraska Bar Association honored Brouillett, Dugan & Troshynski, PC LLO, of North Platte; Jennifer D. Kearney, of Grand Island; Ryan P. Sullivan, of Lincoln and James A. Cada, of Lincoln for their contributions and commitment to the Nebraska State Bar Foundation at last month’s 2018 Barrister’s Ball.
 
OLPA’s 21st Annual Awards Banquet and Boss Appreciation Event formally honored this year’s Legal Professional of the Year Lynda Henningsen and Boss of the Year Cathy Trent-Vilim, as well as this year’s very worthy scholarship award recipients Raul Ramirez, of South High School, and Amou Ring, of Northwest High Magnet School. 
 
Then later on in the month at the NLPA Annual Banquet, OLPA Member Sherry Mitchell, of Erickson Sederstrom PC LLO, received the point-based meritorious NLPA President’s Foundation Award. NLPA Banquet also announced E. Tolstedt, of Alliance; Rachel Higgins, of Neligh, and Nicholas Brdicko, of Omaha, as this year’s 1st, 2nd and 3rd place NLPA scholarship winners, respectively.
 
Lincoln Legal Professionals Association (LLPA) held their annual boss appreciation event last month as well and honored attorney Jerry Pigsley as boss of the year and LLPA member and super-student Morgan Myers with the LLPA scholarship award.
 
And last, but certainly not least, would be (drum roll……) Vickie Starr, of Woods Aitken, is this year’s Nebraska Legal Professional of the Year! She first one 2018 Lincoln Legal Professional of the Yearand then went on to beat out some very tough competition and earn the state title as well.
 
Nebraska Legal Professionals Association is very fortunate to have this amazing legal professional as such an active member at both the state-level and her local chapter LLPA. Vickie has over two decades in the legal profession and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Kearney State College, in addition to an Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies from Metro Community College.
 
Vickie enjoys photography and in her quest to never stop learning continues to take college classes on the subject. The list of philanthropic projects and organizations that Vicki has donated her time and skills to is immense and representative of a truly exemplary legal professional who takes her service to her community seriously.
 
Send a congratulatory card to Vicki Starr, and while you are at it, send one to Woods Aitken LLP in general thanking them for their overall support of the legal community and their commitment to excellence.
 
Vickie Starr
Woods & Aitken LLP
301 South 13th Street, Suite 500
Lincoln, NE 68508
 
Check out Paralegal Power Co. on Facebook to see photos from the NLPA Convention and Law Day Lunch as well as other legal events.