Friday, January 9, 2026

Omaha Daily Record

Legal News

What To Expect As Debate On Nebraska’s 2025-27 Budget Begins

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Fri, 05/09/2025 - 12:00am

Speaker John Arch of La Vista and State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha meet on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature on Jan. 15, 2025.
(Zach Wendling / Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN — It’s crunch time for state lawmakers to rightsize Nebraska’s budget, by no later than May 15. Senators since November are considering a nearly $850 million combined in new revenue streams, cuts to state spending and scrounging for loose cash funds in the state’s couch cushions.

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In Rural Nebraska, It’s Hard To Find An Attorney. It’s Going To Get Much Harder.

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Fri, 05/02/2025 - 12:00am

In Cheyenne County, where Judge Derek Weimer is based, there are only two private law firms, according to Weimer. “Once you're outside of the major population hubs in the state, we could use more lawyers,” he said.
(Irene North / Flatwater Free Press)

Carie Scoggan remembers how a Dawes County district judge loomed over her like a holy figure, as her shaking hands grasped a stack of overdue paperwork she couldn’t make sense of.

Legal document after legal document had landed in her mailbox over the previous two and a half months as part of her divorce proceedings. She cried every time.

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The House Of Tomorrow

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Fri, 05/02/2025 - 12:00am

Such as it is, the zenith of western civilization that we live in – air conditioning, the internet, medicine, entertainment, the lack of predators hunting us when we leave our homes, and the ability to watch war and death from afar from the comfort of our phones, all unlike the past when our worries were more and greater – was given to us by great men and women from those that came before.

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‘De Facto Ban’ Of Most ‘Synthetic’ Consumable Hemp Products In Nebraska Advances

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Fri, 05/02/2025 - 12:00am

State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of the Millard area (left) talks with State Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner, Jan. 8, 2025.
(Zach Wendling / Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN — A legislative proposal to crack down on “synthetic” consumable hemp or other THC products advanced Monday over some opponents’ preference for regulations and not a “de facto ban.”

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Wisconsin High Court Suspends Milwaukee Judge Accused Of Helping Man Evade Immigration Authorities

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Fri, 05/02/2025 - 12:00am

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended a judge accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities, saying Tuesday that it is in the public interest to relieve her of her duties as she faces two federal charges.

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Laurie Smith Camp Integrity Award:

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Thu, 05/01/2025 - 12:00am

Meeting a judge is scary, right? For someone who doesn't practice law, I may have been a bit nervous before the interview. However, upon being led to Judge Vernon Daniels’ office, I came upon a scene of him playing with his grandson. Cartoons were being played on a TV, and stuffed animals took up much of the space of his desk, and he rose to greet me. Much of my trepidation melted away, for the first thing I saw of him was kindness.

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The Public Service Award:

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Thu, 05/01/2025 - 12:00am

(Courtesy of Trish Bergman)

The Public Service Award (as per the Omaha Bar Association’s website) is presented to an individual or group who/which have shown the following: (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.

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OBA Lifetime Achievement Award:

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Thu, 05/01/2025 - 12:00am

This year, Attorney Stu Dornan was awarded the, “Omaha Bar Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.” As per the OBA’s website, it was not established to be granted each year. Recipients would have been weighed against four merits: exemplary service to the profession, support and service to the Omaha Bar Association, innovative contributions to improving justice, and a longstanding commitment to mentoring in the law.

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Small Towns, Big Challenges: How Local Lawyers Keep Valley and Waterloo Growing Strong

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Thu, 05/01/2025 - 12:00am

Desirae Solomon has served as Waterloo’s village attorney for about three years.
(Tim Trudell / The Daily Record)

While a city the size of Omaha can have a law department with dozens of attorneys specializing in areas such as taxation and prosecution, smaller communities in the Metro can't afford that luxury.

Turning to outside law firms to represent them in civil matters and to provide legal counsel on ordinances and such, communities like Valley and Waterloo have learned to lean on their attorneys' expertise.

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Gold, Lies, and Justice: Rumpelstiltskin Takes the Queen to Court in Fairy Tale Mock Trial

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Thu, 05/01/2025 - 12:00am

Students from Paddock Road Elementary School pose with actors and legal professionals taking part in the 2025 Law Day mock trial at the Roman Hruska Federal Courthouse in Omaha.
(Courtesy of Dave Sommers)

Rumpelstiltskin felt slighted by Queen Malory when she refused to pay him for work he did in magically changing straw into gold. His work led her to marrying King Ray and becoming royalty. So he took her to court, seeking a financial resolution.

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Omaha Daily Record

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