Last year’s Barristers’ Ball brought attendees to Willy Wonka’s candyland for an evening of drinks, socializing and fundraising.

That was 2019. Things are a little different this time around.

The annual Barristers’ Ball will be a virtual affair this year, after the event was postponed to the summer at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The event will still raise money for the Nebraska Lawyers Foundation, feature the presentation of major awards and invite attendees to bid on vacations and other prizes.

The livestreamed event will begin at 8 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 8. A silent auction is already underway, with items listed in the following categories: arts and music, for the family, for the ladies, golf, out on the town, home and office, and sports and entertainment. Bidding will close at 8:15 p.m. Saturday.

 The auction also allows you to enter an online raffle to win an Apple Watch Series 5.

A live auction will feature vacation options in Hawaii and Florida, jewelry and more. It will begin at 8:30 p.m. and conclude by 9 p.m.

Funds raised from the event support the foundation’s programs, which include the Volunteer Lawyers Project, the Nebraska Lawyers Assistance Program, the Rural Practice Initiative, SOLACE and scholarships for the NSBA Leadership Academy and LSAT Prep Scholarship Program.

In addition to the auctions, four individuals will be recognized for their service to the legal community.

Former Hall County Judge Teresa Luther will receive this year’s Robert M. Spire Pro Bono Award. Luther began the practice of law in 1976, and she became a judge of the District Court for the 9th Judicial District in 1994. Luther has been a pillar of the central Nebraska legal community since 1980.

The recipients of the three Visionary Awards are Ann C. Mangiameli, Paul W. Snyder and Karine E. Sokpoh.

Mangiameli established and has run the state’s only medical legal partnership: The Health, Education, and Law Project (HELP) at Legal Aid of Nebraska. Snyder is a partner at Douglas, Kelly, Ostdiek, Snyder, Ossian, Vogl, & Lookabill in Scottsbluff. Sokpoh has her own law firm, Sokpoh Law Group LLC in Omaha,  and practices in immigration, family law, and intellectual property.

The schedule for the evening begins at 8 p.m. with award presentations, followed by the end of the silent auction at 8:15 p.m. and the start of the live auction at 8:30 p.m. The entire event is expected to last about an hour.

Visit nebar2020.home.qtego.net to view all auction items and register your device to participate in the auctions. Find more on the event itself at nebar.com/events.