At the Omaha Bar Association’s Law Day luncheon, four attorneys will be honored with the Alfred G. Ellick Lawyer Referral Service Award. It is the fourth year for the award named in honor of the OBA president who, in 1962, established the OBA Lawyer Referral Service (LRS).

Up until now, 121 attorneys have been recognized for their service as members of the LRS for 10 or more years.

Three of the four Omaha attorneys receiving the award this year are Patrick Cavanaugh, Rodney Dahlquist and David Handley. The fourth requested no publicity.

The non-profit public service, led by its executive director, Donna Birkby, is designed to assist the public in accessing lawyers who practice in various areas of law. Areas in which the participating lawyers offer their expertise include criminal defense, divorce and family law, personal injury, worker’s compensation, bankruptcy, landlord/tenant, real estate and other practice areas.

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Creighton University School of Law graduate is a partner in the Cavanaugh Law Firm and specializes in Social Security Disability law. He is a former trial attorney with the Douglas County Public Defenders Office.

“I’ve been a part of LRS for 16 or 17 years. In the beginning, I just wanted to get my name out there. At first I handled all kinds of cases, then I narrowed my practice to primarily disability cases. So now I often refer callers to other specialists, something I do across the board all day. I don’t do it for the money. It gives you a sense of fulfillment to help someone in a tough spot. It’s rewarding to be able to help facilitate a client finding the right lawyer,” Cavanaugh said.

“With an authority like the Bar behind it, it lends a level of confidence to clients. I’ve enjoyed being a part of it.”

Rodney Dahlquist

Rodney Dahlquist is a member of the Dornan Law Team, focusing his practice on civil litigation. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Law.

“I was first listed with LRS when I graduated from law school in 2008. I did so because I was in need of clients,” Dahlquist said. “I continue to do it today because it does provide a service. Some referrals will have a fairly straightforward legal issue that you can address in full during the consult. Others have more complicated matters requiring ongoing representation. No matter the issues, all of the referrals are looking for information so they can make intelligent decisions on how to handle the situation they are facing in their lives.”

David Handley

David Handley, a graduate of Creighton University School of Law, practices primarily in workers’ compensation and personal injury at Watson & Carroll law firm. He holds certificates for Criminal Law and Procedure and for Concentrated Studies in Dispute Resolution. In addition to being in private practice, Handley was also an assistant attorney general in the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.

“I’ve been listed on the Lawyer Referral Service for 10 years. I don’t do anything different for that service than I do in my everyday work life. People who need help call and I help when I can. Sometimes people just need an understandable explanation of the law. Sometimes they just need a little guidance or a nudge in the right direction. Sometimes they need to hear that they are on the right track. Sometimes they need to hear that they don’t actually need a lawyer. Sometimes they need representation. I’m kind of feeling a little bit shy about even receiving an award because I haven’t done anything miraculous. I’m doing the same thing that thousands of lawyers do every day; I’m helping people.”

LRS

The Omaha Lawyer Referral Service provides referrals to callers who are located in Omaha (Douglas County) and also in the surrounding counties of Sarpy, Cass and Washington, to the Omaha lawyers listed with the LRS.

While the client pays a fee of forty dollars to the attorney for the first thirty-minute consultation, there is never a fee charged by LRS for making a referral. No fees are charged for an initial consultation with worker’s compensation, personal injury or Social Security lawyers.

The Lawyer Referral Service is designed to serve those who can afford the services of a lawyer. Persons who cannot afford a lawyer will be given the numbers to resources that provide legal services by income.

“Those attorneys who are receiving this award have shown dedication and commitment to the Lawyer Referral Service, and to the good works of the service,” OBA Executive Director Dave Sommers said.