Omaha Judge Gary B. Randall will step down at the end of the year after 23 years of service.

Randall announced his Dec. 31 retirement in a letter to the governor, with the announcement coinciding with his 70th birthday, according to a news release from the Nebraska Judicial Branch.

“It has been my pleasure to serve as a district court judge in Douglas County, Nebraska,” he wrote to the governor, according to the release, describing his tenure as “an extremely rewarding career.”

Randall has served the residents of the 4th Judicial District since Dec. 31, 1997. He was retained by voters most recently in 2014 and does appear on this November’s ballot as well, although he plans to retire regardless of the result of the retention vote.

The Judicial Resources Commission will meet to determine whether his retirement creates a judicial vacancy on the district court bench in Omaha.

Randall leaves behind a legacy of volunteer work to improve the judicial system, according to the Nebraska Judicial Branch. He was given the Distinguished Judge for Improvement of the Judicial System award in 2014 by the state’s chief justice for his service.

Randall focused much of his volunteer efforts on children in family law cases, including providing education on the need to focus on the child’s best interest and the state’s Parenting Act.

“As a tireless advocate for courtroom transparency, Randall is a frequent lecturer on the opening of Nebraska’s courtrooms to television cameras, educating members of the legal profession and the media on the proper application of rules allowing electronics in courtrooms,” according to the state Judicial Branch.

Randall served on many committees for the Nebraska District Judges Association and has held all of the associations officer positions, including president in 2004. He was chair of the District Judges Legislative Committee for 11 years, and he was the chair of the American Bar Association’s National Conference of State Trial Court Judges in 2009.

Randall is currently the presiding judge for Douglas County’s Adult Drug Court.