OMAHA – At the conclusion of the Nebraska State Bar Association (NSBA) Annual Meeting October 11-14, 2022, Jason W. Grams of Omaha will accept the gavel from outgoing NSBA President William J. Mueller and begin his term as NSBA President for the next year.

Jason Grams is a partner of Lamson, Dugan & Murray, LLP.  Grams advises businesses and individuals in complex litigation matters. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a law clerk to Chief Judge William Jay Riley of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and to Senior Judge Lyle E. Strom of the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska. 

Grams has served the NSBA as a House of Delegates member since 2013, is a graduate of the NSBA leadership academy, and a member of the Practice and Procedure Committee and the Appellate Practice Section.  He is also President of the Eighth Circuit Bar Association, a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Nebraska State Bar Foundation, and a member of the Omaha Bar Association and American Bar Association. He has been a member of the Robert M. Spire (Omaha) American Inn of Court for many years and served as its treasurer from 2010-2014 and its president from 2014-2015.

Jason is rated AV-Preeminent by Martindale-Hubble and is listed in Best Lawyers and Great Plains Super Lawyers for commercial litigation.  He graduated with high distinction from the University of Nebraska College of Law (order of the coif, order of the barristers).  In law school, Jason was an executive editor of the Nebraska Law Review, a member of the national moot court team, and winner of numerous scholarships and awards.  Jason and his wife, UNO philosopher Dr. Laura W. Grams, have three children, Elizabeth, Alexis, and Patton. 

At the conclusion of the NSBA Annual Meeting Friday, October 14th, Michael J. McCarthy (North Platte) and the Hon. Tricia Freeman (Papillion) will assume their posts as President-Elect and President-Elect Designate of the Nebraska State Bar Association.

Michael J. McCarthy of North Platte was elected President-Elect Designate to succeed Jason Grams as President-Elect.  McCarthy will serve as NSBA President from October 2023 to October 2024.

McCarthy is Of Counsel at Dvorak Law Group, LLC in North Platte. McCarthy’s practice focuses on estate planning, probate, real estate, and corporate and business planning. He advises individuals in the structuring of their estate plans and assists in preparation of their wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives/living wills. He also represents clients in probate and trust administration matters. Mike has over 40 years experience assisting clients with all of their estate/wealth planning needs.

McCarthy has served the NSBA as a house of delegates member representing the eleventh judicial district and served as Chair of the House of Delegates in 2019. McCarthy also represented the 6th Supreme Court Judicial District on the NSBA’s Executive Council from 2013-2016 and chaired the Nebraska Commission on the Unauthorized Practice of Law from 2008-2012. On a local level, McCarthy served on the North Platte Board of Education and the Great Plains Health Board of Directors as both a Board member and Board Chair. McCarthy also served on the North Platte Area Chamber of Commerce and Development Corporation Board of Directors from 2008-2012.

McCarthy graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 1975. McCarthy and his wife Janie, have four sons, Matthew, Marcus, Mitchel and Jacob, and nine grandchildren.

Hon. Tricia Freeman (Papillion) was elected President-Elect Designate to succeed Michael J. McCarthy as President-Elect.  Judge Freeman will serve as NSBA President from October 2024 to October 2025.

 Hon. Tricia Freeman was appointed to serve as County Court Judge in the 2nd Judicial District in 2017. Prior to her appointment to the bench, she served as Chief Deputy County Attorney for the Sarpy County Attorney’s Office.

 Judge Freeman is a Past Chair of the NSBA House of Delegates having begun her service in 2013. She was a member of the Nebraska State Bar Commission from 2004 to 2016 and served as its Chair from 2012 to 2016.  She has also been active in the Nebraska County Attorneys Association and the National District Attorneys Association and was invited to train prosecutors on a variety of topics across the United States.

Judge Freeman is currently the presiding judge for the 2nd Judicial District County Court bench.  She also serves as a member of the education and legislation committees for the County Court Judges Association and was recently selected for the NLAP Advisory Committee.  Judge Freeman graduated with distinction from Creighton University School of Law in 1996 where she served as an Adjunct Professor from 2003-2011.  She is married to Jerry and they have two sons, Reagan and Garrett.