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Foundation Facts
February 2010
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Nebraska State Bar Foundation
635 S. 14th Street, Suite 120
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508
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Dear Foundation Fellows:
The Bar
Foundation has been busy since I last corresponded with you. It seems like we've had event after event and
it is not slowing down anytime soon!
Despite what Punxsutawney Phil says about spring, however, I choose to believe sunny days will be here soon! I hope you enjoy this edition of Foundation Facts.
Cordially,
Doris
Doris Huffman
Executive Director
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22nd Annual Fellows Dinner
March 12 - Mark your calendars!
The Fellows Dinner is right around the corner! The dinner will be
held March 12, 2010, at the Holland
Center in Omaha.
Cherish the Ladies will entertain the 2009 Class of Fellows
and their guests. This is the first and
only all-female Irish band. Cherish the
Ladies offers everything - virtuosic instrumentals, gorgeous vocals and
stunning step dancing.
The
Foundation will be honoring the following:
Patrick Borchers, Outstanding Legal Educator Award; Bob Berkshire,
Foundation Award; and The Honorable Arlen Beam, Lifetime Achievement Award. Please plan on attending this gala
event! Look for your invitation to arrive in the mail soon!
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Mock Trial
Skutt Catholic Captures State Title
The Skutt team, which presented the
government's side of an immigration asylum case, will
represent Nebraska at the National High School Mock Trial Championship in
Philadelphia May 6-8. Despite the
blizzard, over 50 volunteer judges and attorneys from the Omaha Metro area
served as performance and presiding panel judges in the four rounds of
competition.
Skutt's volunteer attorney coaches are Judy and
Patrick Borchers. A new scholarship donation from Metropolitan Community
College was awarded to the winning team's eight student members. Dean Daryl Hansen, Metropolitan Community College, presented paralegal program
scholarships.
Taking third place was Chadron High School, and Ainsworth
High School was the fourth place winner.
Other schools receiving honorable mention include: Raymond Central,
Wilcox Hildreth, Duchesne Academy, Columbus High School, Wayne High School,
Dundy County Stratton, Fillmore Central, and Papillion-LaVista South.
Judge
Strom graciously arranged for the State Championship competition to be held in the Federal
Courthouse. The Foundation sincerely
appreciates the federal judiciary allowing us to use the courtrooms.
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We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution
Lincoln's East High Wins State Championship
On January 11, 2010, the 24-member team from
Lincoln East won its 5th consecutive State title. This team will represent Nebraska in the
national competition in Washington, D.C., April 24 - 26th. The championship was held in Lincoln.
Taking
second place in the competition was the Lincoln Southeast High School-Black
team. Receiving honorable mention were
teams from Holdrege; V.J. & Angela Skutt High School; Lincoln Southeast
High School-Gold; Wilcox-Hildreth High School and Lincoln Southwest High School. More than 150 students competed in the state
championship.
At
the awards luncheon following the competition Chief Justice Michael G.
Heavican, Nebraska Supreme Court, was interviewed by Omaha World Herald
reporter Leslie Reed. She asked
questions submitted by students such as, "What is the best/worst part of your job?"
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Law Day Essay Contest
11th Annual Law Day Luncheon - May 4
The Foundation is grateful
to McGrath North Mullin and Kratz law firm for most generously providing a
scholarship for one high school student to attend the National Student Leadership Conference this summer.
The Foundation is also pleased
to have the partnership of West, a Thompson Reuters Business firm, as sponsor
of the guest speaker at the Law Day luncheon on May 4. Professor Raymond Nimmer of the University of
Houston Law Center will be speaking on democracy and technology. Plans
are underway to coordinate with the Educational Service Units on offering his
presentation through distance learning.
Through the efforts of the Foundation and the Court, there is a learning
cart at the Capitol, and we are able to utilize this equipment to reach more
classrooms.
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Law Day Job Shadowing
Ninth Annual Event in 2010
The planning process for this educational activity for fifth graders is
in progress. Again, local communities
will have the opportunity to host fifth graders and teach them about the legal
profession.
More on this later.
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Teen Parents and the Law (TPAL)
Grant Funds Update of Nebraska Laws
The Foundation is the recipient of a Woods Charitable Funds grant to
adapt the TPAL curriculum to Nebraska law.
The adaptation has been completed and we are in the process of emailing
a survey to TPAL teachers. Once the
survey is completed, the teachers will receive the Nebraska laws. We will also have this information online,
privately accessible by TPAL teachers.
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Reaching the Age of Majority Booklet
Revision Is Complete
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of attorneys Marc Pierce and Keith
Peters, who chaired the revision of this booklet, the final copy is being
formatted now. There will be new chapters
included in the booklet including sexting, search and seizure, and domestic abuse.
If your firm would like to fund the printing of this educational booklet
that has a distribution of over 10,000 copies annually, please contact me.
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Endowment Management Committee (EMC)
Meets Next Week
The EMC is scheduled to meet next week and review
the Foundation's named endowments. The
Committee is comprised of the following attorneys: Kile Johnson, Stan Goodwin,
Mike Mullin, Tom Fischer, Camille Hawk and Bren Chambers. A sincere thank you is extended to this
hardworking group who meets quarterly!
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Gross Fund
Assistance for Attorneys or Their Families
This Committee consists of Chair Ed
Perry, Charlie Gotch, Mike Mooney and Judge Ben Novicoff. The Fund continues to receive financial requests. As you may remember, only active attorneys
(or their families' members - if the attorney is deceased) may apply for
assistance.
If you have any questions about the Fund or know of
someone who may need assistance, please feel free to contact me. All inquiries are confidential.
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About the Foundation's Programs
If you have questions
about the Foundation's Law-Related Education programs for the public, please
contact me at doris@nebarfnd.org, 1-800-773-5396 or
475-1042. Verna and I hope the next six
weeks of winter fly by fast!
Nebraska State Bar Foundation
635 S. 14th Street, Suite 120
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508
Nebraska State Bar Foundation
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