We are a nation of laws. Truth, justice and the American way have long been ingrained into our collective consciousness and daily life.

Our inalienable rights – emphasizing liberty and human dignity – bestowed upon us by our Founding Fathers, the framers of our Constitution, drafting the laws of our land, as a rebuke to authoritarian rule, henceforth safeguarding our civil liberties for generations to come.

A Chicago study of 13,000 students by David Kerbow found that the more elementary students change schools, the more they fall behind academically; four or more times is equivalent to being a grade behind. The Education Rights Counsel works to ensure that students can remain in their same school, among plenty of other noble pursuits.

The Public Service Award (as per the Omaha Bar Association’s website) is presented to an individual or group who/which have shown the following: (1) The public's knowledge of the law or the legal system has been enhanced in some significant way by the recipient's efforts; (2) The recipient has focused on providing service to the community for purposes other than pecuniary profits; and (3) The recipient has demonstrated long term commitment to the enhancement of the public's knowledge of the law.

While a city the size of Omaha can have a law department with dozens of attorneys specializing in areas such as taxation and prosecution, smaller communities in the Metro can't afford that luxury.

Turning to outside law firms to represent them in civil matters and to provide legal counsel on ordinances and such, communities like Valley and Waterloo have learned to lean on their attorneys' expertise.