Alumni and former faculty honored with 2022 NSBA Public Service Awards

25 Oct 2022    

Amare, Maul, Munderloh, and Shavers.

Three Nebraska Law alumni and a former faculty member were recently honored with 2022 Nebraska State Bar Association (NSBA) Public Service Awards.

The Outstanding Young Lawyer Award was presented to Lily Amare, '15. Amare is a partner at Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather where she practices in the areas of labor and employment, school law, employment litigation, and business litigation. This award is presented to a member of the NSBA Young Lawyers Section who has made exemplary contributions to the community and to public service; who has actively participated in state and local bar activities; and who stands out in the areas of professional knowledge, skill, integrity, and courtesy. In the legal community, Amare has been an active and involved member in Robert Van Pelt American Inns of Court since 2017 and has served as the Secretary/Treasurer since 2018. She has served as a Representative for District 3 for the NSBA Young Lawyers Section’s Executive Council. She also serves on the UNL College of Law Dean’s Advisory Board and serves as an adjunct faculty lecturer and teaches pretrial litigation at the UNL College of Law. Amare has been a member of Lincoln Literacy since 2017 and has served on the Board of Directors for HopeSpoke since 2019. (Top left)

The President’s Professional Award was presented to Thomas M. Maul, ’80, of Columbus. This award is presented to an NSBA member who exemplifies the attributes of the true professional; whose conduct is always consistent with the highest standards of practice; and who displays appropriate courtesy and respect of the public, clients, fellow attorneys, and the justice system. Maul is recognized for 42 years of exemplary service to our legal community. He has served on the NSBA Young Lawyers Section, the Nebraska State Bar Commission, the NSBA Legislation Committee, the NSBA Executive Council and as President of the Association. At the local level, he has represented his district on numerous Judicial Nominating Commissions, the Committee on Inquiry, and served as President and Secretary/Treasurer for the Platte County Bar Association. Maul has been recognized as a leader in promoting rural practice in underserved areas of our state through his involvement in the Rural Law Opportunities Program (RLOP) and nationally through his service on the Legal Services Corporation’s Rural Judicial Task Force. He is an estate planning lawyer and has actively supported his colleagues and the practice through his involvement in the Real Estate Probate and Trust Section and through his service on the Nebraska Supreme Court Commission on Guardianships and Conservatorships. (Top right)

The George H. Turner Award is presented to Matthew Munderloh, ’03, an attorney with Johnson & Mock, PC, LLO, where he has a general litigation practice that includes criminal defense, civil rights and constitutional litigation, and a variety of other civil disputes in state and federal courts. He also serves as city attorney for several Nebraska municipalities. This award is presented to a member of the NSBA who has demonstrated unusual efforts in furthering the public understanding of the legal system, the administration of justice, and confidence in the legal profession. Munderloh was selected due to his steadfast service to the public as counsel to individuals and Nebraska communities, including for his successful appeal (accepting only minimal compensation and assisted by ACLU of Nebraska) to the Nebraska Supreme Court in In Re Adoption of Yasmin S., which overturned a lower-court decision that held a same-sex married couple could not adopt a child in Nebraska. Munderloh’s work to help ensure the rights of all Nebraskans strengthens public confidence in the legal profession. (Bottom left)

The Outstanding Contributor to Women in the Law Award was presented to former Nebraska College of Law Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Anna Williams Shavers (posthumously). This award is presented to a member of the NSBA Women and the Law Section to recognize the lifetime accomplishments of an individual who directly contributed to the active integration and participation of women in the Nebraska system of justice. Dean Shavers was tireless in her mentorship and advocacy for students—especially students of color and young women individually—and as faculty advisor to the Multi-Cultural Legal Society, Black Law Student Association and Muslim Law Student Association. Dean Shavers was a strong advocate for inclusion, dedicating much of her distinguished career to making sure everyone felt valued and supported. She led the University of Nebraska College of Law’s efforts to promote an inclusive community through sponsoring numerous speakers and faculty workshops on inclusive pedagogy and implicit bias. (Bottom right)