About Us

At its heart Legal Aid of Nebraska’s mission has always been to promote “dignity, hope, self-sufficiency and justice through quality civil legal aid for those who have nowhere else to turn.” For the past 46 years, Legal Aid has provided free civil legal services to low income Nebraskans. Legal Aid attorneys work in federal courts, state district courts, tribal courts, and state and federal administrative tribunals. But that’s not all—Legal Aid also appears with parents of disabled kids at school Individualized Education Plan meetings. We’re there at homeless shelters, advising folks who have lost everything.  We’re also at ethnic centers, assessing the discreet legal needs of refugees and other new Americans. It is in this way that Legal Aid balances a commitment to traditional areas of legal aid practice with a firm grasp on emerging legal needs. Every year, thousands and thousands of Nebraskans benefit from Legal Aid’s actuation of its mission.

The focus of Legal Aid is to move the client to self-sufficiency – resulting in the client becoming a contributing and participating citizen. Attorneys and paralegals have fought for and secured important victories for disadvantaged Nebraskans in the areas of housing, family law, consumer law, and public benefits. Legal Aid has offices in Omaha,  Lincoln, Grand Island, Bancroft, North Platte, Norfolk and Scottsbluff.

Legal Aid has a five-member management team led by Executive Director Dave Pantos, and consisting of Legal Aid’s Deputy Director Annette Farnan, Director of Litigation and Advocacy Jennifer Gaughan, Chief Financial Officer Rod Feelhaver and Accountant Ed Brooks.  Legal Aid’s staff consists of 28 attorneys, 14 paralegals and support staff, one legal advocate, and one organizer, with hundreds of years of legal experience among them. Legal Aid’s diverse Board of Directors consists of attorneys and community members throughout the state.

Legal Aid currently has the following specialized programs in addition to providing services in a broad range of substantive law areas: Domestic Violence; AccessLine® and Elder AccessLine®; Migrant Farm Worker; Private Attorney Involvement; Pro-Se Clinics; Juvenile Court; Farm and Ranch; Rural Response Hotline; Low-Income Taxpayer Clinics; Native American; Elder Law; and Access to Justice for the Homeless.

Board of Directors