Judge of the County Court, 8th Judicial District, Alan L. Brodbeck, is retiring March 31, 2017 after 33 years of service on the bench.

In his retirement letter to the Governor, Judge Brodbeck noted, “…I have worked with numerous judges, attorneys and court staff.  I believe the Nebraska court system is second to none in quality, efficiency and integrity.  In my primary service area in north central Nebraska, courts are staffed by individuals with extraordinary dedication to the people of our state.”

Judge Brodbeck has served on numerous Nebraska Supreme Court Committees, including the Nebraska Judicial Resources Commission as both secretary and member, and the Gender Fairness Task Force from inception until completion.  He currently serves on the Supreme Court Technology Committee, the Judicial Qualifications Commission, and the Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative as lead judge of the Holt County team for the 8th Judicial District.  

Chief among his volunteer accomplishments is his legacy of Judicial Branch Education. Brodbeck worked with a small group of judges to establish a statutory education system for judges and court employees this resulted in the establishment of mandatory education for the full Judicial Branch in 2004. Brodbeck has continued to work on setting educational standards, program planning, curriculum development and teaching through 2017.

Brodbeck is an active supporter of law-related education having served as volunteer judge for Nebraska High School Mock Trials and as a mentor for the Law Day Job Shadowing program for 5th graders.   Referencing his volunteer work, Brodbeck noted, “It has been my honor to serve on many committees and commissions.  These volunteer services have given me wonderful opportunities to work with judges, attorneys and fellow Nebraskans toward the goal of bettering our judicial system.”

Brodbeck is an avid woodworker who volunteered over 1,500 hours of his time to build the bench, witness stand, attorney tables and all the woodwork in his O'Neill courtroom.

In 2001, Judge Brodbeck received the Nebraska Supreme Court’s Outstanding Judge Award for Service to the Judiciary, the highest honor given by the Chief Justice.  He is also a Nebraska State Bar Foundation Fellow.

After taking the bench in 1984, Brodbeck was continually retained in his position by area voters, most recently in 2012.

The first step in replacing Judge Brodbeck will be for the Judicial Resources Commission to call a meeting to determine whether or not, based on judicial workload statistics, his retirement creates a judicial vacancy on the County Court for the Eighth Judicial District.

Resources Commission information: https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/2546/judicial-resources-commission.

Judge Brodbeck’s judicial biography may be found: https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/3980/honorable-alan-l-brodbeck