Judge of the Sarpy County Separate Juvenile Court, Lawrence D. Gendler, is retiring effective May 31, 2021, after over 28 years of service.

In his announcement letter to the Governor, Gendler noted that he is beyond grateful for the opportunities provided to him by so many individuals, including former bosses, former Governor Ben Nelson, Gendler’s colleagues, the practicing bar, probation officers, social services caseworkers, and sheriff’s deputies with courthouse security.  He took particular care to thank the court support staff who, according to Gendler, regularly demonstrate their unrelenting kindness and professionalism.

He noted, “For almost 15 years, I have been project chair of the Supreme Court statewide initiative, ‘Through the Eyes of the Child.’ I have become friends with numerous county judges who, along with my colleagues on the juvenile court bench, address challenges facing youth and families with determination and grace.” He continued, “In particular, I have found our county judges do more with less than any group of professionals I have ever encountered. Because of the support of our Chief Justice, this [Eyes of the Child] initiative is now an integral and important component of our juvenile court system."

Throughout his tenure on the bench, Gendler has led numerous projects for the Nebraska Supreme Court in addition to the ‘Through the Eyes of the Child’ Initiative. In particular, Gendler has provided educational programming for fellow judges, attorneys, government officials, and Nebraska news reporters.

After taking the bench on December 30, 1992, Gendler was retained in his position by area voters, most recently in 2020.

NEWS REPORTERS:

The first step in replacing Gendler 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 Separate Juvenile Court.

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

Judge Gendler’s judicial profile is found: https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/hon-lawrence-d-gendler-0