Judge Michael W. Pirtle, Omaha, has been appointed Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals beginning September 13, 2020.

“The Supreme Court looks forward to working with Judge Pirtle as Chief Judge of the Nebraska Court of Appeals,” said Nebraska Chief Justice Mike Heavican. “Judge Pirtle has been an integral part of the Court of Appeals since his appointment to the bench in 2011. His communication skills and passion for the law make him a natural leader.”

The duty of the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals is to regulate the caseload of the court in conjunction with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The two appellate-level court leaders regularly inform each other of the number and nature of cases in their respective courts and move cases between the two for efficient resolution. The Chief Judge has additional responsibility for administrative functions of the Court of Appeals and sets the schedule for arguments at sites throughout the state when not hearing cases in the State Capitol.

“I greatly appreciate the opportunity to serve as Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals and the trust that my colleagues have placed in me,” said Pirtle. “I will do my best to continue promoting our court’s goals of resolving appeals both fairly and in a timely fashion, providing guidance for the future, and being efficient with our citizens’ resources.”

Judge Pirtle is the current chairperson of the Nebraska Supreme Court’s Dispute Resolution Advisory Council, one of the court’s largest and most active committees, and he also currently serves on the Judicial Ethics Committee. He is a Lifetime Fellow of the Nebraska State Bar Foundation, and he previously served for 20 years in the Nebraska State Bar Association’s House of Delegates, including as Chair in 2007-2008. He also served on the Midland University Board of Trustees in Fremont for four years starting in 2008.

Pirtle took office as Court of Appeals Judge representing the 2nd Appellate Court Judicial District in 2011. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 1978.

Prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeals, he was a practicing lawyer for 33 years in both Lincoln and Omaha, most of it in private practice.

The position of Chief Judge for the Court of Appeals is specified by Nebraska law as a two-year term although there is no limit to the number of terms that any one judge can serve. Prior Court of Appeals Chief Judges include retired judge Richard D. Sievers, now Supreme Court Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman, John F. Irwin, Everett O. Inbody, and Frankie J. Moore.

To view the upcoming arguments for the Nebraska Court of Appeals click: https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/courts/court-appeals/call