Hon. Michael P. Burns

Hon. Michael P. Burns

Hon. Michael P. Burns

District
10
County
Adams
Court(s)
Adams County Court
P.O. Box 95
Hastings
NE
68902
Phone
(402) 461-7143
Fax
(402) 461-7144

Judgeship

2011 - present 
Judge of the County Court, 10th Judicial District
Adams, Clay, Fillmore, Franklin, Harlan, Kearney, Nuckolls, Phelps, & Webster counties

2013, 2014, 2017
Presiding Judge, County Court, 10th Judicial District

2014 - present
Senior Judge, County Court, 10th Judicial District

Experience

1998 - 2011
Sullivan, Shoemaker, Witt, & Burns
Hastings, NE
 
2006 - 2011
Clay County Public Defender
Clay Center, NE
 
1996 - 1998
Seiler, Parker, & Moncrief
Hastings, NE
 
1994 - 1996
Hall County Attorney’s Office, Deputy County Attorney
Grand Island, NE
 
1992 - 1993
King County Prosecutor’s Office, temporary special prosecutor
Seattle, WA
 

Education

Creighton University School of Law, 1992
Juris Doctorate

Creighton University, 1989
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration - Finance

Judicial/Law Related Activities

Professional Affiliations
Nebraska State Bar Association
Hall/Howard County Bar Association
Adams County Bar Association
     President, 2006 - 2007
     Treasurer, 2003 - 2011
Nebraska Mediation Association
Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys, 1997 - 2003
Nebraska Criminal Defense Attorneys Association, 1997 - 2000   
National District Attorneys Association, 1994 - 1996 
 
Nebraska Supreme Court Committees
Chief Justice's Leadership Committee on LEP Litigants, member, 2015 - present
Supreme Court Commission on Children in the Courts, Education Sub-Committee, member, 2013 - 2015
Judicial Leadership Program, 2013 -  2014
Lead Judge, "Through the Eyes of the Child" teams for Adams, Clay and Fillmore Counties, 2011 - present
Juvenile Jurisdiction Judges' Curriculum Committee, member, 2015 - present
Juvenile Summit: "Through the Eyes of the Child," Clay County Implementation Committee, member, 2007 - 2011
Juvenile Summit: "Through the Eyes of the Child," Adams County Implementation Committee, member, 2006 - 2009 
State Court of Appeals, 5th District, Judicial Nominating Commission alternate member, 2005 - 2009 
Tenth Judicial District of Nebraska, District Court, Judicial Nominating Commission member, 1999 - 2003

Nebraska County Judges Association
Education Committee, 2012 - present
Bench book subcommittee, 2015 - present
Juvenile Committee, 2013 - present
Criminal Procedure Community, Chair, 2013 - present
 

Community Activities

Catechism "CCD" teacher, St. Mary's Church, 2015 - 2016
Governor's Commission for the Protection of Children, member, 2013 - present
Nebraska Mediation Association, Board of Directors, 2011
Transitional Living Center, Policy Committee, Hastings, NE, 2011
Nebraska Mediator Standards Project, Standards/Ethics Committee, 2008
Family Drug Court Planning Group, 2006 - 2008 
Hastings TeamMates, board member, 2005 - 2009 
Hastings Literacy Program, board member, 2005 - 2009 
City of Hastings Board of Appeals, group member, 2003 - 2009 
Leadership Hastings, board member, 2002 - 2005 
Nebraska State Planning Group, member, 2001 - 2002 
Hastings Sunrise Rotary Club, 2001 - 2008
District Rotary Youth Protection Officer, 2007 - 2008
Legal Aid of Nebraska, board member, 2000 - 2011
South Central Nebraska CASA, board member, Hastings, NE, 1999 - 2011
Western Nebraska Legal Services, board member, 1999 - 2000 
Tenth Judicial District Mental Health Board, chairman, 1999 - 2007
Mid-Rivers Nebraska American Red Cross, board member, Hastings, NE, 1998 - 1999  
Knights of Columbus, Hastings Council 1123, 1997 – 2012; St. Mary's (Sutton) Council, 2013 - present
Financial Secretary, 2008 - 2009 
Deputy Grand Knight, 2007 - 2008 
Hastings Noon Rotary Club, 1997 - 2001 
Crisis Center, board member, Grand Island, NE, 1995 - 1996                                                                                

Teaching & Publishing

Presenter, Mock Trial, Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center, Grand Island, NE, 1995 - 2011 
Speaker, Clay and Fillmore County Government Day, 2012 - present
Moderator, panel discussion, Foster Care Review Office training seminar, 2013
Speaker, Nuckolls and Webster County Law Day, 2015
Presenter, County Judge's Summer Meeting, 2015


Honors & Awards

2012 "Most Impact" Award from the Supreme Court's "Through the Eyes of a Child" Initiative

2016 Nebraska State Bar Foundation Fellow:
Selection to become a Fellow in the Nebraska State Bar Foundation is based on the integrity and character of the lawyer/judge.  The Foundation recognizes established legal professionals who are dedicated to improving the administration of justice.  Fellows are accredited by colleagues as leaders of the legal profession who contribute to the charitable and community education works of Foundation.