We are proud to share that Daniel Martin, one of our associate attorneys at Pesek Law, was selected to participate in the 2024–25 William J. Mueller Nebraska State Bar Association (NSBA) Leadership Academy.

The Leadership Academy is designed to nurture effective leadership within the legal community, foster service-minded values, and strengthen connections among attorneys across Nebraska. As part of the program, participants engage in a year-long curriculum of professional development, networking, and community service. This year’s cohort will focus its service project on an especially important topic, suicide prevention amongst attorneys..

When asked what he hopes to contribute to the program, Daniel shared:

“I want to contribute a sense of connectivity that can extend well out into the future and hopefully bring in even the next generation of lawyers and possibly redefine what leadership means for this generation of lawyers in Nebraska.”

Daniel also reflected on the importance of this years’ service project, emphasizing how critical it is to bring attention to mental health in the legal profession:

“It’s a bigger problem than the public is generally aware of, particularly in 2025, suicide among Nebraska lawyers is a major issue. Our project will be a combination of raising awareness, providing resources, and, again, building connectivity outside of what the state bar itself can offer to help people who are going through a tough time as lawyers.”

Daniel’s involvement in the Leadership Academy also ties directly into Pesek Law’s commitment to service and community connection. When asked how he sees the skills and relationships he’s building through the program benefiting his work here at the firm, he explained:

“I’ll start with the community prong of what Pesek Law is all about. When I’m at the free legal clinic, I get asked quite often who’s the right lawyer for my situation. So going back to that network of connected professionals, it’s good to have a couple of names that you can suggest to a person.”

He went on to share how the Academy’s focus on leadership development translates into strengthening collaboration within the firm:

“Leadership, as I understand it, has a skills component, a philosophical component, and an action component. A big part of why I took this endeavor was to develop my own leadership capacity, one that works for me and helps me strengthen the bonds I have with everyone on our team. One skill we’ve talked a lot about is empowerment, not just self-empowerment, but also empowering members of your team. You can empower, say, a paralegal to find their own power so that they don’t feel so dependent on you to make decisions. They have the capability and the knowledge to contribute in their own way. That’s a desirable trait of leadership, that those who work with you know they have something meaningful to provide and don’t always have to look to you first.”

Daniel’s thoughtful approach to leadership and community engagement reflects the values we strive to uphold at Pesek Law: service, collaboration, and a commitment to the people and communities we serve. We’re proud of his achievement and look forward to seeing the positive impact he will continue to make, both through the Leadership Academy and here at our firm.