ROSS PESEK

 

 

Biography

Ross Pesek is a Bi-Lingual (English/Spanish) trial lawyer, born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska.

Today, Ross focuses and assisting negligence victims get justice before Nebraska juries. Ross is one of few bi-lingual trial lawyers in Nebraska to have won multiple civil jury verdicts for undocumented immigrants. Ross demands justice for immigrants and Spanish speakers that other lawyers choose not to represent and who opposing interests often discriminate against.

Ross was a decorated undergraduate student. Ross graduated university in 2007 with a 4.0 Grade Point Average, Summa Cum Laude and other honors. While an undergraduate student, Ross won athletic honors as well. Ross was named a Junior College All-American both academically and athletically at Central Community College in Columbus, Nebraska while playing basketball from 2003-2005. In 2016, Ross was recognized the by National Junior College Athletic Association with its Merit award given to distinguished former JUCO athletes.

After finishing his undergraduate education, Ross earned a full-tuition scholarship to study at the University of Nebraska College of Law. Ross excelled in law school, finishing near the top of his class, winning awards, and graduating with distinction. Upon graduation in 2010, Ross became the first lawyer in his family.

After law school, Ross turned down multiple opportunities to practice law at corporate law firms. Instead, Ross used his entrepreneurial spirit and language skills to establish his own law practice. Ross began working with Spanish speaking families despite numerous warnings from established lawyers that turning down corporate law jobs to work with Spanish speaking immigrants was unwise.

In 2011, Ross founded a free legal clinic at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in South Omaha – the same church where he was married and baptized. Every Monday night at 7:00 pm for the last eleven years Ross and volunteer lawyers he has organized have provided thousands of free legal consultations to South Omaha families. Ross believes giving access to honest, competent legal advice without charging a consultation fee – often the equivalent of 15 or 20 hours of work on the factory line – is a valuable community service that expands access to legal services for many in South Omaha and surrounding areas.

Beginning in 2012, Ross assisted over 100 immigrants register for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) immigration program through his private law practice. After completing this work, Ross and his wife, Karen Pesek, founded the True Potential Scholarship. True Potential has awarded more than 100 DACA recipients and other immigrants full-tuition scholarships to attend community college in Nebraska and Iowa. DACA recipients and other immigrants are excluded from federal and state aid, such as FAFSA and Regent scholarships. True Potential fills this gap by raising and awarding 100% private funds.

Ross was awarded the “Outstanding Young Lawyer” by the Nebraska Bar Association (2013), an “Early Achiever” by the University of Nebraska College of law (2014), the “Seeds of Justice” award by Nebraska Appleseed (2017) and other professional recognitions.

Ross has been a member of the Metropolitan Community College Foundation Board of Directors (2014-2020), the ACLU lawyer review panel (2015-2019) and other boards. Today, Ross is the chairman of the South Omaha Business Improvement District.

Education and Professional Recognitions

University of Nebraska College of Law, Lincoln, NE
Juris Doctor conferred with Distinction, August 2010.

Wayne State College, Wayne, NE
Bachelor of Science conferred Summa Cum Laude, May 2007.

Central Community College, Columbus, NE
Associate of Arts Degree, May 2005.

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Millard South High School Hall of Fame Inductee
- Honored for professional excellence and dedication to community advocacy, 2023.

Seed of Justice Award – Nebraska Appleseed, 2017.

National Junior College Association Merit Award – NJCAA, 2016.

Nebraska State Bar Association – Leadership Academy, 2015.

Top 40 under 40 Lawyer – The National Advocates, 2015.

Nebraska’s Ambassador – American Immigration Council, 2015.

University of Nebraska Alumni Association – Early Achiever Award, 2014.

Central Community College – Outstanding Alumni, 2014.

Heartland Latino Leadership Conference – Latino Partner of the Year, 2014.

Nebraska State Bar Association – Outstanding Young Lawyer, 2013.

 

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