Judge Thomas Harmon Honored by Nebraska State Bar Foundation for Distinguished Service

Douglas County Court Judge Thomas Harmon received the Distinguished Service Award at the Nebraska State Bar Foundation’s  37th Annual Fellows Dinner, recognizing his contributions to the legal community.

Harmon has served as the regional coordinator for the Bar Foundation’s Judge Lyle Strom High School Mock Trial Program in the Omaha area since 2012, overseeing logistics and volunteers while supporting student participants. His dedication to the program earned him the Nebraska Supreme Court’s Distinguished Judge Award for Service to the Community in 2019.

He also serves on the Nebraska Supreme Court’s Civil Justice Reform Committee, which evaluates the state’s civil justice system, and the Supreme Court Commission on Children in the Courts, which works to improve court responses for children.

Prior to his appointment to the bench in 2011, Harmon authored numerous articles dealing with aspects of probate law, guardianships, and conservatorships, including published articles for the National Business Institute. He has also provided lectures and authored articles on aspects of the Nebraska Juvenile Code.

As an attorney, he volunteered with Volunteers Assisting Seniors, serving as the attorney for a legal clinic he helped establish in 2004, providing pro bono legal advice to the elderly.

Bar Foundation President Sharon Kresha commented, “The Bar Foundation is most appreciative of all of Judge Harmon’s work with the Judge Lyle Strom High School Mock Trial Program.”  She added, “He is very deserving of the Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award.”

In presenting the award, Judge Derek Vaughn shared that Harmon “volunteers countless hours to public service” and is a “help to all members of the Bench, all legal practitioners, and the Bar Foundation.”

Photo: L-R: Nebraska State Bar Foundation’s Distinguished Service award recipient, Judge Thomas Harmon, with award presenter, Judge Derek Vaughn.