Abstract
As we mark 125 years of the Nebraska State Bar (with and without “Association”), it’s clear that Nebraska lawyers have blazed a path of undeniable impact. The qualifications for joining the legal profession have expanded over time, but such progress required persistence from those who didn’t fit the mold of an 1800s attorney. The bar exam in 1783 was an oral examination, and those who served as judges were simply learned and well-respected white men of the community. By 1920, most states had adopted written exams—but barriers still remained. Nevertheless, women, people of color, and others with intersectional identities forged their place in Nebraska’s legal community.