[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 157 (Monday, October 2, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6246-S6247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



             Tribute to Lyle E. Strom and William J. Riley

  Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, I rise today to recognize two 
Nebraskans who are retiring after long careers of service to the 
American people: the Honorable Lyle E. Strom and the Honorable William 
J. Riley. Both of these judges have spent years upholding the rule of 
law, and their professionalism has established a strong reputation for 
their respective courts. They are true role models for current and 
aspiring lawyers and judges, and their exceptional work should be 
acknowledged.
  Lyle Elmer Strom was born on January 6, 1925, in Omaha, NE. His 
mother was a schoolteacher. His father worked as an oil trader. Judge 
Strom has said that he didn't much care for school while he was growing 
up. Instead, he found himself causing more trouble than good, 
especially when he played football on top of the nearby grain silo with 
some friends.
  In 1943, after being rejected by the Navy because of weak eyesight, 
Strom enlisted in the Merchant Marines as a radio signal operator. 
During his time in the Naval Reserve, he was inspired to become a 
lawyer after being impressed by his fellow Merchant Marines who had 
obtained college and professional degrees.
  After serving his country in the military, Strom graduated from 
Creighton University with a B.A. in 1950. That same year, he married 
the love of his life, his wife Regina. Together, they had seven 
children. In 1953, Strom graduated from Creighton University's School 
of Law, finishing at the top of his class. He soon joined the 
prestigious firm of Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler, & Brennan.
  Strom started his career believing he would be a business type of 
lawyer. Shortly after joining the firm, however, Bob Hamer brought 
Strom into his litigation group because he was smart and a hard-working 
professional. By 1958, Strom led the litigation practice for the firm.
  Over his years of private practice, Lyle Strom became a well-known, 
well-liked litigator in Nebraska, especially in Omaha. In 1985, after 
32 years of law practice and with encouragement from Congressman Hal 
Daub, President Ronald Reagan appointed Strom to the U.S. District 
Court for the District of Nebraska. He served as chief judge of the 
court from 1987 until 1994 and in 1995 took senior status, allowing him 
the ability to continue sitting as a judge on cases over the past 22 
years.
  Judge Strom has always been dedicated to the craft of practicing law. 
He served as the president of the Omaha Bar Association from 1980 to 
1981 and as president of the Nebraska State Bar Association from 1989 
to 1990.
  One of his biggest joys has come in the form of mentoring aspiring 
lawyers and young people--something he has done throughout his career. 
In his first decade as a lawyer, he worked as a professor at Creighton 
University. In his fifth, after becoming a Federal judge with a full 
caseload, Judge Strom served as the Creighton Law School internship 
program director and clinical professor of law.
  Strom has also dedicated decades of service to the Boy Scouts of 
America and was the founder of the Inns of Court organization in 
Nebraska and has been closely involved with the Nebraska Mock Trial 
Program.
  During his 64 years of practice, Judge Strom has been a model for 
dedication to the rule of law. His hard work and mentoring to both 
aspiring lawyers and young people across Omaha have made him a staple 
in our communities.
  He has also had an eye for talent. In 1973, while still working as a 
litigation lawyer, Strom hired a new lawyer to the firm--William J. 
Riley. This began a great professional relationship between two of the 
top lawyers in Nebraska.
  Born in Lincoln in 1947, Bill Riley obtained both his B.A. and his 
juris doctorate from the University of Nebraska, graduating from the 
law school in 1972. While in school, Riley served as the editor and 
chief of the Nebraska Law Review, and he graduated at the top of his 
class.
  From 1972 to 1973, Riley clerked for the Honorable Donald P. Lay with 
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, a court he would 
later serve on 30 years later.

[[Page S6247]]

  It was Judge Lay who told Riley that the best tutelage he could 
receive as a trial attorney would be at the firm of Fitzgerald, Schorr, 
Barmettler, & Brennan, the firm where a legendary attorney, Lyle Strom, 
had led the Litigation Department since 1958. It was great advice. 
After Strom became a judge, it was Riley who took his place as chair of 
the firm's litigation department.
  In 2001, Riley's professionalism caught the eye of both Nebraska 
Senators and the President of the United States, George W. Bush. The 
new President nominated him to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth 
Circuit. Riley was confirmed unanimously in September of 2001, becoming 
one of President Bush's first circuit court appointments. He became 
chief judge for the Eighth Circuit in 2010.
  During his tenure, Riley was intimately involved in the governance 
and policy-setting for the entire U.S. Federal court system. He served 
on the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United 
States, an organization presided over by the Chief Justice of the 
Supreme Court.
  Riley also served as strategic planning coordinator for the Judicial 
Conference, helping enact greater cyber security measures throughout 
the Federal court system.
  Judge Riley has served our country well over the last 16 years, and 
on June 30, 2017, after 45 years of practicing law, Judge Riley took 
senior status on the Eighth Circuit. He said that now he is going to 
have time to relax with his wife Norma, their three children, and their 
nine grandchildren.
  Riley has served his local legal community by teaching trial practice 
at both Creighton University School of Law and the University of 
Nebraska College of Law. He is a decorated Boy Scout leader and served 
as a founding member of the Robert M. Spire American Inn of Court legal 
mentoring program.
  Before his appointment to the court, Riley served as president of the 
Omaha Bar Association from 2000 to 2001.
  Both of these judges deserve our respect for how they approach the 
justice system and the law. Both are role models that I hope future 
lawyers and judges follow. Their careers should be applauded and their 
commitment to our community should be honored. I wish them the best in 
their retirement.