David Aaron Jacobson

David Jacobson, 70, beloved husband, father, community leader, and Chairman of Kutak Rock LLP from1996 to 2017, passed away at home in Omaha on July 4, 2018, surrounded by family.



David worked at Kutak Rock for 41 years. During his tenure as Chair, the firm grew from 230 lawyers in nine cities to more than 500 lawyers in 18 cities. He also over saw the restoration of the firm’s iconic Omaha office, the Omaha Building, established as “Omaha’s first skyscraper” in 1888. In no small part thanks to David’s legacy of championing diversity and inclusion, Kutak Rock earns a perfect score on Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality index and is consistently recognized as a “Ceiling Smasher” for women, with the second highest percentage of women equity partners in the country for law firms over 300 lawyers.



David was passionate about Community Service. He served on dozens of boards and committees, notably Partnership 4 Kids, the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, the African American Achievement Council, and the UNO College of Community Service and Public Affairs Dean’s Advisory Council. He was the Co-Founder and a Member, along with his wife Nancy, of the Omaha Black/Jewish dialogue. And, as the founding Chair of Film Streams’ board, David was instrumental in developing a nonprofit film center in Omaha. Thirteen years since the organization’s inception, it is now an established cultural institution, operating both its original venue, the Ruth Sokolof Theater, and the recently-restored 93- year old Dundee Theater.



David was born and raised in Omaha, and received both his BA and JD from University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He was a proud Omaha Central High school graduate and was inducted into the Omaha Central Hall of Fame in 2014. David is preceded in death by his parents, Helen Jacobson Speier and Jack Jacobson. He is survived by his adoring family, Nancy, his wife of 43 years; his four children, Justin, Ben (s. Natalie), Sara, and Rachel

(s. Stephen Osberg); grandchildren Zoii, Zane, and Cleo; his brother Bob, and countless other relatives, friends, and colleagues.



IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, PLEASE DIRECT DONATIONS TO FILM STREAMS, PARTNERSHIP 4 KIDS OR THE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION.