Robert O. Hippe

(1941-2019)
A Nebraska native, Robert Hippe was born and raised on a ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Kearney State College and was a high school teacher in central Nebraska for two years. Then his career in the law began with attendance at the University of Nebraska College of Law, where he graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in 1968.

Robert practiced law in a general practice firm, Lovell, Raymond & Hippe, in Scottsbluff, Nebraska from 1968 for eight years. He was admitted to practice in Nebraska State and Federal Courts, and also admitted to practice in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

In 1975 he was elected the Scotts Bluff County Attorney, and after being a prosecutor for two years, he was appointed district judge in the Nebraska 12 th District. He served as a district court trial judge for 30 years until he retired in 2007. After one and a half years he could not stand retirement, he joined the Pahlke Law Group as a litigator in January 2009 and became “of counsel” in 2015. Robert tried a number of cases with Bob Pahlke including multiple million-dollar verdicts including the record setting product liability verdict in Bacon v. DBI/SALA resulting in a verdict of $21,131,633.

Robert continued to consult and inspire us until his passing on April 27, 2019. His wisdom, kindness and commitment to the rule of law are his legacy. We miss him every day.