John Stevens Berry

Background

Stevens Berry, John was born on October 28, 1938 in Sioux City, Iowa, United States.

Education

Stanford University (Bachelor of Arts, 1960). Northwestern University (Juris Doctor, 1965).

Career

State v. Reeves, 234 Nebraska 711, 453 NW2d 359 (1990) certified granted— United States.— L.Ed.2d 409.Worked at Berry, Kelley & Hansen (Lincoln, North-East) specializing in Criminal and Civil Trial Practice. State and Federal Felonies and Misdemeanors. Trials and Appeals. Veterans Rights and Social Security Law.

Admitted to the bar, 1965, Nebraska and United States.

District Court, District of Nebraska. 1970, United States. Court of Military Appeals.

1973, United States. District Court, District of South Dakota.

1974, United States. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. 1975, United States. Tax Court.

1979, United States. Supreme Court. 1996, United States.

Court of Veterans Appeals. Recipient: Bronze Star, Vietnamese Medal of Honor First Class (Gold).

Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry (with Palm). Federal Bureau of Investigation Award for Service in the Public Interest.

Chief Defense Counsel, II Field Force, Vietnam, 1968-1969 and The Presidio, San Francisco, 1969-1970.

Author: Those Gallant Men: On Trial in Vietnam, Presidio Press, 1984. Special Counsel, Franklin Commission of the Nebraska State Legislature, 1990. Member: Nebraska State Bar Association.

Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys.

Nebraska Criminal Defense Attorney Association (President, 1991-1992. Chairman, Committee on Expert Witnesses and Forensic Sciences, 1985-1989).

The Association of Trial Lawyers of America. National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

California Attorneys for Criminal Justice.

American Academy of Forensic Science. Fellow: American Board of Criminal Lawyers. Melvin Belli Society.

Robert Van Pelt Chapter, Inns of Court (Member, Executive Board of Directors, 1990—.

President, 1992-1993). Military: Captain, Judge Advocate General"s Corps, 1968-1970.

John Stevens Berry has appeared in court in twenty-four states, and two foreign countries. Following his military service, he was, in 1970 and 1971, briefly associated with the Henry B. Rothblatt Offices in New York, where he tried a number of high-profile cases.

He returned to Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1971, and has continued to have a regional criminal trial practice.

In 1986, he was Civilian Defense Counsel in the biggest drug bust in the history of Japan. He has conducted seminars for practicing lawyers in Kansas City, Missouri, and Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, and each year is invited to the Judge Advocate Generals School at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, to lecture on Constitutional issues regarding criminal defense in the military. In Nebraska, he has tried cases that have, on appeal, changed the law of search and seizure in the Eighth Circuit as well as Nebraska.

Achievements

• John Stevens Berry has been listed as a reputable lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell.

Membership

Member: Nebraska State Bar Association. Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys. Nebraska Criminal Defense Attorney Association (President, 1991-1992.

Chairman, Committee on Expert Witnesses and Forensic Sciences, 1985-1989).

The Association of Trial Lawyers of America. National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

California Attorneys for Criminal Justice. American Academy of Forensic Science.

Fellow: American Board of Criminal Lawyers.

Melvin Belli Society. Robert Van Pelt Chapter, Inns of Court (Member, Executive Board of Directors, 1990—. President, 1992-1993).

Military: Captain, Judge Advocate General"s Corps, 1968-1970.