Creighton University School of Law Continuing Legal Education Seminar: Real Estate Law

Creighton University School of Law
Ahmanson Law Center, Rooms 124, 121, 122
2133 Cass Street
Omaha, NE 68178

or Online Livestream

Parking is available on the roof of the 20th Street parking garage (Lot G5) south of the Harper Center, surface parking (Lot 5A) south of the Harper Center, and any available street parking as space allows. Click here to view the parking map.

No Cost to Attend

 Program reminder, details, and links to be sent a week prior to the event.

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The Creighton University School of Law is pleased to announce a Continuing Legal Education Seminar “Real Estate Law: Working with the City, Understanding CIDs & SIDs, and Developing Renewable Energy Projects and Data Centers.” The CLE is supported by The Sal Carta Real Estate Law Endowed Professorship.

The seminar will have four components. First, Jennifer Taylor, Assistant City Attorney, City of Omaha, will discuss how to take a real estate project through City of Omaha approvals from start to finish. She will address the entitlement process, as well as options for City of Omaha incentives and assistance in support of projects. She will discuss resources available to guide preparation and submission of necessary submissions. 

Second, Steven Ranum and Martin Pelster, Croker Huck Law Firm, will present information about Community Improvement Districts (CID) and Sanitary Improvement Districts (SID). Both districts are statutory creations under Nebraska law. CIDs were newly created by the Nebraska legislature in 2026 as a development tool to fund public improvements within city limits, whereas SIDs have been utilized for several years to develop land outside city limits. Their presentation will focus on the formation requirements for each district, the role each district plays in the construction of public improvements, how the public improvements are financed, and the overall life cycle of each district.

Third, David Levy, Baird Holm LLP, along with panelists Ms. Amy Lawrenson, Baird Holm LLP, and Creighton Law Dean Joshua Fershee will discuss the challenges and issues relating to development of renewable energy projects including wind and solar projects. They will discuss the state of the industry, permitting trends and challenges, and what the near-term future looks like.

Finally, Amy Lawrenson, Baird Holm, along with panelists David Levy, Baird Holm LLP, and Creighton Law Dean Joshua Fershee will discuss data center developments. They will discuss real estate acquisitions and financing for data centers, understanding and navigating state and local opposition, permitting trends and challenges, water and electricity challenges, and the outlook for the future development of data centers. 

Lawyers, Law Students

• Creighton University School of Law
• Creighton University College of Professional and Continuing Education

Friday, November 6, 2026

All times listed are in Central Time (CT).

Noon
Registration

Part I

1 p.m.
Welcome and Introduction
Craig W. Dallon
Professor of Law, Creighton University School of Law

1:05 p.m.
City Approval Process
Jennifer Taylor
Assistant City Attorney, City of Omaha 

2 p.m.
CIDs & SIDs
Steven Ranum & Martin Pelster
Croker Huck Law Firm

3 p.m.
Break

Part II

3:20 p.m.
Panel: Renewable Energy Projects
David C. Levy
Partner, Baird Holm LLP

Panelists:
Dean Joshua Fershée
Creighton University School of Law

Amy L. Lawrenson
Partner, Baird Holm LLP

4:20 p.m.
Panel: Data Center Development
Amy L. Lawrenson
Partner, Baird Holm LLP

Panelists:
Dean Joshua Fershée
Creighton University School of Law

David C. Levy
Partner, Baird Holm LLP

5:20 p.m.
Adjournment
Craig W. Dallon
Professor of Law, Creighton University School of Law

Amy L. Lawrenson’s practice focuses on commercial real estate, construction and energy matters. She represents developers, investors and owners of commercial real estate in all aspects of real estate including acquisition, financing, sale and development of real property, leasing, management, land use development and zoning, mineral rights, title review and construction contracting. Amy regularly represents developers, investors and lenders of energy projects. She currently serves as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, and is also the Chair of the Real Estate practice group, which includes the Energy & Renewable Energy, Environmental & Natural Resources, and Government Relations practice subgroups.

Amy earned her Juris Doctor from Creighton University School of Law in 2007 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Minnesota in 2004. Amy completed the Nebraska State Bar Association Leadership Academy in 2014, is a member of the 58th Class of ICAN Influence, a member of the 40th Class of Leadership Omaha, and is a member of Class 8 of the Women’s Fund of Omaha Circles. She was selected as a 2018 recipient of the Midlands Business Journal’s 17th annual 40 Under 40 Awards and a 2022 recipient of the Omaha Jaycees Ten Outstanding Young Omahans. Amy was also selected by her peers for inclusion in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for Real Estate Law.

Prior to joining BairdHolm, Amy practiced in the insurance industry, where she focused on the development, negotiation and regulatory approval of institutional investment products such as funding agreements, traditional and synthetic guaranteed investment contracts and defined benefit products. Amy hails from a small farming community in southeastern South Dakota.

David C. Levy represents clients in zoning, land use, energy, municipal law and general real estate matters. He represents developers of wind, solar and energy storage projects in Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas on over 1,350 megawatts of operating projects, and approximately 3,500 megawatts in development. He also represents developers of large, complex real estate and municipal projects, often including tax-increment financing, tax credits, incentives and other unique financing mechanisms and structures. David advises cities, counties and other governmental entities on a wide range of municipal law matters, and serves as City Attorney or Special City Attorney for multiple municipalities. He also regularly handles property tax valuation and exemption matters, liquor licenses, and property line disputes.

David is a registered lobbyist in the State of Nebraska. In early 2010, he successfully represented wind development interests in the drafting and negotiation of LB 1048, Nebraska’s “omnibus” wind export bill, which the Nebraska Legislature unanimously passed. In 2014, David led a group that successfully passed a 20 percent state tax credit for rehabilitation of historic buildings in Nebraska. In 2016, he played a central role in the development and passage of LB 824, which removes regulatory barriers to significant renewable energy development for export outside of Nebraska. In 2018, he helped lead a group that overhauled the state’s tax-increment financing statutes.

David has served as an Adjunct Professor in Land Use Law at the University of San Francisco School of Law, and has taught legal writing at Creighton University School of Law. He is admitted to practice law in California, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, and has earned the American Institute of Certified Planners designation, the City Planning profession’s highest level of certification. Since 2012, David has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the field of Land Use & Zoning Law, and was selected as “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers® for Omaha Land Use and Zoning Law in 2013, 2016, 2023, and 2025. He has also been recognized by Great Plains Super Lawyers in the practice area of Real Estate.  In 2015, the American College of Real Estate Lawyers elected him as Fellow.

Prior to joining BairdHolm, David practiced land use and environmental law with firms in San Francisco. Before beginning his legal career, he worked for seven years as a City Planner for the City and County of San Francisco. David is a native of Lincoln, Nebraska. 

Steven G. Ranum is a member of Croker Huck and practices primarily real estate and business law. He assists clients in transactional and business planning matters, including business formations, private securities offerings, lending transactions, and a wide range of real-estate related matters. Steve also has a litigation practice focused primarily on real estate title disputes and ownership conflicts within businesses.

Steve participated in the updating of Nebraska's Real Estate Title Standards as a member of the Nebraska Bar Association's Real Estate Practice Guidelines Committee. He is also the author of "Personal Jurisdiction in the Business Dispute", published in the November/December 2021 edition of the Nebraska Lawyer magazine.

Steve received his law degree from Creighton University School of Law in 2011 and graduated summa cum laude. During law school, he was President of the Creighton Moot Court Board and a member of the Creighton Law Review. Steve has a background in banking and finance. He graduated from Northern State University, summa cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. Prior to entering law school, Steve served as a bank examiner for the State of North Dakota, where he participated in examinations of community banks in western North Dakota.

Jennifer Taylor is a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Omaha, representing the City for the past 12 years on matters related to real estate development, land use, zoning and entitlements, public financing, municipal bonds, public property and transportation, historic preservation and landmarks, code enforcement, and land banks.  She has drafted state legislation and local ordinances and currently represents the Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Urban Design Review Board.  She has also represented the City in civil and appellate litigation related to real estate, land use and construction matters.  Ms. Taylor has also served as an adjunct professor at the Creighton University School of Law teaching State and Local Government.

Dean Joshua Fershée, JD, became the 11th dean of Creighton University School of Law on July 1, 2019. Previously, he practiced law in New York City and Washington, D.C., and held faculty and administrative roles at West Virginia University College of Law and University of North Dakota School of Law.

Dean Fershée specializes in business law and energy law and regulation, focusing on the unique nature of limited liability companies and the economic, environmental, and technological impacts of energy production. His work has been featured in top journals like the Harvard Journal on Legislation, Harvard Business Law Review Online, the Environmental Law Journal, and the Energy Law Journal. He authored Energy Law, A Context and Practice Casebook and co-authored Unincorporated Business Entities.

Office of Continuing Education
College of Professional and Continuing Education
Creighton University
402.280.1830
CLE@creighton.edu