General Attorney
Omaha, NE, US, 68000
Reference Number: 3557
Department: Law
Closing Date: 09/24/2025
We encourage you to apply early, as this position may be filled before the anticipated closing date.
Job Level: 15
The salary range for this position is $150,000 - $200,000.
If you wish to solicit an employee referral for this position, please ensure the employee submits the referral prior to submitting your application.
Description
Union Pacific Railroad Company, a Fortune 150 company with headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska, is seeking a well-qualified attorney to join its Law Department team of in-house attorneys and paralegals who defend personal injury (“PI”) and FRSA Whistleblower lawsuits filed in state and federal courts. This General Attorney position is in Omaha.
The successful candidate will serve as a civil litigator specializing in written legal advocacy. The position entails using effective and persuasive writing skills to draft motions and briefs in litigation defended by Union Pacific’s in-house PI litigation team. The Union Pacific in-house PI litigation team is primarily responsible for litigating employee (e.g., Federal Employers’ Liability Act) and third-party (e.g., premises liability, train-vehicle collisions at crossings, auto accidents) personal injury lawsuits from the initial filing of the lawsuit up to and including trial. The PI litigators represent the Company as lead counsel before federal and state courts in Nebraska, Iowa, Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Missouri. This General Attorney position will play a vital role on the team by drafting motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, Daubert motions, motions to compel, motions for protective order, motions in limine, trial briefs, and appellate briefs. This position also provides an opportunity for “hands on” advocacy, by defending 2 – 3 FRSA Whistleblower lawsuits filed at the Department of Labor and presided over by an Administrative Law Judge.
The General Attorney will work in a highly collaborative and team-oriented environment, working closely with the other in-house PI litigators, and with Risk Management and the Operating managers who investigate the railroad accidents and the claims that follow. As a valued litigation team member, the General Attorney will help develop themes and defenses to actions filed or threatened against the railroad or filed on behalf of the railroad. Beyond litigating, the General Attorney will also advise and provide counsel to organizational clients in a variety of legal matters to provide a safe workplace, manage risk and exposure, and comply with related legal issues and requirements. The General Attorney will have the opportunity to learn the business of operating a dynamic Class I Railroad to better provide legal services to Union Pacific.
The General Attorney will work under the supervision and guidance of a supervising attorney and other seasoned trial counsel. The successful candidate will be expected to draft the motions and briefs in a timely fashion to allow the in-house paralegals and litigators to review and finalize the work product before filing. The in-house PI litigators may try to verdict an average of 1 – 2 cases per year and the successful candidate for this General Attorney position will be given the opportunity to try cases with others.
Accountabilities
- Strong written advocacy skills
- Highly organized
- Timely completion of tasks
- Lead, handle, and balance a high volume of matters and assignments
- Ability to prioritize and handle the workload
- Meet deadlines in a changing, fast-paced environment, and ability to work in a fast-paced environment
- Enjoys litigation and written advocacy
- Work independently and with a team exercising excellent judgment and both strategic and tactical thinking
- Excellent interpersonal, client relationship, and team skills
- Conduct research and analyze legal issues
- Reviewing all case materials, reading all transcripts, motions, briefs, and legal memoranda, attending site visits and inspections, and interviewing witnesses
- Expertise in legal and analytical work with business-oriented pragmatic approach to problem-solving
- Specialized knowledge and experience
- Provide legal guidance to organizational clients
Qualifications - Required
- A Juris Doctor degree
- Licensed to practice law in Nebraska
- 5 or more years of of work experience as an appellate attorney, or law clerk or briefing attorney for a state or federal trial or appellate court, or a civil litigator with significant writing experience
- Must be highly proficient in writing. Writing sample will be required.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office products (Word, Teams, Excel, Powerpoint)
Qualifications - Preferred
- Track record of success winning motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, and Daubert motions in state or federal courts in the U.S.
- Experience litigating against highly skilled advocates
Physical and Mental Job Requirements
Work Conditions
What we offer:
- A strengths-based, engagement-focused, and performance-oriented culture
- Ongoing learning, development, and Educational Assistance (including little to no out-of-pocket cost for online and in-person courses at the University of Nebraska at Omaha)
- 401(k) with 100% match up to 6%, plus additional automatic 3% (contribute 6% and UP will contribute 9% [6% + 3%])
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan with 20% match up to 5%
- Medical, dental and vision insurance, company-paid disability, life, and AD&D insurance
- Health Savings Account (with company contribution) Dependent Care Savings Account and Transportation Spending Account
- Wellness and Employee Assistance Programs
- Adoption/Surrogacy Assistance, paid Maternity and Parental Leave
- Competitive compensation including eligibility for annual merit, bonus, and equity programs dependent on job level and personal and company performance
The final salary of the selected candidate for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, experience, education, specialty and training. This position also includes additional compensation and benefits offered by Union Pacific.
This position is eligible for participation in the Union Pacific Annual Compensation Program. This is a pay-for-performance program which administers annual salary adjustments, cash incentive bonuses and stock equity as determined by individual performance, company performance and program guidelines. Additionally, this position is eligible for health and welfare benefits, retirement, financial planning benefits and paid and unpaid leave. For more information regarding Union Pacific’s nonagreement employee benefits, please visit our management benefits page.
* State & Federal criminal history
* Last 7 years of employment history to include military service
* Education
* Prior drug history
* Professional license or certification, if applicable to role
* Driving history, if applicable to role
Please click here to review Union Pacific's policy regarding background investigations.
* Medical Evaluation
* Drug Screen
* Fitness-for-duty assessment to ensure that candidates can safely perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation
* Color vision exam, if applicable to role
Union Pacific is an equal opportunity employer here . All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. Union Pacific is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its employment of individuals with disabilities. To request a disability accommodation in the application process, please use this link here to submit a request.