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Professional Biography
Robert J. Kutak was born in Chicago in 1932 and earned a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 1955. He later clerked for the Honorable Richard E. Robinson in Omaha, Nebraska and served on the staff of United States Senator Roman L. Hruska (R-Neb.).
Intellectually curious and physically energetic, Mr. Kutak was the driving force behind Kutak Rock’s transformation from a locally respected to a nationally prominent law firm. He often is credited with pioneering the idea of a national law firm. No other firm had formed a network of offices in American cities until Kutak Rock opened offices in Denver, Atlanta and the District of Columbia in the late 1970s.1 Today Kutak Rock LLP operates in 16 cities from coast to coast.
Mr. Kutak also was responsible for establishing the firm’s signature public finance practice. In the early 1970s, he formed a professional relationship with an investment banking client based in New York. That relationship provided the impetus for Kutak Rock’s development into one of the country’s premier public finance law firms and stimulated the firm’s growth to other cities. Success in the public finance arena enabled the firm to establish a diversified national law practice in such areas as corporate law and litigation.
His remarkable career also was characterized by a strong dedication to public service, the improvement of justice, legal education and training and prison reform. He was instrumental in developing the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) at the Department of Justice. Mr. Kutak was a member of the blue-ribbon National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals and was appointed by Presidents Ford and Carter to the board of the Legal Services Corporation. In addition to his contributions in drafting the legislation that established the Institute, he also served as the first Chairman of the NIC Advisory Board.
Mr. Kutak held leadership roles in a variety of professional projects of the American Bar Association, including membership on the Council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and service as Chairman of the Section on Individual Rights. He served five years as chairman of the ABA Commission on Evaluation of Professional Standards, the committee known as the “Kutak Commission.” It was the body that produced the monumental rules for the professional conduct of members of the American Bar.
Besides his public interest and justice work, Mr. Kutak had a unique philosophy about the management of a law firm and encouraged a more casual, informal organizational structure than many firms of the day. He also often challenged firm members to “dream no little dreams.” His life exemplified this motto.
Mr. Kutak died suddenly of a heart attack in Minneapolis in January 1983 at age 50.
Awards and Recognition
Robert J. Kutak left his legacy on more than just this law firm. The impact he had upon the legal profession itself is still felt today. Because of his dedicated efforts and accomplishments, Mr. Kutak has been honored by a number of organizations, including the American Bar Association, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association and the National Institute of Corrections.
American Bar Association
Because of his significant contribution to the ABA, it presents the Robert J. Kutak Award each year to an individual who meets the highest standards of professional responsibility and demonstrates substantial achievement toward increased understanding between legal education and the active practice of law.
National Legal Aid and Defender Association
Today the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) and the Robert J. Kutak Foundation honor a legal services lawyer, public defender or public interest lawyer who contributes significantly to the human dignity and quality of life of those unable to afford legal representation. Its Kutak-Dodds award is named for Mr. Kutak and Kenneth R. Dodds, another deceased partner of Kutak Rock LLP.
National Institute of Corrections
Mr. Kutak was instrumental in developing the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) at the Department of Justice. He was a member of the blue-ribbon National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals and was appointed by Presidents Ford and Carter to the board of the Legal Services Corporation. In addition to his contributions in drafting the legislation that established the Institute, he also served as the first Chairman of the NIC Advisory Board. On June 29, 1993, in honor of his service to the organization, the National Institute of Corrections dedicated The Robert J. Kutak Library.
Personal Interests: Art & Architecture
In addition to his accomplishments in the legal profession, Mr. Kutak had a connoisseur’s appreciation for art and architecture.
Mr. Kutak had recognized the economic value of the firm owning its own building. In the mid-1970s, he persuaded the firm to rescue from demolition and completely renovate the building that served as the birthplace of Kutak Rock – the Omaha National Bank Building. Today The Omaha Building, which is recognized as a nineteenth-century historic landmark, serves as the headquarters for the firm’s national administration.
The building, originally known as the New York Life Insurance Building, was designed by the preeminent New York architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White. Under the design supervision of architect Stanford White, the building was erected in 1889. Omaha's historic preservation association has repeatedly referred to The Omaha Building as "the jewel in the crown" of the city's historic architecture.
Mr. Kutak was proud of the building’s visual appeal and intricate detail, and took delight in conducting personal tours of the building while fretting over the details of its restoration. He was quoted in the March/April issue of Historic Preservation as saying, “Few accomplishments of the law firm I am privileged to serve as presiding partner have given me more gratification than the firm’s decision in 1977 to undertake the restoration of the Omaha Building.”
In 2006 and 2007 Kutak Rock undertook a full renovation of The Omaha Building. The firm replaced all of the building’s infrastructure, reconfigured its signature atrium and restored original interior features that had been covered up for decades.
To read a brochure the firm prepared to commemorate the renovated building, please click here: The Omaha Building.
Works created by some of America’s most talented artists hang throughout each of the firm’s offices. Kutak Rock’s collection of contemporary art – much of which was originally in Mr. Kutak’s private collection – helps define and project the personality of the firm and one of its founders, Robert J. Kutak. Click here for the firm's Art Collection.
