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New city attorney brings high court experience, ag background to job
McCOOK, Neb. -- Recently named City Attorney Nate Mustion brings an impressive resume, as well as what is a familiar background for many area residents, humble beginnings on a rural Nebraska farm. Although only in his mid-30s, the 1997 Culbertson High School graduate has already been involved in two cases argued before the Nebraska Supreme Court, one of them pitting him against one of the more respected attorneys practicing in the state today.
Mustion began practicing municipal law as the Bartley Village Attorney in 2014 after joining the McCook firm of Mousel, Brooks, Garner & Schneider. City Manager Nate Schneider is a partner in the firm and Mustion was able to gain some valuable experience by assisting on occasional projects. Mustion's prior experience primarily lies in practicing family law and litigation, highlighted by the pair of Supreme Court cases.
Mustion argued the first Supreme Court case himself and the second was argued by a Lincoln attorney that he worked with on the case.
"Arguing before the Supreme Court is an honor for any attorney. But that honor came in my first full year out of law school, so it was not only an honor, but extremely intimidating," said Mustion during a visit with the Gazette recently.
The opposing side was requesting close to $1 million in damages in the trust case. Mustion's team had won at trial in District Court, which prompted the opposition to hire Dave Domina for the appeal.
"Everyone in our profession knows Mr. Domina and what a great attorney he is. I think I may have sweated through my suit and even blacked out for a second when I stood up for the argument," Mustion said with a chuckle. Despite the understandably intense experience, Mustion's team ended up winning the primary issues of the case and he now looks back on the case fondly.
"It is still the biggest honor of my career and probably will be for some time, if not always. I learned so much from that case and watching David Domina. He is a great attorney and a great man. He sent me a letter after the case telling me what a great job I did. I treasure that letter," said Mustion.
Unlike litigation and family law, Mustion admits his experience in municipal law is limited. He has been Village Attorney for a neighboring village of McCook since he relocated to the area in 2014. He is confident in his abilities, though, pointing out he is a fast learner and an unusually hard worker, which he credits to his farm background.
"When I set my mind to learning something, I will work at it until I have it mastered. I think that is why Nate Schneider recommended me to the City Council. He has worked with me long enough to know these things about me. I will work the hours necessary to become comfortable with municipal law and to put myself in the best position to help the City of McCook," said Mustion.
Mustion was raised on a farm in Culbertson, Nebraska, prior to beginning his pursuit of a law degree. A task which he is excited to see coming full-circle and resulting in his return to rural Nebraska.
"I farmed off and on with my father and grandfather for a number of years after high school, while figuring life out and prior to meeting my wife, Amanda Mustion," said Nate. The couple was married in 2001 and initially stayed on the farm while Amanda attended nursing school at MPCC. They eventually decided Nate should pursue his law degree and relocated to Kearney, where he attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
He graduated with honors in 2008, completing his bachelor's in political science with a minor in criminal justice. Amanda worked as a Registered Nurse at the Kearney Hospital during that time, while Nate also clerked for Michael Synek, Attorney at Law.
"A great family law attorney in Kearney," said Mustion while reflecting on the time.
Following Nate's graduation from UNK the couple decided to change things up for a year before he began what was anticipated to be a grueling stint at law school.
"Amanda took a travel nursing job and I played house husband for a year. No doubt the most enjoyable year of my life," said Nate with a chuckle.
The nursing job took the couple to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for a four month stint, followed by an eight month stretch in Hudson, Florida.
"We loved both stops," said Nate, adding he was particularly fond of the time spent in Florida. The hospital Amanda was working for put the couple up in an ocean-front home with a dock, which ended up leaving a lasting impression on the couple.
"We had dolphins that would play in front of our dock nightly. We also had a manatee who lived under our dock when conditions were right. But, the best part, was the incredible fishing right off the dock," said Mustion.
He described the Florida home as a fisherman's paradise and said he still considers it as the couple's "home away from home."
"It stole a piece of my heart," said Mustion.
The ocean-front experience freshly on their minds, the couple grudgingly returned to Nebraska so Mustion could continue his pursuit of law school. He graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Law with distinction in 2012 and clerked for Jeffrey, Hahn, Hemmerling & Zimmerman, PC, LLO during law school. Despite receiving an offer to remain with the firm upon graduation, Mustion decided the flooded legal market of Eastern Nebraska was not the place for him and turned the offer down with hopes of building a practice in Western Nebraska.
Mustion began his post-law school career with Lane & Williams, P.C., L.L.O., in Ogallala, but when an opportunity presented itself for the couple to return closer to Mustion's hometown and family, they took it. He joined the McCook firm of Mousel, Brooks, Garner & Schneider in April 2014 and was officially named City Attorney for McCook during a March 16, 2015, City Council meeting.
Amanda has since joined Community Hospital as a surgical nurse.
"It is just Amanda, our English Lab 'Bear' and I. We are an outdoor family and happiest when we are in the ocean scuba diving, well obviously not Bear," said Mustion with a grin.
The busy couple usually only finds time to take scuba diving vacations once a year, so they spend a lot of weekends fishing the local lakes or hiking and camping in the Rocky Mountains of nearby Colorado.
"We dream of one day retiring on the big island of Hawaii," said Mustion, referencing the couple's favorite scuba spot.
For now, they will both be a welcome addition to the community of McCook, a community which hopes their scuba-diving days of retirement are a very long ways off.