Upon the showing of good cause, a rule may be suspended in a particular instance in order to avoid a manifest injustice.
§ 6-1519.Modification of rules.
Article 15: Uniform District Court Rules of Practice and Procedure · Last amended July 18, 2008 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis rule lets a district court suspend one of its own local practice rules in an individual case when good cause is shown and following the rule strictly would create a manifest injustice.
Full Text of § 6-1519
Amendment History
Rule 19 amended November 18, 1998. Renumbered and codified as § 6-1519, effective July 18, 2008.
Plain-English Summary
Local rules exist to bring order and predictability to how district courts run, but no rule anticipates every situation a case might present. Section 6-1519 supplies the safety valve. Upon a showing of good cause, a court may suspend a rule in a particular instance to avoid a manifest injustice.
Two things keep this from becoming a loophole that swallows the rules. First, the suspension has to be tied to good cause — a party cannot ask a court to set a rule aside for mere convenience. Second, the standard is manifest injustice, a demanding bar reserved for situations where rigid application of the rule would produce an unfair result the rule was never meant to cause. Read together, the rule gives judges room to fit the practice rules to unusual circumstances without inviting routine exceptions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a party ask the court to skip a local practice rule in their case?
Yes, but only upon a showing of good cause, and only where following the rule would cause a manifest injustice.
What counts as “manifest injustice” under this rule?
The rule does not define the phrase further, leaving the district court to determine on the facts of each case whether strict application of a rule would produce a plainly unfair result.
Does this rule let a court waive any rule it wants for any reason?
No. The suspension applies to a particular instance, requires good cause, and is tied to avoiding manifest injustice, not to general convenience or a party’s preference.
Who decides whether a rule should be suspended under Section 6-1519?
The district court handling the case makes that determination.
Does suspending a rule in one case change the rule for future cases?
No. The rule authorizes suspension in a particular instance, not a permanent change to the rule itself.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Judicial Branch, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Nebraska. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: suspend a local court rule nebraskagood cause exception court rulemanifest injustice rule waivermodify district court rulerule 6-1519 exception