Biography
Dr. Brank received her J.D. (2000) and Ph.D. (2001) from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the Law-Psychology Program. She joined the UNL faculty in 2008 and is part of the law/psychology and social programs. Prior to joining the Nebraska faculty, Dr. Brank was on the faculty in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at the University of Florida.
Her research primarily focuses on the way the law intervenes (and sometimes interferes) in family and personal decision making. In particular, she studies the public support, implementation, and effectiveness of parental responsibility laws within the context of the juvenile justice system and the lega requirements of elder care giving. Dr. Brank also studies issues related to decision making in the context of government searchs and plea negotiations.
Courses
Elder Law Law 602 (3 cr hr)
This course will address the legal concerns and issues facing the rapidly growing sub-population of older adults. Topics covered in the course will include the legal and social science aspects of: ethical issues related to client legal capacity, health care decision making, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, long-term informal and formal care (including guardianship), financial aspects of aging, ageism, and elder maltreatment.
Topics in Law & Psychology Law 764 (3 cr hr)
In-depth analysis of specific psycholegal topics. Previous course titles have included Aging and the Law, Eyewitness Testimony, Privacy, Mental Health Policy, Legal Decision Making, Jurors/Jury Decision Making, Institutional Reform and Deinstitutionalization, Legal Policy and Child Development, Domestic Violence, Psychological Testimony in Criminal Cases: Battered Women's Cases, Expert Evidence, Children and the Law, and Psychology and Family Law.