Juvenile Law

Eve Brank

Eve M. Brank Professor of Psychology and Courtesy Professor of Law

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.

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Jamie Cooper headshot

Jamie C. Cooper Assistant Professor of Law

Professor Cooper joins the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Law after practicing law in the areas of family law, criminal defense, and juvenile justice for 14 years.  Cooper has extensive trial experience and has successfully argued cases before the Nebraska Supreme Court and Nebraska Court of Appeals.  Prior to joining the faculty, Cooper served as an adjunct professor for the College of Law, teaching Pretrial Litigation.  She holds a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law and a B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Outside of the classroom, you can find Professor Cooper on a yoga mat. She is a certified yoga teacher trainer and teaches community yoga classes. She enjoys international travel and gardening. Cooper sits on several boards and committees and has held a number of leadership roles in her community.

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Michelle Paxton

Michelle Paxton Lecturer, Director of the Children's Justice Clinic and the Children's Justice Attorney Education Program

Michelle Paxton joined the College of Law in April, 2017 to create and lead the newest clinical program, the Children’s Justice Clinic. Ms. Paxton has served as the Director of Legal Training at University of Nebraska’s Center on Children, Families and the Law (CCFL). She develops curriculum and trains child welfare workers, probation officers, and mental health professionals on all aspects of juvenile court process and procedure in Nebraska. Ms. Paxton also receives Guardian ad Litem appointments from the Lancaster County Juvenile Court. Through her work at CCFL, she came to realize that effective advocacy in juvenile court requires both an understanding of the law and appreciation of the complex dynamics of children, families, and stakeholders comprising the child welfare system.  Ms. Paxton initiated the University of Nebraska College of Law and CCFL’s partnership to create a new clinical program wherein law students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively advocate for young children utilizing the training, support, and consultation from experts at CCFL.

Michelle Paxton received her J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law, where she served as Executive Editor for the Law Review. Ms. Paxton has served as a Deputy County Attorney in Douglas and Lancaster Counties, specializing in juvenile law, domestic violence, and general criminal prosecution. She has presented comprehensively on all aspects regarding juvenile court including the Indian Child Welfare Act, Termination of Parental Rights, Expert Witness Testimony in Juvenile Court, and Observing Development in Young Children. 


Watch to see how Professor Paxton is giving children a voice in court. 

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Korey Taylor headshot

Korey T. Taylor Assistant Professor of Law

Professor Korey Taylor joined the College of Law faculty in 2023. Prior to entering academia, Professor Taylor spent thirteen years as an Assistant Public Defender in Omaha, Nebraska and Orlando, Florida where he practiced in criminal and juvenile parental rights law, including thirty-five jury trials. He has previous corporate experience with Sidley Austin LLP, a top 20 international law firm, and Fortune 500 companies J.P. Morgan Chase, Medtronic and Johnson & Johnson. Professor Taylor is licensed to practice law in Texas, New York, Florida and Nebraska.

Born in the Chicago area, but raised in Houston, Professor Taylor earned a B.S. and M.B.A from Florida A&M University, Summa Cum Laude, with concentrations in Business Administration and Finance, a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where he was a Levy Scholar and served as a Senior Editor of The Journal of International Law, and a Certificate of Business and Public Policy with a Real Estate emphasis from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Professor Taylor is the current President of the Midlands (Black) Bar Association (2020 – present), serves on the Executive Council of the Omaha Bar Association and is Chair of the 2023 Nebraska State Bar Association (NSBA) Annual Meeting and a legislative Delegate in the NSBA House of Delegates. Professor Taylor also currently serves as a board member of Community Alliance, an Omaha-based non-profit that focuses on mental health and wellness of in need community members, and by appointment of the Nebraska Supreme Court as a member of the Committee on Equity and Fairness, along with his service in other organizations. Professor Taylor was nominated and selected as the recipient of the 2023 NSBA Diversity Award in recognition for his leadership as President of the Midlands Bar Association and for his efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in Nebraska’s legal community through his service with various bar, student and minority professional development focused organizations and groups.

Professor Taylor will be teaching Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure (Investigation), Advanced Criminal Procedure (Adjudication) and other courses at Nebraska Law. His initial research interests include diversity and inclusion in the law, profession and judicial appointments and special topics in crime and due process.

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