Dawes, '06, to Speak at American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics Health Law Professors Conference
17 Mar 2015
Daniel E. Dawes, '06, was invited to speak at the Opening Plenary of the 2015 American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics (ASLME) Health Law Professors Conference. The conference is the major annual conference of ASLME and the largest covening of academics teaching health law and bioethics in law school, medical school, public health and other university settings. The Opening Plenary is inteded to prompt a discussion about health equity, and how health law professors can/should be engaged in advancing racial and ethnic health equity through their teaching, scholarship and service.Dawes is a healthcare attorney and the Executive Director of government relations, health policy, and external affairs at Morehouse School of Medicine. In addition to his executive role, Daniel is a director of health policy and a lecturer of health law and policy at the Satcher Health Leadership Institute and holds a faculty appointment in the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine. During the negotiations around health reform, he founded and chaired the National Working Group on Health Disparities and Health Reform, a working group of more than 300 national organizations and coalitions that worked to ensure that the health care reform law included health equity provisions to reduce disparities in health status and health care among vulnerable populations.
Kafka, '79, Publishes Novel
11 Mar 2015
Josephy Kafka, '79, wrote Lawyer for the Little Guy, a suspensful, humourus and inspiring novel (avialble in ebook) about young lawyer Jake Beck.Here is a brief description:
Trial is a month away and closing fast on young lawyer Jake Beck. The scumbag who ripped off his client for one million dollars will get what's coming to him if Jake has anything to do about it. It's a tough case when your client is shy and sweet and your adversary is hard and mean. And when he's a lawyer. And the brother of your client. Jake's first trial has him facing impossible odds and many obstacles. But the underdog wins some of the time, right? Jake's wisecracking boss, the judge for his case, and even his client have their doubts. Still, it's not all legal work and no play when Jake falls for a brainy blonde and she introduces him to her "adopted" Greek family. Maddy Carter is an eco-minded Santa Cruz, California girl right down to her electric car and yoga classes. Jake embraces their love and support during the darkest times in his pursuit of justice for the little guy.
Four To Be Honored as Part of UNL Women's Week
09 Mar 2015
Four Nebraska Law students will be recognized by the UNL Women’s Center as women of character, courage, and commitment as part of Women’s Week.
Arianna Crum, 2L, was nominated as a result of her commitment to bringing cultural competency programming to the College of Law and her leadership of the Black Law Students Association/Multicultural Law Society.
Roxana Cortes, 2L, is being honored because of her commitment to the cause of immigration. Her engagement in her field of interest, commitment to sharing her experiences, and mentorship of her fellow students make her an integral part of the College of Law Community.
Jessica Laughlin, 3L, is being honored because she inspires so many with her positive outlook on and approach to life. She is an example to us all.
Ciara Coleman, 3L, is being recognized for her role in mentoring the students in the 1L and 2L classes. Her mentorship is both formal, as the skills’ class instructor, as well as an informal mentor, sounding block, and friend to the students at the Law College.
All four women will be recognized at the Women’s Week banquet on Thursday, March 19th.
Hurwitz has Article Accepted by Iowa Law Review
05 Mar 2015
Assistant Professor Gus Hurwitz's article "Data Security and the FTC's UnCommon Law" has been accepted by the Iowa Law Review. The article critiques the Federal Trade Commission's ongoing efforts to regulate companies' data security practices, arguing that the FTC’s approach has both substantive and procedural flaws that make it's efforts ineffective.Professor Justin (Gus) Hurwitz joined the College of Law faculty in 2013. His work builds on his background in law, technology, and economics to consider the interface between law and technology and the role of regulation in high-tech industries. He has a particular expertise in telecommunications law and technology.
Thimmesch has Article Accepted by Utah Law Review
04 Mar 2015
Assistant Professor Adam Thimmesch's article "Testing the Models of Tax Compliance: The Use-Tax Experiment" is set to be published in the Utah Law Review. The article analyzes the current lack of compliance with the state use tax and demonstrates how states and researchers could apply modern compliance theories to help increase the payment of that tax. The article argues that research in this area would not only help states to increase compliance, but would also help researchers to better understand the motivators of tax compliance and how modern theories apply in real-world settings.
Thimmesch joined the faculty in 2012. He teaches Individual Income Tax, State and Local Taxation, Business Associations, and Corporate Finance.
Overcash Published Construction Law Article
04 Mar 2015
Adjunct Professor Allen Overcash recently had his article "Introducing a Novel ADR Technique for Handling Construction Disputes: Arbitration" published in Construction Lawyer, a publication of the American Bar Association. The discusses traditional arbitration practices and their relevance to construction disputes.Overcash is associated with Woods & Aitken LLP with offices in Lincoln, Omaha, and Denver. He is currently Adjunct Professor of Construction Law at Nebraska Law.
Poser to Moderate E.N. Thompson Forum on Effects of Regulating Carbon Emissions
25 Feb 2015
A pair of experts will debate the pros and cons of carbon regulation through taxation, cap and trade and other measures at the next E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues. The event will be 7 p.m. March 3 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th St.
The debate, “Cutting Carbon Emissions: Better Environment, Worse Economy?” is the 2015 Chuck and Linda Wilson Dialogue and will feature Marlo Lewis Jr. of the Competitive Enterprise Institute and Gilbert Metcalf of Tufts University. The debate will be moderated by Susan Poser, dean of the UNL College of Law.
The event will explore the pros and cons of regulating carbon emissions, with Metcalf arguing the primarily environmental benefits of the U.S. government restricting carbon emissions by taxation and other forms of regulation, and Lewis emphasizing the primarily negative economic impact and the complexities of such U.S. government intervention.
Lewis has written on global warming, energy policy and public policy issues and has been published in The Washington Times, Investor’s Business Daily, Tech Central Station, the National Review and Interpretation: A Journal of Political Philosophy. He has appeared on various television and radio programs, and his ideas have been featured in radio commentary by Rush Limbaugh and G. Gordon Liddy. Prior to joining CEI in 2002, he served as director of external relations at the Reason Foundation in Los Angeles, California. During the 106th Congress, he served as staff director of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on National Economic Growth, Natural Resources and Regulatory Affairs. Lewis has also been the research director for Citizens Against Government Waste.
Metcalf is a professor of economics at Tufts University and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He is also a research associate at MIT's Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change and an associate scholar in the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. He has taught at Princeton, Harvard and MIT. He has frequently testified before Congress, been on expert panels including a National Academies of Sciences panel on energy externalities, and recently was the deputy assistant secretary for environment and energy at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He is on the board of directors of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, the international professional association for economists working on environmental and natural resource issues. He has published numerous papers in peer reviewed academic journals, has edited or co-authored four books, and has contributed chapters to a number of books on energy and tax policy.
John Anderson, UNL professor of economics, will lead a pre-talk at 6:30 p.m. in the Lied Center’s Steinhart Room.
Chuck Wilson is a retired cardiologist who served on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents for many years. Linda Wilson served on the Lincoln City Council and the Public Building Commission. The Wilsons’ goal in creating this dialogue is to present both sides of an important issue.
The E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues is a cooperative project of the Cooper Foundation, the Lied Center and UNL. It was established in 1988 with the purpose of bringing a diversity of viewpoints on international and public policy issues to the university and people of Nebraska to promote understanding and encourage debate.
More information: http://enthompson.unl.edu/welcome
Nebraska Law Federalist Society wins Feddie Award
24 Feb 2015
The Nebraska Law Federalist Society received the Alexander Hamilton Award for Most Improved Chapter at the 2015 Federalist Society Feddie Awards. Nebraska Law was nominated for this award alongside Concordia University School of Law, Pacific McGeorge School of Law, University of Minnesota School of Law, Northwestern University School of Law, Savannah Law School and South Texas College of Law. In addition to the Most Improved Chapter award, the Nebraska Law Federalist Society was also nominted for the James Madison Award for Chapter of the Year.
The Nebraska Law Federalist Society held several successful speaker events this year, including Former Texas Supreme Court Justice David M. Medina and Former NRA President Sandra S. Froman . In addition to the speaker presentations, Federalist Society members were given the opportunity to interact with presenters on a one-on-one basis. Nebraska Law Federalist Society events are generally open to attorneys and friends of the law school community, and offer Nebraska CLE credit.
Federalist Society Faculty Advisor Rick Duncan, Chapter President Lyle Wheeler, Chapter Treasurer Lance Roasa, and 2L Representative John Duggar attended the 2015 Federalist Society Student Symposium in Washinton DC, and accepted the award on behalf of the chapter.
Blankley Heading National Access to Justice Committee
19 Feb 2015
Assistant Professor Kristen Blankley was named the chair of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Task Force on Access to Justice. This task force will be considering how dispute resolution services can increase access to justice and legal services, especially for low income and middle-class persons. Professor Blankley was chosen to head this project given her previous research in this area.
Solt, '96, Joins Guidepost Solutions
19 Feb 2015
Guidepost Solutions LLC grew its presence in the Washington, D.C. market with the addition of three new hires whose backgrounds include substantial government experience, including Kent Solt, an alumnus of Nebraska College of Law, who joined as senior director.
“Over the past few years companies in a wide range of industries have faced a dramatic increase in compliance related responsibilities as a result of the growing number of regulatory mandates imposed by federal and state governments,” stated CEO Julie Myers Wood. “Kent will help our clients navigate complex and changing regulations; assess their business compliance programs and plan initiatives to meet new compliance requirements.”
As a senior director for Guidepost’s diligence services group, Solt will work closely with investigation teams providing research and data analytics. Most recently, he was a senior investigative analyst with KeyPoint Government Solutions where he was a member of the monitoring team for a large international bank. In addition, he provided due diligence and analytical services for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Energy Loan Guarantee Program. Earlier in his career, Solt spent over a decade with LexisNexis Legal Publishing and held several positions including editorial manager and lead content planner. He received a Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, in journalism/mass communications from the University of Northern Colorado.
About Guidepost Solutions LLC
Guidepost Solutions (www.guidepostsolutions.com) is a global leader in investigations; due diligence; cyber and technology security consulting; immigration and cross-border consulting; and monitoring and compliance solutions. We help companies, government agencies, individuals and their advisors solve problems, advance business opportunities, mitigate risks and resolve disputes – among many other services. Our professional team includes former federal and state prosecutors and law enforcement officials and leaders in the security, investigations, intelligence, and public safety communities. Our solutions protect lives, assets and reputations. Guidepost is headquartered in New York and maintains offices and facilities across the globe including Chicago; Dallas; Honolulu; London; Los Angeles; Oakland; Palm Beach; San Francisco; Seattle and Washington, D.C. Guidepost Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of SolutionPoint International, Inc. (www.solutionpoint-intl.com).
Lenich and Berger Named Professors of the Year
17 Feb 2015
At the Meeting of the Minds event, Professor John Lenich and Eric Berger were named the 2015 Professors of the Year. Each year, the SBA hosts the event and administers nominations for the Professor of the Year Awards. The current 1L students nominated Professor Lenich and upperclass students nominated Professor Berger.
Medill Testimony Featured in Department of Labor Report
16 Feb 2015
In 2014, Professor Colleen Medill testified before the ERISA Advisory Council on the topic of outsourcing employee benefit plan services. The United States Department of Labor released the Council's report in February 2015. In her testimony, Professor Medill discussed the lack of guidance from the Department or courts in regard to fiduciary allocation of trustee responsibilities and co-fiduciary liability and responsibilities.A summary of the report is available at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/publications/2014ACreport3.html.
2014-15 Academic Awards Presented at Meeting of the Minds
16 Feb 2015
At the Meeting of the Minds event on Friday, a number of academic awards were announced. Congratulations to all receiving awards!
McGrath North FLS Award
- Briana Hildebrand
- Megan Theesen-Fenton
- Kara Brostrom
- Joshua Christolear
- Tess Moyer
- Christopher Gruber
- John Zimmer
- Sean Kipp
- Shannon Schroeder
- Christopher Schmidt
Robert G. Simmons Legal Writing Award
- Sarah Clark
Arthur Bruce Winter Constitutional Law Award
- Joshua Christolear
Schmid Honors
- Jessop Adams
- Jordan Holst
- Jordan Talsma
- Josh Christolear
- Jessica Ledingham
- Alexander Gansebom
Schmid Scholars
- Nate Clark (Nebraska Law Rev Editor-In-Chief)
- Michael Boal (Moot Court Chair)
Sorensen Award
- Brian Fahey
Handbook for Space Law edited by von der Dunk
11 Feb 2015
The Handbook of Space Law released in January was edited by Professor Frans von der Dunk with Fabio Trochetti. The book addresses the legal and regulatory aspects of activities in outer space and major space applications from a comprehensive and structured perspective. It fundamentally addresses the dichotomy between the state-oriented character of international space law and the increasing commercialization and privatization of space activities.The book focuses on international space law in the broadest sense of the word, not only including the UN-based space treaties and international customary (space) law, but also the many specialized regimes such as those applicable to the international satellite organizations, the International Space Station, the international trade and the security-sensitive aspects of space technology exports, the financing of space ventures and environmental concerns. The novelty of this holistic approach to space law notably includes the profound and eve-increasing commercialization of space activities and the attendant involvement of the private sector in such activities. This authoritative book thus presents a unique standard work of reference for anyone interested in studying or researching the legal and regulatory aspects of space activities and their major applications in depth.
Offering the most comprehensive and holistic analysis on legal and regulatory aspects of space activities and major space applications to date this Handbook will be of particular interest to students in space law higher education, public international law, researchers (including JSD and PhD students) of space law and practitioners in the major sectors of space activities.
UPDATE: the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) has given the Handbook of Space Law the 2015 Social Science Book Award.
Hildebrand and Sholes Win Regional Client Counseling Competition
11 Feb 2015
The team of Briana Hildebrand and Michael Sholes, both 2L students, won the American Bar Association's 2015 Region 8 Client Counseling Competition. They will move on to represent Nebraska Law and Region 8 at the 2015 ABA National Client Counseling Competition in March. There they will face the winning teams from each of the ABA's other 11 regional competitions.
Equal Justice Society Chili Cook Off Raises Over $1,000 for NPILF
11 Feb 2015
In its inaugural year, the Equal Justice Society Chili Cook Off raised over $1,000 for the Nebraska Public Interest Law Fund. The NPILF provides grants to law students interested in working in the public interest during the summer.
Twenty faculty members, staff and administrators provided chili to be entered into the competition:
- Brian Borenstein
- Molly Brummond
- Patty Cavanagh
- Rob Denicola
- Rick Dooling
- Chris Evans
- Tasha Everman
- John Lenich
- Richard Leiter
- Marc Pearce
- Sandy Placzek
- Susan Poser
- Anna Shavers
- Jessica Shoemaker
- Anthony Schutz
- Brett Stohs
- Adam Thimmesch
- Marcy Tintera
- Tracy Warren
- Catherine Wilson
Individuals voted for their favorite chili during the event. The winning chili will be announced at the Meeting of the Minds on February 13, 2015.
Students Beat Faculty Bowling Team
11 Feb 2015
The International Law Student Association (ILSA) held a student-faculty bowling tournament for the second consecutive year. Teams of four to five students competed for the opportunity to take on the faculty team. In the end, the student team of Aditya Ezhuthachan, Alex Gavin, Jerry Jefferson, Rick Tast, and Jacob Tewes beat the faculty team of Professor Jack Beard, Professor Brian Lepard, Professor Matt Schaefer, Dean Richard Moberly, and former Dean Glenda Pierce.
The bowling tournament is held as a fundraiser for ISLA. International Law Student Association enables law students who are interested in international law and international trade to continue their education in this field beyond the classroom. Activities include: sponsoring the Jessup International Moot Court competition; counseling on graduate level and summer programs in international law, internships and career opportunities; and interdisciplinary programs sponsored by the College of Business Administration, the College of Agriculture, the Institute of International Affairs and other University of Nebraska colleges and departments involved in international relations and trade issues.
Foster, '09, named UNL director for Institutional Equity and Compliance
30 Jan 2015
Susan Foster, '09, is a senior associate attorney at the law firm Jackson Lewis PC in Omaha. She will begin her director duties Feb. 16.
A member of the chancellor's senior administrative team, Foster will serve as UNL's chief civil rights officer and Title IX officer. She will be responsible for providing leadership, direction and oversight for many of the federal and state regulatory mandates of the campus; for generating the university's affirmative action plans for women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities; for investigating allegations of illegal discrimination and harassment; and for leading the university in monitoring and helping to develop an inclusive, supportive campus climate.
Foster will chair the UNL Equity Council, which includes representatives from Institutional Equity and Compliance (formerly known as Equity, Access and Diversity Programs), the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Human Resources.
"The university is fortunate to be able to attract a person with Susan's experience as both an educator and a lawyer to lead our diversity and compliance office," Chancellor Harvey Perlman said. "She will provide excellent leadership in these critical areas."
Foster said she was honored and excited to join a university that is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture in which all students, faculty and staff are provided an opportunity to thrive, grow and contribute.
"Recognizing and appreciating diverse experiences, beliefs and perspectives expands our collective knowledge and allows us to successfully work together in our ever-expanding world," she said. "I am eager to work collaboratively with university leaders and organizations, community leaders and organizations, faculty, staff and students to implement strategic initiatives and programs that create, promote and support a thriving safe, diverse and inclusive environment for everyone."
Foster is a 2009 graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Law. She earned an undergraduate degree in education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1999 and taught at Millard Public Schools for seven years.
During her tenure at Jackson Lewis PC, she has worked with and provided guidance to clients seeking advice in all areas of employment, including disability accommodation, wage and hour, conflict resolution, hiring, discipline and leave management. She also has trained human resources personnel and management in many aspects of employment law, including discrimination, harassment and disability accommodation training.
Buda, '12, Named New Associate
27 Jan 2015
Nicholas A. Buda has joined McGill, Gotsdiner, Workman & Lepp, P.C., L.L.O. as an associate. Buda is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Omaha and received his J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 2012. He is admitted to both the Nebraska and Iowa Bars. Mr. Buda practices primarily in business litigation. He also has experience with probate matters, natural resources and water law, and real estate.
Based out of Omaha, McGill, Gotsdiner, Workman & Lepp, P.C., L.L.O. has been serving commercial enterprises and individual clients in a broad range of civil practice areas in the Midwest since 1975.
Watson, '06, Named New Shareholder
27 Jan 2015
Mathew T. Watson has been made a Shareholder of McGill, Gotsdiner, Workman & Lepp, P.C., L.L.O. Watson is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and also received his J.D., with distinction, from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 2006. Mr. Watson joined the corporation as an associate in 2011. He practices in a variety of areas including commercial litigation, corporate, business, labor and employment law.
Based out of Omaha, McGill, Gotsdiner, Workman & Lepp, P.C., L.L.O. has been serving commercial enterprises and individual clients in a broad range of civil practice areas in the Midwest since 1975.