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.
Martinez, '94, Named Nebraska State Bar Association President
12 Jan 2015
Amie C. Martinez, '94, begins term as President of the Nebraska State Bar Association (NSBA). The NSBA is the largest professional organization of lawyers in Nebraska and elected Martinez as its President. The NSBA has a three-fold mission – sustaining the ongoing level of professionalism and confidence amongst the profession, strengthening the court system and serving the public. Martinez’s term as runs through October 2015.
Martinez, a shareholder with the law firm of Anderson, Creager & Wittstruck, P.C., L.L.O. in Lincoln, practices in the areas of family law, juvenile law, criminal defense, civil litigation and appellate work before the Nebraska Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. She has been involved on the local, state and national levels of bar leadership as well as actively engaging in public service within the local community and across the country.
Law Professors Present Around the Globe
22 Dec 2014
Professor Eric Berger Presented at Law Schools Nationwide
Professor Berger presented, " The Executioner's Dilemma” at Richmond Law Review's Allen Chair Symposium on Lethal Injection, Politics and the Future of the Death Penalty, and at the Wisconsin Discussion Group on Constitutionalism at the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Professor Berger also presented his paper, “The Supreme Court, Legislative Facts, and the Path of Constitutional Law” at the Fifth Annual Constitutional Law Colloquium at Loyola Chicago University School of Law.
At the UCLA law school, Professor Berger gave a presentation on “The Rhetoric of Constitutional Absolutism.” The talk explored the Supreme Court’s propensity to pretend that constitutional cases have certain answers, even when there are powerful arguments on both sides.
__________________________________________________________________________
Professor Blankley Lead Discussion on Confidentiality and Privilege During Mediation
Professor Kristen Blankley presented at a “lunch and learn” session at The Mediation Center on the important issues of privilege and confidentiality in mediation. Blankley lead a discussion on why confidentiality and privilege are policy choices for mediation’s success, but also discussed exceptions to confidentiality, such as mandatory reporting requirements for allegations of child abuse.
Professor Kristen Blankley participated in a webinar on ethics in online dispute resolution. This webinar was offered as part of Cyberweek, a week-long online conference focused on online dispute resolution. http://www.adrhub.com/forum/topics/a-panel-discussion-on-odr-and-ethics
__________________________________________________________________________
Professor Duncan Presented “Masks of Law: at the Nebraska State Bar Association Annual Meeting
Christian Legal Society speaker Professor Richard Duncan’s spirited and thought provoking “Masks of the Law” presentation at the 2014 NSBA Annual Meeting discussed the creation of legal masks and their impact on important legal decisions and policies affecting groups treated harshly by the law.
Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/1fPo9BG
__________________________________________________________________________
Professor Moberly Served as Moderator at National and Local Conferences
Professor Richard Moberly served at the moderator for a whistle blower litigation panel and the American Bar Association Labor and Employment Conference.
Moberly also served as a presenter and moderator for the McGrath North Speaker Series. The presentation included insights on fraud prevention, whistleblowing and business skepticism.
__________________________________________________________________________
Professor Potuto Discussed NCAA Around the Country
As a guest on the Sports Conflict Institute she discussed issues and perspectives regarding reinventing the NCAA, and improvements to the system to make it a more enriching and consistently positive experience for student-athletes. Watch the discussion: http://bit.ly/1uO8mLT
Potuto appeared as part of a panel at the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities annual meeting. The panel focused on Presidents and Chancellors and the Management of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics.
At Elon University, Potuto served on a Legal and Structural Changes in the NCAA panel that was part of a law review symposium on Media, Regulatory & Labor Issues in College Sports.
Potuto gave a presentation to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute presentation titled, "Business, Media and Legal Issues in College Athletics," as part of a series of talks on business, media, and legal issues across a variety of businesses and activities.
Potuto participated in a Google Hangout with Winthrop Intelligence to discuss "the Role of the Faculty Athletic Representative and What Athletics Directors Need to Know" as part of a series of educational programs the organization is doing for athletic and greater campus administrators.
__________________________________________________________________________
Professor Schaefer Presented at 65th International Astronautical Congress in Toronto
The number of presentations at major conferences made by Professor Schaefer in the past year grew to eight when Professor Schaefer presents his paper on the intersection of space insurance markets with liability regimes for third-parties and space flight participants in commercial space activities to the 65th International Astronautical Congress & 57th International Institute of Space Law (IISL) Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space in Toronto on October 1. Professor Schaefer has previously spoken on space law topics at seven major space law and international law conferences in the past year: ABILA International Law Weekend – Midwest (St. Louis, September 2013); American Branch of the International Law Association (ABILA) International Law Weekend (New York, October 2013); University of Nebraska 6th Annual D.C. Space Law Conference (Washington, D.C., November 2013); International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Space Exploration Conference (Washington, D.C., January 2014); National Space Symposium (Colorado Springs, April 2014); Newspace 2014 (San Jose, CA, July 2014); and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Space 2014 (San Diego, CA, August 2014).
__________________________________________________________________________
Professor Sheppard Presented at SMU Dedman School of Law's Annual Symposium on Emerging Intellectual Property Issues
Professor Sheppard was invited to speak on the Supreme Court and Intellectual Property Law, which took place October 2nd at the SMU Dedman School of Law's Annual Symposium on Emerging Intellectual Property Issues. The Symposium addressed the latest theories and practices important to the development of intellectual property law through discussions with distinguished academics, jurists and leaders in the industry. This year’s Symposium featured three panels addressing the Supreme Court’s latest copyright and patent cases.
__________________________________________________________________________
Professor Shoemaker Served as Moderator for Regional Summit
Professor Jessica Shoemaker presented and served as the moderator for a panel at the Lower Platte River Corridor Alliance Summit.
Shoemaker also presented her paper, “Emulsified Property,” at the Central States Law School Association meeting in Baton Rouge.
__________________________________________________________________________
Professor Thimmesch Presented at Central States Law School Association Conference
Professor Adam Thimmesch presented “Testing the Models of Tax Compliance: The Use-Tax Experiment,” at the Central States Law School Association meeting in Baton, Rouge.
__________________________________________________________________________
Professor von der Dunk Presented at the International Academy of Astronautics
Professor Frans von der Dunk presented, From Space Tourists to Unruly Passengers? The U.S. Struggle with 'On-Orbit Jurisdiction' at the Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space organized by the International Institute of Space Law at the International Astronautical Conference in Toronto, on October 1, 2014. Von der Dunk also chaired the International Academy of Astronautics/International Institute of Space Law Scientific/Legal Round Table on the topic of the increasingly high resolution of space EO data, which combined with increasing location and navigation information provided by satellites, raises new questions regarding the risks and threats of abuse of such data, for example in areas of privacy, human rights and public order (terrorism).
__________________________________________________________________________
Professor Willborn Presented at Events Nationwide
Professor Willborn gave a presentation on employee privacy at Elon University.
Willborn also served as a Senior Scholar at Seton Hall’s Young Scholars Forum. Willborn and other Senior Scholars offered critiques for Junior Scholars who were presenting their work.
Finally, Professor Willborn presented a paper on employee privacy at a conference convened by the Cornell Law Review on the American Law Institute’s Restatement (Third) of Employment Law.
__________________________________________________________________________
Professor Wilson Presented at the University of California-Davis
Professor Catherine Wilson presented her paper "Economic Justice and Student Loans" Preventing Student Loans from Crippling Social Mobility," at UC-Davis.
Below is the abstract from that paper:
Student loan debt now exceeds $1.1 trillion. With student loans now count for a higher percentage of household debt than credit card and auto loans, numerous reports are highlighting the impact that the student loan debt load has on social mobility by delaying many of the life choices that generate wealth. Recent calls for financial aid reform seem to focus on tuition reforms, increased disclosures about student loans and repayment options, and changes to the Bankruptcy Code. This paper adds to this discussion by evaluating modifications to the current American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC), a refundable income tax credit, in a way that helps reduce the debt costs associated with acquiring an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. The AOTC tax credit should be modified to provide more immediate support to students.
__________________________________________________________________________
Professor Zellmer Gave Presentations Around the Globe
Professor Zellmer presented, “Unnatural Disasters: How Law Hurts, How Law Can Help,” at the University of Minnesota Institute for Advanced Study. Watch the presentation here:http://ias.umn.edu/2014/10/09/zellmer/
Additionally, Professor Zellmer also took part in the IUCN World Congress in Sydney, Australia. Zellmer organized a panel for the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law, on Reconciling Development Challenges Facing Protected Areas.
Hoos, '00, Named Peoria County Judge
17 Dec 2014
Hoos graduated from the University of Nebraska-Kearney with a degree in political science. She received her law degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 2000. She will be sworn in during a brief ceremony Dec. 29.
Read more: http://www.pjstar.com/article/20141215/News/141219474#ixzz3MC1SrEdD
Von der Dunk Signs Asteroid Day Declaration
04 Dec 2014
Asteroid Day is a global awareness movement where people from around the world come together to learn about asteroids and what we can do to protect our planet, our families, communities, and future generations. Organizers gathered an impressive group of scientists, policy makers, and astronauts to sign the declaration before the public announcement on Wednesday December 3rd, 2014. Professor Frans von der Dunk is among the public signatories.The Asteroid Day website explains, "Asteroid Day will be held on the anniversary of the 1908 Siberian Tunguska event, the largest asteroid impact on Earth in recent history."
"Regionally organised large and small events will be held on Asteroid Day – from live concerts and community events, to lectures and other educational programmes, to support a movement calling for increased detection and mapping of asteroids. The 100x Asteroid Declaration, calling for this action, has been signed by astronauts, scientists, artists and leaders in business and technology.
Employing available technology to detect, track and defend our Earth from dangerous asteroid impacts is something we know how to do. This will assure the survival of generations to come as well as preserve our heritage and all that we have learned and created as a species. We have the knowledge as well as the technology to prevent these future catastrophic events. The fact that this initiative could save ALL the species on this planet that have evolved alongside us. We have a responsibility as custodians, not just for the planet, but for all the abundant life which inhabits it.
Continuing to orbit our solar system without the knowledge of potentially dangerous asteroids in our orbital neighbourhood is equivalent to playing the odds in a game of Las Vegas roulette – only this time, we are betting our families, homes and indeed future generations. The probability of Earth being impacted in a random location by a 100-megaton asteroid in your lifetime is about the same as the probability of you being killed in an automobile accident. These odds on any individual day are small, yet few among us would drive a car without wearing a seat belt. The 100x Asteroid Declaration calls for the discovery and tracking of 100,000 asteroids a year over the next ten years. In addition to protecting our planet, this increased capability will provide dramatically improved knowledge of our Solar System for scientific and other purposes."
Learn More on www.asteroidday.org
Professor Colleen Medill Published Employee Benefits Law Casebook
02 Dec 2014
Professor Colleen Medill has published the fourth edition of her law school casebook, Introduction to Employee Benefits Law: Policy and Practice (West Academic 2014). Professor Medill’s book, which has been adopted by over 40 American law schools, is the only legal textbook that contains comprehensive coverage of both health care and retirement plans established by private employers for their workers. The book is unique in its extensive coverage of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and its impact on employer-sponsored health care plans. Professor Medill uses her book each spring to teach her Employee Benefits Law course at the College of Law.
Blankley becomes Fellow of the American Bar Foundation
25 Nov 2014
Kristen Blankley has accepted an invitation to be a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Professor Blankley was chosen due to her leadership within the State of Nebraska, and the nomination is in “recognition of a lawyer whose career has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in the profession, service to society, and commitment to the ideals and objectives of the American Bar Association.” This is an extraordinary honor as less than 1% of lawyers within each state are asked to join the Fellows.
Collier Visits College as Part of UNL Masters Week
24 Nov 2014
Alumni Masters Week, a program sponsored by the Nebraska Alumni Association, Scarlet Guard and the Chancellor's Office, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014. Since 1964, 400 alumni have participated in Alumni Masters Week. Its primary goal has always been to link the university's outstanding alumni with students who can benefit from their experiences and knowledge. All students were encouraged to take part in lectures, presentations and events with the alumni masters, who spoke about ways to apply formal education to working situations and career goals.
Victoria Collier, '02, visited Nebraska Law on November 20-21. In addition to meeting individually with students and various student organizations, Collier gave a presenation titled, "How to Build Your Law Practice grom the Ground Up" Lessons Learned," to a large audience on Thursday.
Victoria Collier established her own law firm in 2002 in Decatur, Ga. A certified elder law attorney, Collier has chaired the Georgia chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the State Bar of Georgia elder law section and the Atlanta Bar Association elder law committee. She co-founded Lawyers with Purpose, Lawyers for Wartime Veterans, Veterans Advocates Group of America and Trust Associates Inc. Collier served in the U.S. Air Force, 1989 to 1995, and the Army Reserves, 2002 to 2005. A 2002 UNL law grad, she is hosted by the College of Law.
2015 Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Team Announced
17 Nov 2014
The Space, Cyber and Telecommunications Law program is proud to announce the 2015 Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court team for Nebraska Law. Third year students Danielle Miller and Jacob Tewes, and second year student Kiersten Haugen, will be representing Nebraska in the national competition this spring. The selection committee graded each candidate on their space law experience, their oral argument background and ability, and their brief writing.
The competition is based on a hypothetical space law dispute before the International Court of Justice. Participating teams are required to submit a formal written argument for both the Applicant State and the Respondent State on the legal issues of the hypothetical case and to argue each side of the case before panels of judges in their respective region. The winning teams from each Regional Round meet in the international final rounds, which are held in conjunction with the annual IISL Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space. The Final Round is traditionally judged by three judges of the International Court of Justice. This unique feature makes the Manfred Lachs Moot Court one of the most prestigious moot court competitions in the world. The competition will take place in late March to early April 2015 in Washington DC at the Georgetown Law College. The winning team will attend the International Rounds, as part of the IISL Colloquium, in Jerusalem in 2015.
Professor Matthew Schaefer will serve as the faculty advisor and LL.M. student Nathan Johnson will be coaching the team this year. Nathan has an extensive background in the subject area and has competed twice in this competition as a J.D. at George Washington Law School. Nebraska Law has a strong presence in the competition, with many of space, cyber and telecommunications law LL.M. alumni judging arguments and briefs (memorials). LL.M. alumni, and current J.S.D. student Giugi Carminati is the now a regional organizer of the competition.
Thank you to Stefanie Pearlman, Matthew Novak, Elsbeth Magilton, Matthew Schaefer, and Nathan Johnson for serving on the selection committee.
Professor Sheppard helps draft Congressional testimony
17 Nov 2014
Professor Sheppard helps draft Congressional testimony and will attend a U.S. Congress joint hearing by the House Committees on the Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform
The Public Patent Advisory Committee on which Professor Sheppard is lead on finance and budget issues was called to testify before a rare joint hearing by the United States House of Representatives Committee of the Judiciary and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The hearing, to take place Tuesday November, 18th at 1:30 EST, will explore allegations of USPTO employee abuse of government telework programs that was initially brought to light by the Washington Post and subsequently covered by most major news networks. The hearing will not only explore the action of the USPTO employees but will call into question the effectiveness of telecommuting programs in regards of oversight of employees, accountability to the agency and quality of workproduct.
PPAC, on which Dr. Sheppard is serving her third year, was created by Congress to oversee the management of and advise the leadership of the USPTO. Dr Sheppard is one of nine citizens chosen by the US Secretary of Commerce to fulfill this role to review the policies, goals, performance, budget, and user fees of the USPTO and advise the director on these matters.
http://judiciary.house.gov/index.cfm/2014/11/joint-hearing-abuse-of-the-uspto
Hendrix named Oil and Gas Lawyer of the Year
14 Nov 2014
Bryan Cave (formerly Holme Roberts & Owen) Partner Lynn Hendrix, '78, was named Oil and Gas “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in America! Lynn heads up Bryan Cave’s global Energy and Natural Resources Group. In addition to being named “Lawyer of the Year” in Oil and Gas Law, Lynn’s practice depth and breadth is demonstrated by being listed in Best Lawyers in America in Native American Law, Energy Law, Natural Resources Law, Copyright Law, and Information Technology Law. Best Lawyers is one of the oldest lawyer-rating publications in the U.S. and names a single lawyer in each specialty in each community as ‘Lawyer of the Year.’ Those honored have received particularly outstanding ratings in the surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity.
Von der Dunk Speaks to Dutch Radio Show on the Rosetta Mission
12 Nov 2014
November 12, 2014 Professor Frans von der Dunk will join the De Kennis Van Nu, which roughly translates as The Knowledge Of Today, radio program to dicuss the Rosetta mission, celestial resource exploitation, and more broadly commercial space activities.You can learn more about his segment on the De Kennis Van Nu website for the program.
2015 Nebraska Law Trial Team Announced
10 Nov 2014
Six third-year students were named to the 2015 Nebraska Law Trial Team: Katherine Doering, Brian Fahey, Megan McDowell, Adam Odle, Audrey Svane and Rick Tast.Students will compete in teams of three people in the regional competition that takes places in February. The competition includes several mock trials of a crimincal case, including preparing direct and cross examinations, opening statements and closing arguments. Students will focus on evidence, theory, theme, strategy and all aspects of a trial.
On-Orbit Jurisdication Conference a Success
07 Nov 2014
The 7th Annual Washington, D.C. Space Law Conference on Monday, November 3, 2014 at the National Press Club featured discussion on the challenges and opportunities presented in on-orbit jurisdiction.The first panel, “On-Orbit Jurisdiction: Government and Industry Views” featured Laura Montgomery (Manager, Space Law Branch, FAA), Karl Kensinger (Deputy Division Chief, Satellite Division, FCC), Glenn Talia (Section Chief, Weather, Satellites, and Research Section, NOAA), Brian Israel (Attorney-Advisor, US Dept. of State), Caryn Schenewerk (Counsel & Director of Government Affairs, SpaceX), Russ McMurry (Senior Counsel, Boeing Network & Space Systems), Franceska Schroeder (Principal, Fish & Richardson), and moderators Professor Frans von der Dunk & Dennis Burnett.
The second panel, “On-Orbit Jurisdiction - Perspectives from Different Elements of Space Sector - Views from Property Rights Interests and Sub-Orbital Activities”included Mike Gold (Chair, COMSTAC), Peter Marquez (VP for Global Engagement, Planetary Resources), Marc Holzapfel (Senior VP & General Counsel, Virgin Galactic), Patti Grace Smith (Principal, PGS Consulting), Jim Muncy (Principal, PoliSpace Consulting), and moderators Professor Matthew Schaefer and Dennis Burnett.
The ABA Space Law Committee, together with AstroEsq.com, invited students and professionals in the DC area to meet up for drinks, community, and conversation following the 7th Annual Nebraska Law DC Space Law Conference at the District Commons.
Von der Dunk and Magilton Present at Doane College
07 Nov 2014
Space, Cyber and Telecommunications Law Program Professor Frans von der Dunk and the program's Executive Director Elsbeth Magilton (Nebraska Law Class of 2011) presented at Magilton's aluma mater, Doane College (Class of 2008), on Thursday October 30, 2014.At the invitation of Professor Wendy Hind, von der Dunk and Magilton discussed the law college programs and the developing commercial space industry with two undergraduate Business Law courses on the Crete, Nebraska campus. Topics included third-party liability, space flight participants, and other upcoming legal issues facing the industry.
LL.M. Student and Alumni Present at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
07 Nov 2014
Current 2015 LL.M. canidate Nathan Johnson and 2013 LL.M. alumni George A. Long both participated in panels at the 1st Annual Space Traffic Management (STM) Conference hosted by the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Commercial Space Operations degree program at the Daytona Beach campus.The November 5th & 6th, 2014 STM conference offered academia and leaders of government and industry a forum for discussing the complex, diverse, and timely issues of aviation and space traffic coordination, space launch, space weather, and space debris. The conference’s plenary sessions brought together for discourse multiple disciplines and different aspects of the space traffic management world.
The conference agenda is available on the Embry-Riddle website.
Thimmesch has tax discrimination essay published
06 Nov 2014
Professor Adam Thimmesch's essay, "Comptroller v. Wynne and the Futile Search for Non-Discriminatory State Taxation," was just published as part of a roundtable put together by the Vanderbilt Law Review En Banc. The essay analyzes the meaning of tax discrimination under the dormant Commerce Clause and cautions the Court against adopting an overbroad standard that would conflict with states' historic taxing autonomy.The piece can be found at http://www.vanderbiltlawreview.org/content/articles/2014/11/Comptroller-v.-Wynne-and-the-Futile-Search-for-Non-Discriminatory-State-Taxation.pdf.
Medill elected a fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel
27 Oct 2014
Colleen Medill has been elected a fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel in recognition of her sustained outstanding performance in the law profession. She is the first fellow from Nebraska and was inducted during the counsel's 15th annual dinner and ceremony Oct. 25 in Washington, D.C.
The ACEBC was established in 2000 to recognize the nation’s leading experts in the field of employee benefits law. Election as a fellow is the highest form of professional recognition in the employee benefits law field. Selection is based on proof of a sustained commitment to the development and pursuit of public awareness and understanding of the law of employee benefits through such activities as writing, speaking, participating in public policy analysis, public education or public service for at least twenty years.
At UNL, Medill teacher an employee benefits law course using her textbook, "Introduction to Employee Benefits Law: Policy and Practice," (West Academic, fourth edition, 2014). The textbook is being used in more than 40 law schools in the United States.
Medill is the author of numerous law school articles on employee benefits topics and is a frequent speaker at national conferences on current trends in employee benefits law.
Moberly Re-Appointed to OSHA Committee
23 Oct 2014
Secretary of Labor, Thomas Perez, re-appointed Professor Richard Moberly to a two-year term on the OSHA Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee. The Committee advises, consults with and makes recommendations to the secretary of labor and the assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health on ways to improve the fairness, efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's whistleblower protection programs.