JDs Advancing Justice Archive

Q&A: Shannon Seim ('19) - Volunteer Lawyers Project

Shannon Seim is a 2019 graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Law. She currently works for the Nebraska State Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyers Project as EVOLVES Program Attorney and Clinic Facilitator. Recently, as part of the National Celebration of Pro Bono, which takes place annually during the last week of October, Shannon answered some questions for JDs Advancing Justice.

Q&A: Carly Beusch ('04) - Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. To learn more about the role lawyers play in combating domestic violence, we reached out to Nebraska College of Law alumnus Carly Beusch, a 2004 graduate. Ms. Beusch works as an Immigration Project Attorney at the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence.

Mauricio with Joe Lurie, Founder & President of the Peggy Browning Fund

2019 National Law Students Workers' Rights Conference

It was a great pleasure to represent the University of Nebraska College of Law at the National Law Students Workers’ Rights Conference. The conference was an amazing opportunity. I met students from law schools across the country and other individuals with a strong commitment to improving the lives of the working people

Nebraska Law Named a Best Value Law School

The University of Nebraska College of Law has been named a “Best Value Law School” by preLaw Magazine, a National Jurist publication. Nebraska Law ranked fourth among law schools nationally. The findings for 2019 take into consideration a number of variables, including employment rate, bar passage rate, price of tuition, cost of living, and average student indebtedness upon graduation.

Captain Jenna Stewart ('18), U.S. Air Force JAG Corps

Public Service Loan Forgiveness: An Overview

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program was created under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 in an effort to encourage more people to pursue a career in public service by offering a path to loan forgiveness. PSLF makes it more tenable for attorneys to work in lower-paying public interest jobs, but even after more than ten years, there continues to be a lot of confusion regarding program requirements.

Why Public Interest Professionals Should Learn (a Little) About Tax Law

The Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, doesn’t sound like a particularly interesting topic to most people, but it’s something everyone working in the public interest field should know about. EITC is a refundable tax credit, meaning that if it exceeds the amount of tax owed, the taxpayer gets a check for the rest of the credit.

Nebraska Law students with Lea Wroblewski, Legal Aid of Nebraska

Nebraska Law Students Provide Legal Services and Guidance at Project Connect Lincoln

On Friday, September 20, College of Law students performed “Legal Triage” at this year’s Project Connect Lincoln at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Project Connect Lincoln is a one-stop shop for veterans and people of limited means to get things like free dental check-ups and haircuts, as well free legal services.

Nichole standing at podium in The Pentagon

My Semester with the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of General Counsel

During the fall semester of my 2L year, I worked at the Pentagon as a legal extern for the United States Department of Defense, Office of General Counsel – International Affairs. Instead of taking classes at the law college, I earned 12 credit hours by learning national security law and policy first-hand while it was being applied to real-world situations.

Three people standing in a courtroom are wearing face masks with the scales of justice and looking at the camera.

A Message for the 1Ls: Don’t Lose Sight of the Reason That You Came

It can be easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees. You’ll need to focus a great deal of energy on your courses and keep your head down much of the time. However, I would encourage you to look up every once in a while to let us remind you of why you are at Nebraska Law.

Ariana outside the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

NPILF Spotlight: Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

2L Ariana Lopez, a California native and 2019 NPILF recipient, spent her summer working with the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office as an unpaid, volunteer law clerk. She plans to work with the office again next summer. Below, Ariana reflects on “the best experience of [her] life.”

Welcome to JDs Advancing Justice

JDs Advancing Justice was created to share the stories of the Nebraska Law students, alumni, and faculty who are dedicated to serving unmet legal needs in communities across the country and, as the name implies, advancing justice, which, as you might expect, can take on many different forms. We hope to educate you by examining the resources that exist to support this type of work, but more importantly, to inspire you by showcasing the incredible achievements and far-reaching impact of those in the Nebraska Law community.