Nebraska Law Students Study at Xi'an Jiaotong University in China
17 Jun 2019
Fifteen University of Nebraska College of Law students, one Indiana University School of Law student, and one Southern Methodist University School of Law student recently returned from a study abroad trip at Xi’an Jiaotong University in Xi’an, China and the Chinese University of Political Science and Law in Beijing, China. Dean Richard Moberly accompanied the group and Professor Harvey Perlman coordinated the trip with support from Hanban, the Chinese agency that sponsors Confucius Institutes around the world including at Nebraska.
The for-credit course occurred during the summer pre-session so that students were able to participate in the trip and return to the United States for other summer work experiences.
“Three days after my last final, I boarded a plane, quickly forgot about a tough year of law school, and immersed myself in the heart of China,” said Dave Fuxa, Nebraska Law 3L.
The course in Comparative Chinese Law included daily lectures from Chinese professors, as well as Professor Perlman and Dean Moberly. Students also attended lectures on Chinese economics and culture.
“In the mornings we attended lectures on comparative law, and in the afternoons we were guided to cultural heritage sites in and around Xi’an and Beijing. I witnessed first-hand the colorful and impressive Chinese history and culture.”
Students were given a special tour of the People’s Court and the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. Judges from the Court and Standing Committee members led the tour and spent time with the students discussing the differences in Chinese and American legal processes.
“I was surprised both in how much I knew and how much I learned. The trip was a great extension of our International Perspectives course and a great supplement to upper level comparative law courses.”
Ruser Re-Appointed to Access to Justice Commission
13 Jun 2019
Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Heavican has re-appointed Professor Kevin Ruser, ’79, as a member of the Access to Justice Commission for a four-year term. The purpose of the Commission is to “promote the Nebraska Supreme Court’s goal of providing equal access to swift, fair justice for all Nebraskans regardless of income, race, ethnicity, gender, disability, age or language.”
The 24-member Nebraska Access to Justice Commission brings together representatives from all three branches of government, as well as community members, attorneys and legal organizations, educators, and representatives from organizations serving low-income Nebraskans and those with disabilities.
Professor Stefanie Pearlman is also an inaugural member of the Commission. Pearlman’s term expires in 2021.
Nebraska Law alumni serving on the Commission include:
Justice Stephanie Stacy, '91
Judge Roger Heideman, '92
Amie Martinez, '94
Carole McMahon-Boies, '82
Judge Frankie Moore, '83
Joe Nigro, '83
Jose Soto, '84
Judge Derek Vaughn, '99
More information about the Commission, including a full list of members is available at: https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/access-justice-commission.
Shavers to Serve as Acting Dean
03 Jun 2019
Professor Anna Shavers will serve as acting dean of the College of Law while Richard Moberly serves as the interim executive vice chancellor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Shavers is the Cline Williams Professor of Citizenship Law and associate dean for diversity and inclusion for the college. She joined Nebraska Law faculty in 1989.
Lengeling Named Fellow in Rural Summer Legal Corps
22 May 2019
Second-year law student Tessa Lengeling is one of 30 law students nationwide to be named a Summer Fellow in the Rural Summer Legal Corps, a joint program of Equal Justice Works and Legal Services Corporation.
Lengeling joins other public interest law students in addressing pressing legal issues facing rural communities in the areas of housing, domestic violence, public benefits, migrant farmworkers, tribal, and family law.
During the Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellowship, Lengeling will be hosted at Iowa Legal Aid, where she will provide legal assistance to clients in the areas of domestic abuse, custody disputes, evictions, foreclosures, utility shut-offs, expungements, community economic development, and consumer matters.
Shoemaker Serves as Program Chair for the Association of Law, Property, and Society Annual Meeting
16 May 2019
Professor Jessica Shoemaker is the Program Chair for the 10th Annual Meeting of the Association of Law, Property, and Society (ALPS). In addition to organizing the meeting, Shoemaker will also present as part of the “Indigenous Property Rights in North America,” plenary panel.
The annual ALPS meeting includes presentations from more than 150 property scholars from around the globe. This year, the meeting also includes a field trip to the sacred and sovereign homelands for the Oneida Indian Nation in central New York. Oneida leaders and lawyers will provide a tour and engage in conversation about the history of the Nation, its legal challenges, and their ongoing plans and initiatives related to land-based sovereign revitalization and economic development.
During Shoemaker’s panel presentation, she will build on the field trip experience and share her work on Indigenous land tenure issues.
ALPS is a membership organization for scholars doing interdisciplinary legal scholarship on all aspects of property law and policy. The organization seeks to encourage dialogue across disciplines and among those who are interested in property law, policy, and theory.
Shoemaker is a member of the ALPS Board of Directors, serving from 2018 through 2021.
Moberly Awarded the Warren K. Urbom Mentor Award
14 May 2019
Dean Richard Moberly received the Robert Van Pelt American Inn of Court mentoring award – the Warren K. Urbom Mentor Award.
This award is presented annually to a Nebraska judge or attorney in appreciation for his or her contributions to the ideals of ethics, civility, professionalism, and legal skills. The award is named after Warren K. Urbom, a Senior United States District Judge for the District of Nebraska. Judge Urbom sponsored the creation of the Robert Van Pelt American Inn of Court and served as its administrator for 15 years. Judge Urbom was the first recipient of the award, which was presented to him on April 24, 2002, in recognition of his "example in and out of the courtroom as a person, lawyer and judge, making us strive to be the best we can be in how we think, speak, write and represent our profession."
Moberly is 18th recipient of this award. A list of past recipients is available on the American Inn of Court website.
Richart, '06, Joins Military Spouse JD Network
08 May 2019
Michelle Richart, '06, has joined the Military Spouse JD Network (MSJDN) as the organization's community and events director for the 2019-2020 year.
The MSJDN is a volunteer-run organization dedicated to supporting military families in the legal profession. An active Board of Directors oversees all of MSJDN’s programs and engagements that are then put into action by our committee leadership.
Michelle is a native of Nebraska and a proud Cornhusker. She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Law and is licensed in the State of Texas. Michelle works as corporate counsel for a software company and also practices immigration law, leveraging technology to work remotely for nearly a decade. Michelle was recently selected to become a member of the Air Force Reserves JAG Corp and is looking forward to a new challenge and serving in another capacity. She is a fierce advocate for military spouses and helped pass licensing accommodations for military spouse attorneys in Nevada in 2018. Michelle’s husband is a pilot in the Air Force and they are currently based at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Together they have two children, Piper and Pierce. In her free time, Michelle enjoys traveling, yoga, and roller derby.
Wall Awarded the 2019 Koley Jessen Entrepreneurship Award
07 May 2019
The Weibling Entrepreneurship Clinic has selected Amanda Wall as the 2019 Koley Jessen Entrepreneurship Award recipient.
Wall graduated last week with the Class of 2019. During her time at Nebraska Law, Wall was auction chair and president of the Women's Law Caucus, a 1L client counseling competition champion, a member of the Community Legal Education Project and the Nebraska Moot Court Board, and she prepared tax returns for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. She was a student attorney in the Weibling Entrepreneurship Clinic during the fall semester.
The Koley Jessen Entrepreneurship Award was established to recognize Weibling Entrepreneurship Clinic students who have demonstrated exceptional legal skills, provided outstanding service to clients and furthered the mission of the Clinic. The firm was founded in 1988 with a vision of creating an environment that would foster trust and teamwork. Through the years, their guiding principles of integrity, client focus, and integrity have created the environment they envisioned years ago. Don Swanson, a partner in that firm, was instrumental in creating the endowed fund for this award.
Eight Selected for Order of the Barristers
06 May 2019
Eight graduates from the Class of 2019 have been selected for the University of Nebraska College of Law chapter of Order of the Barristers, a national honorary that recognizes students for their outstanding participation and performance as student advocates. These students have participated in Nebraska Law's advocacy programming, including trial team, moot court competitions, and the Advocacy in Mediation competition, among others.
The students selected are: Kelsey Arends, Ryan Coufal, Paul Henderson, Nathan Klein, Adam Kost, Maureen Larsen, Claire Monroe, and Chris Page.
Moberly Named Interim Executive Vice Chancellor
06 May 2019
Dean Richard Moberly has been named interim executive vice chancellor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Chancellor Ronnie Green announced the appointment May 2. Moberly is replacing Donde Plowman who was named chancellor of the University of Tennessee on April 26. Moberly will assume the role of the executive vice chancellor on June 1.
“Richard is widely respected on campus and across higher education,” Green said. “He understands our university and is an experienced and decisive leader. I’m excited that Richard has agreed to step into this role because I know he’s going to do a great job.”
Moberly, who is the Richard C. and Catherine S. Schmoker Professor of Law, has taught at Nebraska since 2004 and was named dean in April 2017. He has also served the college as interim dean and associate dean.
“I am looking forward to working with Chancellor Green, my fellow deans and the terrific staff in academic affairs to continue the momentum of the university during the search for a new EVC,” Moberly said. “Of course, I will miss being at the College of Law every day, but I know it is in great hands. I look forward to returning to my role when a permanent EVC is on board."
As part of the interim transition, oversight of the Office of Research and Economic Development, Student Affairs, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion will shift to the chancellor.
Nebraska’s executive vice chancellor reports directly to the chancellor and is the responsible authority in the absence of the chancellor. The post directs the university’s academic enterprise and oversees the university’s nine colleges, graduate studies and the University Libraries.
In addition to teaching evidence and employment law courses, Moberly is an active scholar who researches issues related to whistleblowing and the law of secrecy. He has published numerous articles and book chapters on whistleblowing, including research on national security whistleblowers and codes of ethics, as well as an empirical study of Sarbanes-Oxley retaliation claims.
He has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives, spoken internationally on whistleblower protection, and also co-edited The International Handbook on Whistleblower Research (2014). The U.S. Secretary of Labor has twice appointed Moberly to the Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Upperclass law students have voted Moberly “Professor of the Year” twice and he has also won the College Award for Distinguished Teaching. In 2014, the College of Law Alumni Council presented him with the Distinguished Faculty Award. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.
Leading Voice on Criminal Justice Reform and Former Prosecutor to Address Class of 2019
29 Apr 2019
The College of Law will conduct a commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 4 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th St. Doors open at 1 p.m. Adam Foss, founder and executive director of Prosecutor Impact, will address the graduates.
Adam J. Foss is a former Assistant District Attorney in the Juvenile Division of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office (SCDAO) in Boston, MA, and a fierce advocate for criminal justice reform, with a particular emphasis on redefining the role of the prosecutor to help end mass incarceration. To further these ends, Foss founded Prosecutor Impact, an advocacy organization that develops training and curriculum for prosecutors to reframe their role in the criminal justice system.
Foss believes prosecution is ripe for reinvention, requiring better incentives and more measurable metrics for success beyond “cases won.” This was the topic of his 2016 TED Talk, which has been viewed over two million times.
During his nine years as a prosecutor, Foss collaborated with the courts and the community to develop programs that continue to have a positive impact on distressed neighborhoods in the Boston area. Before leaving the District Attorney’s Office, Foss helped pioneer the first juvenile diversion program in Suffolk County, keeping young people out of the cradle-to-prison pipeline.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in developmental biology and embryology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 2002 and a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 2008.
The public is invited to attend the commencement ceremony. No ticket is required.
Berger Teaches "Law School for Everyone: Constitutional Law" for The Great Courses Series of On-Demand Digital Courses
26 Apr 2019
The Great Courses has released Professor Eric Berger’s course, Law School for Everyone: Constitutional Law. The course, which includes 12 video lectures, is available on DVD or by digital download. The accompanying course guidebook is 120 pages and includes photographs, illustrations and suggested course readings.
Students will:
- Consider how the U.S. Constitution allocates power to federal and state governments
- Untangle the complex legal battles over hot-button issues, including same-sex marriage and abortion
- Investigate how the Commerce Clause was used during the New Deal to expand the powers of Congress
- Learn how different Supreme Court justices approached seminal constitutional cases
- Understand how to read the U.S. Constitution with an eye to how its language can be interpreted and misinterpreted
Additional information, including a full course description, is available at https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/law-school-for-everyone-constitutional-law.html.
The Great Courses is a collection of video and audio lectures produced and distributed by The Teaching Company. The courses are designed to be engaging, immersive learning experiences, with no exams, no homework assignments and no prerequisites. Of the more than 500,000 college professors in the world, only the top 1% are selected to teach one of The Great Courses. The esteemed faculty includes award-winning experts and professors from the most respected institutions in the world, selected by customers exclusively for their ability to teach.
Leiter Publishes Updated Book
26 Apr 2019
Professor Richard Leiter’s updated book National Survey of State Laws (NSSL) is now available. The new edition includes four years of updates for every chapter, and new content for:
- Interest rates
- Seat belt laws
- Restrictive convenants in employment
- Child support guidelines
- Domestic violence
- Bullying
- Civil shoplifting
- Food laws
- Medical records
Now in its eighth edition, National Survey of State Laws is a print and online resource that provides an overall view of some of the most-asked about and controversial legal topics in the United States. This database is derived from Leiter’s National Survey of State Laws print editions. Presented in chart format, NSSL allows users to make basic state-by-state comparisons of current state laws. The database is updated regularly as new laws are passed or updated.
Bakken, ’19, and Seim, ’19, Receive Student Award for Outstanding Impact through Pro Bono Service
16 Apr 2019
Dylan Bakken, ’19, and Shannon Seim, ’19, are the 2019 co-recipients of the Student Award for Outstanding Impact through Pro Bono Service.
Each year, as part of the Pro Bono Initiative, a student is recognized for their commitment to pro bono service while at the College of Law. The impact may be measured by reviewing a single act or project, or multiple acts or projects performed by the student during his or her enrollment at the College of Law. The selection committee takes into consideration not only the total number of pro bono hours performed, but also the overall impact the pro bono work has had on the community and underserved populations.
Dylan Bakken’s outstanding efforts in pro bono include significant work on two important projects, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the South Dakota Teen Court (SDTC). Dylan devoted his weekends, free time during the week, and most of his spring break to help the underprivileged and students prepare their tax returns through the VITA program. After realizing a large portion of the students were non-resident immigrants, he took the initiative to become certified in preparing international tax forms to ensure this population was equally served. The South Dakota Teen Court is a criminal deferral program that involves a mock court proceeding and community service. If the teen completes the program, their charges are dismissed and they are given an opportunity for a fresh start. Dylan’s work with the SDTC involved serving as a judge to administer the proceedings and as a consultant to help the teen prosecutor or defense counsel prepare for the proceeding. Through his work in these two programs, Dylan reported a combined 200+ pro bono hours during his time at the College of Law.
During her time at the College of Law, Shannon Seim served as a volunteer and Chair of the CLEP program—organizing events, covering multiple shifts, and always being willing to fill in when gaps arose. Shannon also designed and initiated the THRIVE Project and recruited twenty-eight other student volunteers and four faculty to facilitate presentations on landlord-tenant law for refugee and immigrant students in Omaha high schools. Shannon also served as a member and later co-chair of the Equal Justice Society and organized numerous events to raise money for non-profit organizations and the Nebraska Public Interest Law Fund (NPILF). In addition, Shannon spent her summers working for Legal Aid of Nebraska, serving Nebraska’s poor. As one of her nominators shared, “Shannon’s passion for pro bono work is contagious and the pro bono work she has done in her 3 years at the College of Law has impacted many individuals.”
College of Law to Host NASA Research Conference
04 Apr 2019
In September 2018, the University of Nebraska received a $250,000 NASA Space Law grant to create a nationwide network of students, faculty and practitioners interested in space law and policy. As part of that grant, this weekend April 6-7, Nebraska Law will host a student and new scholar space law workshop, focused on research, writing, and publication.
“The key objective of the Space Law Network is to implement a system to support, educate and provide opportunities to law students across the country interested in space law and policy.” said Elsbeth Magilton, executive director of the Space, Cyber and Telecommunications Law program in the University of Nebraska College of Law. “We hope that every attendee walks away from the weekend with an idea and a research plan their work. Ultimately we hope to see a notable increase in new scholarship in space law in the coming years after the workshop.”
The workshop will feature a mix of sessions detailing the international and domestic foundations of space law, including multiple practice focus areas, while highlighting holes in current policy or scholarship ripe for discussion. The workshop will also include working sessions, dedicated to developing topics and outlines, and sessions on legal research and “how-to” publish in a variety of forums.
2019 Edition of Lenich's Book Published
01 Apr 2019
Thomson Reuters (West) published the 2019 edition of Professor John Lenich’s book, Nebraska Civil Procedure. The book has nearly 1500 pages of text and provides an in-depth analysis of the procedural rules that govern the litigation of a civil action in Nebraska. The 2019 edition includes six new chapters on the right to jury trial, trial procedure, new trial motions, default judgments, voluntary dismissals, and vacating judgments. The existing chapters have also been updated to reflect statutory amendments and cases decided in 2018. The exiting chapters discuss jurisdiction, venue, statutes of limitation, proper parties, joinder, interpleader, intervention, pleading, service, motions to dismiss, interlocutory injunctions, discovery, and an assortment of other topics.
McDowell, '15, Joins Cordell and Cordell
22 Mar 2019
Ms. McDowell earned her Juris Doctor with distinction from the University of Nebraska College of Law.
Prior to joining Cordell & Cordell, Ms. McDowell practiced family law. She is a member of the Nebraska State Bar Association.
Barton Wins Ed Mendrzycki Essay Contest
20 Mar 2019
Kimberly Barton, ’20, is the winner of the 2019 American Bar Association (ABA) Ed Mendrzycki Essay Contest.
The contest encourages original and innovative research and writing in the area of legal malpractice law, professional liability insurance and loss prevention. The 2019 essay hypothetical involved issues of diminished mental capacity and permitted disclosures.
Barton, a native of Bakersfield, Calif., is in her second year at Nebraska College of Law. She is a member of the Allies & Advocates for LGBTQ Equality, Equal Justice Society, Multi-Cultural Legal Society, Student Bar Association and Women’s Law Caucus. In 2018, Barton was named a Summer Fellow in the Rural Summer Legal Corps.
As the winner of the Ed Mendrzycki Essay Contest, Barton will receive a cash prize and a trip to the Spring 2019 National Legal Malpractice Conference in Miami Beach, Fla. in April.
The Ed Mendrzycki Essay Contest is conducted by the ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability and the San Francisco law firm of Long & Levit LLP. The 2019 contest was administered and judged by a subcommittee designated by the ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability. The contest was open to Young Lawyers Division or Law Student Division members of the ABA.
Sayre Selected for Summer Army JAG Internship Program
20 Mar 2019
Hilary Sayre, ’20, has been selected for the Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps Summer Internship Program. Sayre will work at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.
The Army JAG Corps hires approximately 70 second-year law students each summer to work in JAG Corps offices worldwide. JAG Corps interns serve as temporary civil service employees in a variety of legal areas, including criminal law, administrative law, national security law and legal assistance. Army Judge Advocates provide guidance and mentorship to JAG interns throughout the 60-day internship experience.
Sayre, a Texas native, is in her second year at Nebraska College of Law. She is currently completing an externship with the Air Force JAG Office at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha.
Sayre is the sixth Nebraska Law student to participate in the Army JAG Summer Internship Program since 2006.
Leiter Receives the Roy M. Mersky Spirit of Law Library Librarianship Award
20 Mar 2019
Richard Leiter, director of the Schmid Law Library and professor of law, was named the 2019 recipient of the Roy M. Mersky Spirit of Law Librarianship Award.
The Roy M. Mersky Spirit of Law Librarianship Award was established in 1992 and named posthumously in honor of its co-creator and co-founder, Roy Mersky. The award was created in order to give special recognition to individual law librarians engaged in significant acts of charitable work, community involvement or social service.
Leiter is the other co-creator and co-founder of the award. By honoring him as this year’s recipient, the selection committee recognizes Leiter’s behind the scenes efforts and undying support, which has insured that the award continues to prosper and maintains a level of respect enjoyed by few others. Because of this effort and dedication, award winners have received recognition and visibility in the field for work that may otherwise have gone unnoticed.
“We are thrilled that Rich is being honored by his peers,” said Richard Moberly, dean of the University of Nebraska College of Law. “He takes great pride in the profession and invests significant amounts of time towards projects benefitting the profession. This is a perfect example of this dedication.”
Leiter will receive the award at the 2019 AALL Annual Meeting held later this year in Washington, D.C.