BYC App Recognized by Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism
28 Nov 2016
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism emphasizes that “effective lawyering is more than just being able to read and analyze cases.” It is with that emphasis that the Commission has recognized the Build Your Character app and Nebraska Law’s focus on professional development.
The Commission praises the Build Your Character app, the first of its kind at a law school in the United States, saying, “to say it is revolutionary would be an understatement.”
Read the full article: https://www.2civility.org/law-school-develops-build-character-app-students/
Learn more about the Build Your Character program and the supporting mobile app: http://law.unl.edu/build-your-character/
Engelkamp's Article Published by Foundation for Economic Education
08 Nov 2016
Professor Hurwitz asked students in his Law & Economics class to identify a podcast that focuses on a policy issue and submit a piece that considers it from an economic angle. For 3L Alex Engelkamp that issue was the availability of breast milk in our free-market economy.
Engelkamp’s article Why Is There No Market for Breast Milk? was recently published by the Foundation for Economic Education. The article considers the shifts in supply and demand, and the potential political implications of a “milk” market.
Berger Featured in Omaha Daily Record Article
07 Nov 2016
Professor Eric Berger was featured in an Omaha Daily Record article titled, Law Professor Had a Unique Opportunity To Clerk for Not One, but Two Judges Nominated for the Supreme Court. The article disccusses Berger's time at various Courts and private practices before he became a professor at Nebraska Law.
Beard Elected to American Branch of the International Law Association Board of Directors
01 Nov 2016
Professor Jack Beard was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Branch of the International Law Association (ABILA) during the organization’s most recent annual meeting in New York. Prof. Beard has played a prominent role in ABILA activities on the national level for several years and continues to also serve as the Chairman of the Committee on the International Use of Force.
The International Law Association (ILA) was founded in 1873 and is the preeminent international non-governmental organization (NGO) for developing and restating international law. The ILA, headquartered in London, has consultative status as an international NGO with various UN specialized agencies and is organized into forty-five national and regional branches; the American Branch, which was organized in 1922, is one of the largest. Members include government lawyers, individuals working for international organizations and nongovernmental organizations, business people, private practitioners, and academics
Berger's Article Published in Washington Law Review
31 Oct 2016
Professor Eric Berger’s new article, Gross Error, was recently published by the Washington Law Review. The article critiques the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Glossip v. Gross, upholding Oklahoma’s lethal injection protocol. More specifically, the article contends that the Supreme Court’s ruling was premised on various sorts of deference. Upon closer examination, each instance of deference was, at best, highly questionable and, at worst, simply incorrect.
The Woods & Aitken Build Your Character Program on Identity
24 Oct 2016
The Woods & Aitken Build Your Character Program on Identity is scheduled for Wednesday, November 2nd. Jon Krop, the founder of Mindfulness for Lawyers, will present two workshops encouraging the practice of mindfulness. A introductory workshop will be held from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. in the Auditorium, with an advanced mindfulness workshop being held from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Krop graduated from Harvard Law School, cum laude, and Brown University, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. After law school, he clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Krop is an associate at a public-interest law firm in New York City.
Krop has taught mindfulness to partners and associates at Chadbourne & Parke, Dentons, DLA Piper, Foley Hoag, Foley & Lardner, Kirkland & Ellis, Nixon Peabody, Sidley Austin, Sullivan & Cromwell, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. He teaches a mindfulness workshop every semester at Harvard Law School. He has also taught at Brooklyn Law School, NYU, and General Electric.
Krop has practiced mindfulness for over a decade and has studied with teachers from around the world, including the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan master Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and western teachers Gerardo Abboud, Elisha Goldstein, PhD, Trudy Goodman, PhD, and John Yates, PhD. Krop has sat numerous meditation retreats, including a seven-month silent retreat with meditation master and neuroscientist John Yates.
Civil Clinic Students Participate in Project Homeless Connect
21 Oct 2016
Six senior-certified law students from the Civil Clinical Law Program volunteered at Project Homeless Connect on Thursday October 20, 2016. Project Homeless Connect is a one day event to promote awareness and provide services to the Lincoln homeless community. Law students helped guests with general legal questions, background checks, and drafting petitions to set-aside past criminal convictions. Students connected with more than 30 guests and drafted 11 set-aside petitions for filing in 4 different counties. Professor Sullivan, who supervised the program, thought the event was an all around success, "The students provided a valuable service to individuals in need while gaining experience applying the knowledge and skills acquired in law school." Coordinating the program were students Anna Rempel and Sara Berggren, who run the Clinic's Criminal Set-aside Project. Working the booth with them were students Adam Kauffman and Christine Seck from the Clinic's Veterans Advocacy Project and Jaclyn Klintoe and Mariana Moguel from the Clinic's Pro Bono Project.
Sullivan’s Article Published in the Nebraska Law Review
20 Oct 2016
Assistant Professor Ryan Sullivan’s article Stolen Profits: Civil Shoplifting Demands and the Misuse of Neb. Rev. Stat. § 21,194 has been published by the Nebraska Law Review. Professor Sullivan co-authored the article with recent law graduates Daniel Gutman and Chris Schmidt. The article reveals systematic abuse by retailers and debt collectors in their attempts to collect “civil penalties” from those accused of shoplifting – in addition to criminal sanctions already imposed. The practice has developed into a multi-million dollar industry that preys on minorities and the disadvantaged. The article suggests changes to the law that would curb the abuse and improve judicial oversight.
Berger Weighs in on Nebraska Death Penalty
19 Oct 2016
At a recent press conference Professor Eric Berger, along with State Senator Colby Coash, spoke on behalf of Retain A Just Nebraska, an organization advocating for the end of the Nebraska death penalty.
Media coverage is available below.
Nebraska Law Named Nation’s Best Value
13 Oct 2016
For the second year in a row, the University of Nebraska College of Law is the No. 1 best-value law school in the nation.
The National Jurist, which along with its sister publication preLaw magazine is the leading news source in legal education, released its best-value rankings this week. The publication again tapped Nebraska with its top ranking -- this year, Nebraska Law led a list of 58 "best-value" law schools.
The university also was tops in the nation last year. It was No. 2 in 2014.
“This ranking takes into consideration the factors that should be given the most weight by prospective students: bar passage rates, employment rates and the cost of receiving the education,” said Richard Moberly, Nebraska's interim law dean. “At Nebraska Law, we provide an educational experience that focuses on developing the skills necessary to pursue a professional legal career in today’s world.”
Those skills range from the more traditional ones associated with legal training – analytical thinking, research and writing – as well as what some consider "soft" skills like empathy, negotiation, listening and networking, Moberly said.
“We believe this holistic approach sets Nebraska Law apart and better prepares our students for a wide range of career paths that they are free to pursue because they leave with a manageable debt load,” he said.
The methodology behind the ranking takes into account bar passage rate, true tuition costs, post-graduation employment rate, cost of living and average indebtedness. The employment rate is weighted heaviest in the calculation.
In March, U.S. News & World Report also ranked Nebraska Law No. 57 of 149 law schools. In four years, the college has climbed 32 spots in those annual rankings.
Written by: Steve Smith, University Communications
The Build Your Character Program on Planning and Organizing Featuring Debbie Foster
06 Oct 2016
The Build Your Character Program on Planning and Organizing is scheduled for Tuesday, October 18th. Debbie Foster, a nationally recognized thought leader on efficiency and innovation in professional legal organizations, will present a series of programs at the College of Law.
“Communication Breakdown, It's Always the Same (But It's Avoidable)”
October 18 | 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Room 113
“Power of Process - Why and How to Put Process into Your Daily Tasks”
October 18 | 12:10-1:15 p.m.
Auditorium
“Carpe Diem - Seize Opportunities to Make Change (aka How to be a Good Leader)”
October 18 | 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Room 113
“Keeping Your Clients Happy and Coming Back for More - Defining Value In Your Firm”
October 18 | 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Room 113
Foster’s 20+ years of experience, and mix of strategic management and strong leadership skills, has enabled her to develop a unique ability to work with law firms and legal departments to help them navigate the ever-changing legal services delivery landscape.
Foster has been working with law firms and legal departments since 1995, originally implementing software solutions ranging from practice management and time/billing/accounting to document management. This quickly led to her helping solve general law office management issues. It became abundantly clear that in addition to helping clients with their software and technology, what was really needed was help thinking about one’s firms and departments like a business, and running them accordingly.
Foster is very active in the Law Practice Division of the American Bar Association, and is currently serving on the Publication Board. She was the Chair of ABA TECHSHOW 2010 and remains very active in TECHSHOW. Foster is also very active in Local and State Bar Associations as well as the Association of Legal Administrators, and she regularly speaks on topics relating to technology, management, finance and marketing of a law firm.
Rank, '99, Appointed to South Dakota's Sixth Judicial Circuit
06 Oct 2016
Bobbi Rank, '99, was appointed as a circuit judge in South Dakota's Sixth Judicial Circuit by Gov. Dennis Daugaard.
Rank and her family will relocate to her hometown of Winner to succeed Judge Kathleen Trandahl, who is retiring later this week. The Sixth Circuit includes Bennett, Gregory, Haakon, Hughes, Hyde, Jackson, Jones, Lyman, Mellette, Potter, Stanley, Sully, Todd and Tripp counties.
For the past five years, Rank has served as general counsel to the South Dakota Department of Education. Prior to that, she served for eight years as an assistant attorney general in the offices of Attorneys General Larry Long and Marty Jackley. Rank also spent three years in private practice at May, Adam, Gerdes & Thompson in Pierre, and was a law clerk for the Sixth Judicial Circuit.
Nebraska Law Named #45 Best Law School by Business Insider
15 Sep 2016
The University of Nebraska College of Law has been named the #45 best law school by Business Insider.
"The Business Insider rankings provide a unique perspective on law schools because of its emphasis on educational outcomes, such as bar passage and employment rates," said Interim Dean Richard Moberly." Nebraska Law students shine in those areas, which reflects well on the education they receive here."
The publication’s methodology takes into account employment statistics, bar passage rate, tuition cost and median LSAT score, placing the highest weight on employment outcomes.
See the full list of best law schools here: http://www.businessinsider.com/best-law-schools-us-2016-7.
Hotz, '94, Designated Lawrence Lasser 2016 Tax Judge of the Year
14 Sep 2016
Rob Hotz, '94, has been designated the Lawrence Lasser 2016 Tax Judge of the Year by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the National Conference of State Tax Judges. Hotz has served on the Planning Committee of the National Conference of State Tax Judges for each of the last seven years. The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is an independent, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to help solve global economic, social, and environmental challenges to improve the quality of life through creative approaches to the use, taxation, and stewardship of land. The National Conference of State Tax Judges meets annually to review recent state tax decisions, consider methods of dealing with complex tax and valuation disputes, and share experiences in case management.
Hotz was reappointed by Governor Pete Ricketts to continue to serve as the First Congressional District Commissioner for the Tax Equalization & Review Commission until January 1, 2022. Hotz graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 1994. He is also a member of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary.
The 2016 Lane Lecture Featuring Professor Eugene Volokh
14 Sep 2016
On Tuesday, September 27th from 12:10-1:15 p.m., the 2016 Lane Lecture will feature Professor Eugene Volokh presenting "Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom in American Universities".
Are freedom of speech and academic freedom in real danger at modern American universities? What are the legal rules protecting campus speech, and the limits on those rules? This lecture will canvass the subject in detail.
Professor Volokh is the Gary T. Schwartz Distinguished Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law. Volokh teaches free speech law, tort law, religious freedom law, church-state relations law, and a First Amendment amicus brief clinic at UCLA School of Law, where he has also often taught copyright law, criminal law, and a seminar on firearms regulation policy. Before joining the faculty at UCLA, he clerked for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the U.S. Supreme Court and for Judge Alex Kozinski on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Blankley's Article Published in Creighton Law Review
14 Sep 2016
Associate Professor Kristen Blankley’s article The Ethics and Practice of Drafting Pre-Dispute Resolution Clauses has been published by the Creighton Law Review. This Article is part of a larger symposium on ethics for transactional lawyers. The Article considers lawyers’ ethical duty to advise clients of ADR options even before disputes occur, and the Article gives practical advice on how to draft an effective ADR clause.
Lepard to Unveil “Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the World’s Religions” in Montreal on September 15
09 Sep 2016
On Thursday, September 15, 2016 Professor Brian Lepard will help unveil a “Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the World’s Religions” at a major conference held at the Palais des Congrès in Montreal, Canada. The conference is entitled “Third Global Conference on World’s Religions After September 11.” The program for the conference, including Professor Lepard’s unveiling of the Universal Declaration, is available online.
Speakers at the conference will include influential experts and activists in the field of world religions and interreligious dialogue, such as Dr. Arvind Sharma of McGill University, who is convening the conference; Deepak Chopra; Sri Sri Ravi Shankar; Dr. Harvey Cox; Dr. Karen Armstrong; Dr. Susannah Heschel; and Dr. Charles Taylor.
The Universal Declaration is intended to complement the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948. The objective of the new document is to articulate a common religious perspective on human rights that emphasizes the positive contribution that religions and their followers can make to the full realization of human rights. Nobel Peace Prize laureates His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Madam Shirin Ebadi, Bishop Belo of Timor-Leste, and Professor Elie Wiesel are patrons of the project for a Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the World’s Religions.
Professor Lepard assisted in drafting the document, along with many other scholars and religious leaders. He was interviewed last year about the current status of human rights and the world’s religions.
Professor Lepard is the author of numerous books and articles on international law, human rights, world religions, and ethics, including Hope for a Global Ethic: Shared Principles in Religious Scriptures (Bahá’í Publishing, 2005), Customary International Law: A New Theory with Practical Applications (Cambridge University Press, 2010), and Reexamining Customary International Law (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming 2016).
UPDATE:
On Thursday, September 15, 2016 Professor Brian Lepard helped unveil a “Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the World’s Religions” at a major conference held at the Palais des Congrès in Montreal, Canada.
In unveiling the Declaration, Professor Lepard declared before a crowd of about 500 attendees: “This new declaration is proposed not as a replacement for the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights [of 1948], which has played such an important role, but rather as a complement to it. Its purpose is to articulate a common religious perspective on human rights that emphasizes the positive contribution that religions and their followers can make to the full realization of human rights.” A video of the conference presentations, including Professor Lepard’s presentation during the afternoon, can be found here (the introduction to his talk begins at 45:30). The text of Professor Lepard's remarks is also available.
Nobel Peace Prize laureates His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Madam Shirin Ebadi, Bishop Belo of Timor-Leste, and Professor Elie Wiesel are all patrons of the project for a Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the World’s Religions, and Madame Ebadi delivered a message to the conference by video.
From left to right: Professor Brian Lepard, Dr. Daniel Cere, Dr. Arvind Sharma, Dr. Vivian-Lee Nyitray, and Dr. Amir Hussain, principal drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the World’s Religions
Professor Lepard assisted in drafting the document, along with many other scholars and religious leaders. While in Montreal, he was interviewed about the document by Montreal radio station Radio Ville Marie in French as part of an hour-long program on the conference. During the interview, Professor Lepard discussed the significance of September 11, 2001 in regard to religions and human rights, why a Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the World’s Religions is necessary and relevant, and some of the unique features of the declaration that distinguish it from the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A recording of the program, which was broadcast on September 25, can be found here.
Nebraska Law Community Participates in Lincoln Paint-a-Thon
25 Aug 2016
On Saturday, August 20, 2016, Nebraska Law students, faculty, and staff helped paint four houses for disabled and/or low-income elderly Lincoln residents as part of the Lincoln Paint-a-Thon. In total, fifteen professors, nine administrators, three staff members and over 100 students participated in the event.
BuildUP Nebraska, a local non-profit organization and Nebraska Law Entrepreneurship Clinic client, presented the Lincoln Paint-a-Thon.
The Gradwohl Family Build Your Character Program on Cultural Competency Featuring Dr. Arin Reeves
22 Aug 2016
On Wednesday, September 7th from 12:10-1:00 p.m., the Gradwohl Family Build Your Character Program on Cultural Competency will feature Dr. Arin Reeves presenting "The Next IQ". Dr. Reeves is a leading researcher, author, and advisor in the fields of leadership and inclusion. Her book, "The Next IQ: The Next Generation of Intelligence for 21st Century Leaders", focuses on inclusion, unconscious biases, and bias interrupters and was a best-seller upon its release in January 2012. She has been featured on NPR for her work and is cited often in online and traditional media as an expert in her field.
Following the lecture, Dr. Reeves will facilitate "The Next Step", a workshop to further the understanding of "The Next IQ".
Blankley's Article Accepted by Gonzaga Law Review
16 Aug 2016
Associate Professor Kristen Blankley’s Article, Is A Mediator Like A Bus? How Legal Ethics May Inform The Question of Case Discrimination by Mediators, has been accepted for publication in the Gonzaga Law Review. This Article grapples with the important question of whether mediators can decline appointments on the ethical basis of bias even when the basis for refusing the work is based on a protected classification.