69th Annual Thomas Stinson Allen Moot Court Competition
07 Apr 2015
Daniel Gutman and John Zimmer are the winners of the 69th Annual Thomas Stinson Allen Moot Court Competition. Katherine Hazen and Kathleen Miller finished in second. Kayla Hathcote and Tess Moyer won the Kenneth L. Noha award for the best brief in the competition, and John Zimmer won the Roscoe Pound award for best oral advocacy.
Lyons Teaching at the International Tax Center of the University of Leiden
06 Apr 2015
Richard H. Larson Professor of Tax Law Bill Lyons is teaching an introductory course in United States individual income taxation to tax LL.M. students at the International Tax Center of the University of Leiden in the Netherlands from April 4 through April 18, 2015. The ITC has invited Lyons to teach this course for several years. He has taught an introductory course in United States corporate income taxation in the same program. The ITC students come from many countries, including, this year, Brazil, Venezuela, South Africa, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Columbia, China, and Italy. Lyons also meets with the University of Leiden’s tax faculty at the University’s law school and with members of the European tax community who teach at the ITC.
Moberly's Article Published in ABA Journal Labor and Employment Law
06 Apr 2015
De-Facto Gage Clauses: The Legality of Employment Agreements that Undermine Dodd-Frank's Whistleblower Provisions, an article authored by Nebraska Law professor, Richard Moberly, with Jordan A. Thomas and Jason Mark Zuckerman, has been published by the ABA Journal of Labor and Employment Law. The article discusses the enforceability of increasingly prevalent contractual restrictions on whistleblowing, which the authors label "de facto gag clauses." While no court has yet opined on the legaility of de facto gag clauses in the Dodd-Frank whistleblower context, the article argues that SEC rules and key principles of contract, qui tam, employment and securities law strongly suggest that courts will, and should, refuse to enforce agreements that preclude voluntary cooperation with the SEC or materially diminish the incentives created by Congress to promote SEC whistleblowing.Read the full article.
Dunne, '00, Receives NAFLA Award
03 Apr 2015
Angela Dunne, '00, has been awarded the prestigious Top Ten Attorney Award for the State of Nebraska from the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys (NAFLA). She was awarded this honor because of her hard work and the dedication she has shown in representing family law clients.
Nebraska Law to Host the 9th Annual Spring Space Law Conference
02 Apr 2015
The 9th Annual Spring Online Space Law Conference will be held Friday, April 3, 2015. The Conference titles "Big Sat: Where's it At? Contractual and regulatory Issues of Big Satellite Operators" features Stefan M. Lopatkiewica, General Counsel at Eutelsat American Corp.For more information about the conference and to register, visit: http://law.unl.edu/lincoln-conferences/.
Space Lawyer Featured on Front Page of Wall Street Journal; Schaefer Quoted
01 Apr 2015
Professor Matt Schaefer was quoted in the Wall Street Journal article"'Space Lawyers' Help Startups Navigate the Final Legal Frontier". Schaefer discusses the realness of space law.Read full article.
Faculty Speak on Range of Topics
30 Mar 2015
Professor Eric Berger
Professor Eric Berger presented a paper at a conference about Chief Justice Rehnquist’s legacy entitled “The Rehnquist Court: Ten Years Later" held in Tucson, Arizona. The conference was hosted by the William H. Rehnquist Center on the Constitutional Structures of Government at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. Berger's paper is entitled “The Rehnquist Federalism Revolution and Stealth Constitutional Decision Making.”
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Assistant Professor Kristen Blankley
Assistant Professor Kristen Blankley presented a faculty colloquium on her upcoming paper: A Uniform Theory of Federal Court Jurisdiction Under the Federal Arbitration Act at South Dakota University School of Law. Her paper considers the intersection of arbitration and the federal courts and suggests a simplified and universal jurisdictional test to replace this confusing area of law.
Professor Blankley also testified, in a neutral capacity, before the Nebraska Legislature on Thursday, March 12, 2015, before the Judiciary Committee regarding Legislative Bill 437, a bill that, if passed, would create a presumption of joint legal custody and shared parenting time of at least 35% time for non-custodial parents undergoing a divorce or separation. Professor Blankley testified in her capacity as President of the Nebraska Mediation Association and discussed issues of mediation in child custody cases.
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Assistant Professor Jessica Shoemaker
On March 27, Assistant Professor Jessica Shoemaker participated in a Property Roundtable co-hosted by Tulane Law School and the Tulane University Murphy Institute in New Orleans. The subject of the Roundtable was “Regulating Private and Public Property,” and Shoemaker's panel was called, “Maximizing Social Benefits through Property Law.” Shoemaker was one of eight property law scholars from around the country invited to participate in this fascinating event. She also presented her new paper, Emulsified Property, which analyzes the complex property and sovereignty institutions within modern American Indian reservations through the lens of mixed tenure properties.
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Professor Frans von der Dunk
Professor Frans von der Dunk gave a presentation titled "Transmissions to Extraterrestrials and the Law: Where Do We stand, Where Should We Stand?" at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence workshop on February 14th.
Additionally, Professor von der Dunk co-chaired the annual European Centre of Space Law (ECSL) Practitioners’ Forum in Paris. The theme of the forum was “Space Governance in Europe: Regulation of Space Activities,” focusing on the roles the European Union and member states play in regulating space activity.
Nebraska Law to Host Visiting Researcher
27 Mar 2015
The University of Nebraska College of Law will host Andreas G. Loukakis in the month of April.Loukakis is currently a doctoral candidate and assistant researcher at the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance at the University of Luxembourg. He received a Master of Laws (LL.M) in European Law from the University of Maastricht (Netherlands), in April 2011 and a Law degree from Democritus University of Thrace (Greece), in December 2007. Moreover, he also was a Robert Schuman Scholar in the legal service of the European Parliament in Brussels from March until August 2011.
Since February 2012, Loukakis has been working on a doctoral research project dealing with the liability aspects of space-based services under the supervision of Professor Mahulena Hofmann, SES Chair in Satellite Communications and Media Law at the University of Luxembourg, delving in particular into the non-contractual civil liabilities that could come into play from the operation of the Galileo program, the European Union’s initiative in field of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Loukakis will visit the University of Nebraska College of Law Space, Cyber and Telecommunications Law program, in April of this year. During this visit, he will conduct a part of his research activities for his doctoral project on issues related to responsibility and liability connected to the provision of GPS services, the US corollary to Galileo, taking into account that GPS is operated by the United States’ Department of Defense. For example, in the foreseeable future, GNSS receivers will be expected to be interoperable, meaning that they will be able to receive and exploit signals emitted from both Galileo and GPS.
Nebraska Law Students Place 2nd at International Mediation Tournament Championships
23 Mar 2015
Two Nebraska Law teams competed at the 14th Annual INADR International Mediation Tournament Championships in Des Moines, Iowa on March 20-21, 2015. The tournament featured 28 teams from law schools around the world.Both teams advanced from the field of 28 into the semifinals for their mediation skills. The team of 2Ls John Duggar, Lily Spader and Lyle Wheeler won their semi-final and final rounds, and earned Nebraska Law a second place finish.
In addition to the team honor, John Duggar and Lyle Wheeler both earned individual honors for being the 4th best client/advocate team, and 2L Cory Masi earned the individual honor of 8th best mediator.
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.