The Marvin and Virginia Schmid Law Library has undergone a significant transformation. The newly reopened space includes two state-of-the-art classrooms, new study rooms, spaces for community gathering and collaboration, more accessible library faculty offices, a beautiful new wellness room and more.
The project would not have been possible without generous private contributions.
The Marvin and Virginia Schmid Foundation provided a leadership gift for the project. Phyllis Acklie and her late husband Duane Acklie provided generous support through the Acklie Charitable Foundation. Another Nebraska Law alumnus, Herb Friedman, supported the project as well.
The Marvin and Virginia Schmid Law Library was dedicated in honor of Marvin and Virginia on October 28, 1992, to recognize their commitment to excellence and years of support for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the College of Law.
Both Marvin and Virginia were graduates of Nebraska; Marvin earned an undergraduate degree in 1933 and a juris doctor in 1935, while Virginia earned her undergraduate degree in 1937.
They recognized the importance of the College of Law and the law library to the overall success of the legal profession in Nebraska. Their permanently endowed support for the Schmid Law Library includes support for the Reading Room, which is named in loving memory of their son, Brian Schmid.
The Schmid Foundation supports the College of Law in numerous other ways, including gifts to scholarships, agricultural law related programs, the Schmid Clinic Building and more.
The Acklie family is another iconic Nebraska family that continues to show their generosity to the College of Law.
Duane Acklie received his undergraduate degree from Nebraska in 1953 and a juris doctor in 1955. During his time at Nebraska Law, Duane was a student worker in the law library and understood its importance to the College.
Phyllis and Duane’s son-in-law, Jeff Schumacher, ’82, and granddaughter Halley Kruse, ’14, are also proud alumni of the College. Through the Acklie Charitable Foundation, they have continued to show strong support for the College and its work.
In recognition of their support, the new student commons on the lower level has been named in their honor. The Acklie Family Student Commons serves as an important hub for student activity and interaction. This vibrant space is a place where students learn how to debate respectfully, listen graciously, and speak thoughtfully.
Phyllis Acklie also generously supported a space that highlights the outstanding career of the Honorable Norman Krivosha, ’58. The former Chief Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court and his many contributions to Nebraska are featured in a display on the north side of the main level.
Herb Friedman, who received his undergraduate degree in 1959 and a juris doctor in 1960, also chose to recognize another through his contributions. The Friedman Law Research Instruction Room is dedicated to Darrel F. Parker, a client of the firm. In 2011, Herb and his son Daniel Friedman filed a claim under the Nebraska Wrongful Conviction and Imprisonment Act on behalf of Parker. The next year, the State of Nebraska issued a declaration of innocence to Parker, and the state attorney general publicly declared that Parker had been wrongly convicted. More than 50 years after being convicted for a murder he did not commit, Parker was pardoned, and the state agreed to pay him the maximum allowed under the law.
Several additional spaces make the renovated library a truly remarkable space for students.
A highlight of the main level is the new wellness room, complete with a living wall of greenery. The wellness room is intended to be a place of respite for College of Law faculty, staff and students. While wellness means different things to different people, the space allows everyone to breathe, reflect and recover from the stresses of the day. Regular wellness programming including yoga and guided meditation is scheduled throughout the year and student organizations are encouraged to use the space for their wellness-related activities.
Also on the main level, the College honors one of its most esteemed graduates, Ted Sorensen, ’51. Sorensen was a speechwriter, lawyer, political strategist and trusted advisor on everything from election tactics to foreign policy. He is widely recognized for his work with the John F. Kennedy Administration. His words are a wonderful reminder and inspiration for our students.
Throughout the main and lower levels, additional individual and group study rooms have been added, as well as podcast and video conferencing suites. The main level has also been reconfigured to allow for more collaborative study spaces and brings the offices of the law librarians close to students. Standing desks and booth spaces offer variety in student studying options.
The entire lower level, including the stairway, has been opened to allow natural light in and make it a more welcoming space. Adorning the stairwell wall is a beautiful reproduction of “Getting There From Here” by Nebraska artist and friend of the College, Nadine McHenry.
The two new classrooms on the library’s lower level provide much needed instructional space as class sizes continue to grow. One of these classrooms allows extreme flexibility with the use of modular furniture and multi-screen displays that adjust to a variety of teaching pedagogies.
The College of Law is grateful for the generous donors whose vision and support brought the project to life. The renovation of the Marvin and Virginia Law Library has allowed the College to move from a bookcentric view of the legal education enterprise to a perspective that encompasses all the ways people gather information in the modern world. This was done by creating more comfortable and accommodating places for students to learn, develop and interact.