Legal Research

Rachel Tomlinson Dick joined the College of Law in 2022 as a Housing Justice Fellow, helping to develop and institute the Housing Justice Clinic in its inaugural year. In 2023, Rachel was named Director of the Housing Justice Clinic, which focuses on serving vulnerable Nebraska families facing housing-related legal issues.

Professor Placzek joined the Schmid Law Library faculty in October 1998 as an Assistant Professor and Reference Librarian. She received her B.A. in Art History from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1986, her J.D. from Creighton University School of Law in 1993, and a Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of Texas-Austin in 1995. Before coming to Nebraska, Professor Placzek worked as the Acquisitions/Reference Librarian at the Drake Law Library.

Professor Pearlman is the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, a professor of law library, and reference librarian. She teaches legal research in the First Year Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research course and serves as the faculty advisor to the Nebraska OUTLaw, Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, Muslim Law Students Association and Disability Law Caucus student groups.  She also runs the Schmid Research Fellowship Program.

Matt Novak is a professor and reference librarian at the Marvin and Virginia Schmid Law Library of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law. Prior to joining the Schmid Law Library, he was an Assistant Public Defender with the Missouri Public Defender System. In addition to his reference duties, Professor Novak co-teaches the legal research component of the First Year Legal Research and Writing Course. He has lectured on legal research and legal information technology issues. Professor Novak received his B.A. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, his J.D.

Richard Leiter is the Director of the Schmid Law Library and Professor of Law. Although he assumed his current position in 2000, he had worked on the UNL law library staff years ago (1986-1988) as Public Services Librarian. He earned his undergraduate degree (with honors) in 1976 from the University of California, Santa Cruz, his J.D. in 1981 from Southwestern University School of Law, where he was an editor of the law review, and his MLIS in 1986 from the University of Texas at Austin.

Sydney Hayes joined the faculty in 2023 as the Assistant Director of the First Amendment Clinic.  Prior to joining the University, she was a commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution associate at Husch Blackwell in Omaha, Nebraska.  She has experience in litigation involving complex constitutional issues and business disputes, among others.  In addition to her work with the University she continues to practice at the Law Office of Daniel Gutman.  Her practice focuses on civil rights, election, and ballot initiative issues.  

Genesis Agosto joined the Schmid Law Library faculty in August 2022 as an Assistant Professor of Law Library and Reference Librarian. She received her B.A. in History and Spanish from DePaul University. She was the first student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to complete the Joint J.D./M.A. in History through the College of Law and the Department of History within the College of Arts and Sciences. She received her M.A. in Library and Information Science from the University of South Florida, School of Library and Information Science.