Connect with Law Students

BriAnn Straub

I’m from Scottsbluff, NE and went to undergrad at Chadron State College. I’m interested in a wide range of law such as family law (including adoptions, guardianships, wills & trusts, etc.), criminal law, and juvenile law. I currently work at a firm in Lincoln that allows me to work in each of these areas of law. I’m not sure where I want to practice as an attorney right now, but being from rural Nebraska I am definitely interested in rural practice. I have a passion for poverty law and am currently considering the idea of having a rural practice that focuses on low income clients in the area of family law/ criminal law/ and juvenile law. I would enjoy being a mentor because rural practice is so important in giving people access to legal help. I believe participating in any way to help make people aware of rural practice possibilities is going to be beneficial.

Email: briann.straub@huskers.unl.edu

Nathan Collier

My name is Nathan Collier, and I grew up in western and central Nebraska. I had no intention of going to law school when I began my collegiate career, however during junior year I took a course that intrigued me with the legislature and the law - and here we are now. My legal interests are in family and juvenile law, water law, probate, and alternative dispute resolution. I love animals and currently have two dogs and a bird. I enjoy playing and watching sports, hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting.

Email: ncollier@huskers.unl.edu

Taylor Hayes

I'm originally from Grand Island, Nebraska. I graduated high school with a class of 29 from Grand Island Central Catholic where I played tennis, basketball, soccer, did speech team, and shot trap. From Grand Island I went on to play tennis and soccer at Doane University (in Crete, Nebraska) where I majored in political science (minored in business administration). My current hobbies include working out and finding ways to still play soccer without hurting myself. This past summer I worked for a general practice firm in Lincoln and enjoyed the free coffee. I can assure you I didn't ace the LSAT, and I'm happy to answer any questions you have.

Email: taylor.hayes@huskers.unl.edu

Wil Hupp

My name is Wil Hupp. I grew up in O'Neill, NE. I went to undergrad at UNL and majored in agribusiness while minoring in marketing. Currently, I am a 1L at the Nebraska College of Law. Rural Nebraska is something I feel strongly about. It's where I grew up, and I am really excited to return to it as an attorney some day. I am convinced that attorneys can play a role in preserving this special place by ensuring that property stays in the hands of local families. This could give the younger generation a reason to come back as well.

Email: huppwil@gmail.com

Allison Witcofski

Hello everyone! My name is Allison "Aly" Witcofski and I am currently a first year law student. I was born and raised in the panhandle of Nebraska and am considering going back there upon graduation of my legal education. I am currently involved in UNL Law's Greater Nebraska Connections, where I hold one of the first year executive board positions, Nebraska Entertainment and Sports Law Association, and St. Thomas More Society. I also participate in the law school's intramural activities. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me. As always, Go Huskers!

Email: allison.witcofski@huskers.unl.edu

Melani Hagge

I am a third year law student from Ord, NE. I attended undergrad at University of Nebraska Lincoln and majored in History, Classical Languages, and Classics and Religious Studies. I am currently the President for the Greater Nebraska Connections law club. After graduation I will return to my hometown and work at Stowell, Geweke, & Piskorski law firm. My practice areas will be Estate and Business Planning, Trust Administration, and Real Estate.

Email: melani.hagge@huskers.unl.edu

Tom Chvala

I am originally from rural Holt County, O’Neill, Nebraska and received my undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (’16). I lived in Tampa, Florida for the past year working for Atkinson, Nebraska and UNL grad Gerard Keating in his real estate investment business before returning to Lincoln the summer before law school. I am very enthusiastic about greater Nebraska because I’m from there; I understand the need for great lawyers to assist people with their various legal needs. My mom has been practicing in Holt County since her graduation from Nebraska Law (’84).

Email: tchvala@huskers.unl.edu

Andrew Spader

I grew up on a farm south of Waco, Nebraska, and both sides of my family farm in that area. My goal has always been to end up in a rural community somewhere west of Lincoln and north of Kansas. I earned my undergrad here at UNL where I majored in Ag Business and minored in Agronomy. I used my degree and worked for a year as an agronomist in Edison, Nebraska before coming back to Lincoln for law school.

Email: arspader27@gmail.com

Hannes Zetzsche

Though I don’t hail from rural Nebraska, I am impassioned by the struggle faced by rural Nebraskan youths. I come from a town of about 4,000 on the Oregon coast, and I am one of only two students from my graduating class to pursue graduate school. From a town of wide poverty and unemployment, and poor educational attainment, my classmates and I did not have role models to look up to who had pursued advanced degrees. I know the same is true of many young Nebraskans, some of whom might show real promise in law. I hope to be the example that I never had for those students.

Email: hannes@huskers.unl.edu

Samantha Lowrey

Coming from a small town in rural Oregon I understand the importance of having a reliable and secure infrastructure. I am highly interested in joining an organization that works with rural communities and helps insure that type of legal infrastructure. While I am not a native Nebraskan I am growing to love it and the community that surrounds the UNL campus. Before coming to law school I worked closely with a variety of attorneys in Oregon as a private investigator for fifteen years. I worked both criminal defense and family law cases but the majority of my caseload was criminal defense work. My hope after graduation is to work with the rural communities in Nebraska as a prosecutor.

Email: slowery7@huskers.unl.edu

Jay Linton

I am currently a second year law student at the UNL College of Law. I am a native of Dalton, Nebraska and plan to return to the area following graduation. I am especially drawn to western Nebraska because of my roots in Cheyenne County, where I was raised on my family’s fifth-generation farm. I graduated from UNL in 2016 with a degree in Agricultural Economics. I am particularly interested in estate planning and business law. My long term career goal is to return to the Panhandle and provide legal services to farm and ranch families, as well as underserved rural communities.

Email: jay.linton@huskers.unl.edu