UNK law program continues growth with largest-ever incoming class

The Kearney Law Opportunities Program prepares UNK students to serve rural communities as attorneys. (UNK Communications)

KEARNEY – Eighteen students from across the state will study at the University of Nebraska at Kearney as part of the prestigious Kearney Law Opportunities Program (KLOP).

Launched in 2016, KLOP is a partnership between UNK and the University of Nebraska College of Law designed to recruit and train students from rural Nebraska who will return to these communities to practice law. The scholarship program addresses an ongoing need for more attorneys in greater Nebraska.

All KLOP participants receive a partial room waiver and tuition assistance during their time at UNK, with most scholarships covering the full cost of tuition. The program also offers academic support, including one-on-one mentorship from faculty and peers, along with professional development opportunities.

KLOP members connect with current law students, judges, attorneys and other professionals during on-campus events and frequent visits to the Nebraska College of Law in Lincoln, with these interactions leading to internships both locally and nationally. They’re encouraged to participate in undergraduate research and other experiential learning activities, including field study courses that allow them to learn about international human rights law during a two-week trip to Europe and the politics and law of the Civil Rights Movement during a one-week trip to the Southern U.S.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree at UNK, students are guaranteed admission into the Nebraska College of Law, provided GPA and Law School Admission Test (LSAT) requirements are met.

The 18 high school seniors recently accepted into KLOP represent the program’s largest-ever incoming class. Program director and political science professor Chuck Rowling called them an “extremely impressive” group.

“I have had the privilege of meeting and getting to know each of these students over the past year, either through UNK Pre-Law Day, the KLOP interview process or other campus visits. Without question, these students are eager to take full advantage of the numerous intellectual, experiential learning and professional development opportunities awaiting them at UNK. And I am certain, in the years to come, that this group will have a profound impact in addressing the ongoing need for legal services and representation in greater Nebraska,” said Rowling, who also serves as chair of the UNK Department of Political Science.

The KLOP program is available to Nebraska students outside Lincoln and the Omaha metropolitan area. Participants can major in any academic area as long as they plan to pursue a law degree.

For more information on the program, visit unk.edu/klop or contact Rowling at 308-865-8171 or rowlingcm@unk.edu.

The following students, listed by high school, will start the Kearney Law Opportunities Program this fall:
Central City – Van Fasbender
Chase County – Doris Christensen
Columbus – Carly Gaedeke
David City Aquinas – Jacob Moravec
Garden County – Olivia Beauchamp
Gering – Dominic Marostica
Grand Island – Aaron Pardinas
Heartland – Nicholas Thieszen
Kearney – Karson Peterson
Kearney – Jack Edwards
Kearney – Rylie Bomberger
Malcolm – Karter Kinkaid
Neligh-Oakdale – Leonardo Luna-Duran
St. Paul – Mason Childers
Seward – Layla Sugden
Sterling – Harmony Mathes-Riensche
Wayne – Parker Kesting
West Holt – Jack Hoffman