Lincoln philanthropist Phyllis Acklie has pledged a landmark gift to provide approximately 80 scholarships annually, as well as other financial support, to University of Nebraska College of Law students and to permanently endow the college’s Children’s Justice Clinic.
The Acklie pledge will create the Children’s Justice Clinic Endowed Excellence Fund to support the clinic.
In the clinic, third-year law students serve as guardians ad litem in Lancaster County Juvenile Court, under the supervision of Professor Michelle Paxton, and advocate for the best interests of children in the legal system. Most cases involve family situations that include domestic violence, neglect, unsafe housing and substance abuse.
“Children are our most vulnerable population, and they need a fighter in their corner,” Paxton said.