Academic Excellence and Innovation Fund grant enables Concordia Nebraska pre-law students to visit Nebraska law schools

by Hope Nelson

Seward, NE (02/27/2025) — The Academic Excellence and Innovation Fund recently awarded Concordia Nebraska Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Dr. Edward Hoffman a grant for $500 to host a trip for prospective law school students to immerse themselves in the graduate school experience while still completing their undergraduate education. This unique experience allowed several of Concordia's undergraduate pre-law students to gain a sense of the graduate school environment before enrolling.

Dr. Edward Hoffman is the faculty advisor for this project. He said that the trip took students to Creighton University's law school as well as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's law school.

"This grant allows our students to experience the graduate school environment in a very real and meaningful way and will serve as a guide toward success in the graduate school admissions process and beyond," Hoffman said.

On Friday, Feb. 7, 15 Concordia Nebraska students, along with Hoffman and Dr. Kathy Miller, took an all-day trip to the Creighton School of Law in Omaha and the University of Nebraska School of Law in Lincoln. During the day, they participated in panel discussions with current law students, attended graduate courses and enjoyed lunch in Omaha.

Junior criminal justice major Quinlan Hendrickson, who went on the trip, said that it provided him with real-life examples of what's important in law school.

"I learned how law school is set up and all the different paths there are within law school itself," he said. "I really appreciated all the students who gave us their honest opinions about the different schools and how the system is completely different from college. My number one takeaway was the importance of marketing yourself as a law student and to study well for each class!"

Sophomore biology major Eden Weygandt, another student participant, said that for her, the trip was experiential and gave her insight into the graduate school process.

"I am not specifically looking into law school, but I am considering grad school in general as a STEM major, so this opportunity was a great way to see, ask questions, and fully consider my options for the future and in the criminal justice system," she said. Weygandt is looking to go into the field of forensic science.

Sophomore Landri Loos is double majoring in psychology and criminal justice. She is considering attending law school and enjoyed making connections with others during the trip.

"My favorite part of the trip was making connections with people associated with the law school," she said. "We got to hear from the Dean of Creighton Law, as well as current students and professors at both UNL and Creighton Law. I have already been in touch with one of the Creighton Law professors, who said she would be glad to help me when it comes time to look into law schools further."

At Concordia Nebraska, criminal justice students can take a wide variety of courses that prepare them for many types of careers in the field. They also have the chance to take these courses from professors who have experience in real-life criminal justice occupations.

"I love the adjunct professors that we have here who are experts in their fields," said Quinlan Hendrickson. "The professors are knowledgeable and experts in their own rights...they're all actively working in the field offering up-to-date knowledge, personal stories and even internships for students in some cases."

"The criminal justice courses I've taken set you up to think critically, logically and legally so you are prepared for law school and the real world," said Eden Weygandt.

Landri Loos echoed these sentiments, saying that the courses available - as well as the professors who teach them - give criminal justice students a wide variety of post-graduation options.

"The best part about studying criminal justice at Concordia is the number of opportunities that are opened for a student who pursues a criminal justice degree. Concordia has many faculty members and community connections that have much experience in all areas of criminal justice. This provides the students with immediate resources for learning more about and furthering their careers in the field during or directly following college!"

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