Skip to main content

Lawyers Learning from Clients: Regent’s Civil Litigation Clinic Teaches Life Lessons

Third year law student Melissa Hudgins recognizes that her hands-on work with Regent’s Civil Litigation clinic will improve her career prospects. For her, however, Regent’s Clinic is about much more than personal gain.

“The beauty of the Clinic is not only the practical experience it offers students,” she said, “but that it allows clients to have a hand in changing students’ perceptions about those who depend on government aid to survive.”

This semester, Hudgins has been working on behalf of a single mother of three whose food stamp and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits had been terminated. The client received this sanction because she was alleged to have intentionally violated the program’s requirements.

In order to properly defend her client’s cause, Hudgins took the time to get to know her. She discovered that in addition to a lack of education, her client experienced difficulty finding adequate child care and transportation, all of which prevented her from supporting her family. She learned that her client also suffered from chronic medical problems that exacerbated the difficulties she faced when applying for public assistance.

“It was apparent from the beginning of this case that my client was not someone looking for a handout from the government,” said Hudgins. “She was an intelligent and devoted mother who endured a daily battle with fulfilling strict program requirements and struggling to house and feed three children.”

From the day the Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia referred the client to Regent’s Clinic, Hudgins had two weeks to prepare for the hearing at the Department of Social Services.

She had to unravel a trail of paperwork that had been shuffled from caseworker to caseworker and gain familiarity with the agency’s stringent procedures, but she did so diligently. She researched Virginia’s working requirements for TANF and food stamp recipients and built her case.

In spite of all the administrative knowledge she gained and the skills she developed, for Hudgins the invaluable part of her work was learning to see the process from her client’s perspective.

“My client had to report to a number of case workers who did not accurately inform her of how she could prevent the sanctioning process or have her benefits reinstated,” said Hudgins. “Her documents were mishandled and she was treated as just another case number. Without an advocate the process would be overwhelmingly frustrating, intimidating and stifling for anyone in my client’s shoes.”

The result of the hearing is due in just over two weeks. As Hudgins waits, she is very much aware of the difference between what a positive result will mean for her and what it will mean for her client.

“While it is exciting to wait and anticipate whether I was victorious in my first case, my client, on the other hand, has to sit and wonder whether she will regain sufficient resources to feed and house her children.”

For Hudgins, such realizations are the great reward of participating in the Clinic.

Popular posts from this blog

Regent University Ranked #1 Best Online Christian College in America

Regent University has been named the #1 Best Online Christian College in America, according to a     new report by BibleCollegeOnline.com . The report measured academics, affordability, and return on  investment among 100 Christian colleges in the United States.“We are honored and thankful for this  incredible recognition as the top online Christian college in the nation,” said Dr. Bill Hathaway,  executive vice president for Academic Affairs at Regent University. “As the preeminent destination for  Christian college students, Regent is deeply dedicated to providing world-class, Christ-centered  education that equips Christian leaders to change the world.” In addition to this accolade, Regent University is ranked the #1 Best Accredited Online College  in the United States (Study.com, 2020), the #1 Safest College Campus in Virginia (YourLocalSecurity, 2021),  and the #1 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in Virginia for nine years in a row  (U.S. News & World Report, 2021). Regent Univ

After Success at Regional Level, Negotiation Team Prepares for National Competition

Regent University School of Law’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Board (ADR) made a strong showing at the ABA Regional Negotiation Competition held Nov. 13-14 at William and Mary School of Law. The 2L team of Mary Katherine Bratton and David Crossett finished second overall from a roster of over 20 teams representing American University, Georgetown, Washington & Lee and other law schools throughout Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. While all three of Regent’s competition teams placed in the top ten, Bratton and Crossett look forward to an official invitation from the ABA to compete in the national competition, February 5-6 in Orlando, FL. Team coach Prof. Eric DeGroff commented on Bratton and Crossett’s exemplary performance. “Our team was able to zealously represent their clients within the bounds of the law and with integrity,” he said. “They balanced making a strong case and presenting their client in the best possible light

Regent Law Hires Two New Faculty Members—Both Yale Law Graduates—for Fall 2022

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (July 5, 2022) – Today, Regent University School of Law announced the appointment of two new members of its faculty, Erin Morrow Hawley and David D. Velloney.  Both Hawley and Velloney are graduates of Yale Law School.  Professor Hawley will teach constitutional law and serve as a senior fellow at the Robertson Center for Constitutional Law.  Professor Velloney will focus on criminal law, military law, and constitutional criminal procedure.   Professors Hawley and Velloney are the third and fourth professors added to the Regent Law faculty in the past year.  “We are incredibly fortunate to attract such exceptional teachers, mentors, and scholars to our faculty,” said Brad Lingo, dean of Regent University School of Law.  “Our students will love learning from professors Hawley and Velloney and benefit from the depth of experience and Christian perspectives they bring.” New Faculty Appointments: Erin Morrow Hawley: Associate Professor of Constitutional Law J