Regent Law News

To Ernie Walton '11 (School of Law), the dedication to justice is the same as committing to Christ. During the fall 2013 semester, Walton began serving as the administrative director for the Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law. As a Law school alumnus, and one of the Center's first summer interns, Walton spent his summer as a 2L in Strasburg, France, at the European Center for Law and Justice; and worked largely on cases involving intervention for religious freedom. "That began the training, equipping and fulfilling that I believe was God's calling on my life to do this type of work," said Walton. As he takes on his new leadership role, Walton hopes that Regent Law students involved in the Center for Global Justice will experience a combination of academic and on-the-ground work that will train them to be legal justice advocates—just as Jeffrey Brauch, dean of the School of Law, witnessed in Walton's life as a student. "As...

In an increasingly complex society, the need for legal training is becoming even more vital. Many people interacting with the law—human resource managers, compliance officers, contract managers and others—will need legal training but not necessarily a J.D. That's why the Regent University School of Law will offer its first Master of Arts in Law for prospective students seeking a competitive edge in today's job market. This newest program is just one in a series of steps Regent Law is taking in its efforts to position the school for the future and better meet the needs of employers and students. "Regent Law is, again, at the vanguard at reforming legal education and making it attainable," said Sean Kirnan, director of Enrollment Marketing & Communication for the School of Law. Other recent program innovations include options for a two-year J.D. and the launch of the Center for Ethical Formation and Legal Education Reform. Though many occupations in the...

The Regent Law Moot Court Board hosted the 13th Annual Leroy R. Hassell, Sr. National Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition on October 18 and 19 at Regent University. On Monday, October 21, Career Services hosted a panel called “Jobs in the Federal Government,” which featured several attorneys: Nicole Foltz ‘08 , who was recently named one of “ The 25 Most Influential Washington Women Under 35 ,” Spiro Ballas ‘07 , a former PMF Fellow who is now serving as a senior foreign affairs analyst for the U.S. Department of State, and Valerie Payne ‘09 , an attorney for Campus Crusade for Christ and a former judicial clerk for the U.S. District Court. On Tuesday, October 22, the Center for Global Justice hosted a Developing Justice and Reconciliation in Affairs luncheon, which featured guest speakers Leah Boyd, who is the director of justice initiatives at African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries ( ALARM ), and South Sudanese Pastor James Baak . Professor Gloria Whittico s...

Kristen Waggoner ’97 is the Senior Vice President of Legal Services and Senior Counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a legal organization that advocates for people’s right to live out their faith through efforts in strategy, training, funding, and litigation. Kristen has been passionate about defending religious freedom since she first felt God calling her to the practice of law at the age of thirteen, and now she finds herself on the front lines of ADF’s efforts to combat attacks on religious freedom in the U.S. in the past months. While enrolled in Regent University’s School of Law, Kristen served on law review and moot court, and after graduating Cum Laude in 1997, Kristen clerked for Justice Richard Sanders on the Washington Supreme Court. She then joined Ellis, Li & McKinstry PLLC, a general practice law firm in Seattle. While at ELM, Kristen’s practice focused mainly on representation of religious organizations, and she defended churches, pastors, and Christian...

Processor Scott Pryor   will oversee the new Bankruptcy Practicum beginning in the Spring 2014 Semester. Through the practicum, students, who will serve consumers filing Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases, will apply legal concepts to real-life situations, interact with clients facing financial hardship, and gain professional skills. Each semester, up to four students will be accepted into the program, and each student will spend 60 hours over the course of the semester working in mentoring relationships with bankruptcy lawyers in Hampton Roads. The practicum will allow law firms to provide discounted consumer bankruptcy work for clients who cannot afford it, helping decrease the current strain on the court system. “Over one million people in the United States file individual Chapter 7 bankruptcies,” Professor Pryor explains. “To file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, lawyer fees are about $2,500. Many people don’t have the money, so some go online, complete the con...

Professors  Kenny Ching , and  David Wagne r  will be participating in a panel discussion on a Christian perspective on constitutional law during the Regent Law Faculty Colloquium on October 29. Professor James Davids  presented a lecture entitled “Is the Present Administration the Worst Abuser of Executive Power in History?”  last week at Calvin College, Hillsdale College, and Spring Arbor University. Professor James J. Duane  will be lecturing on constitutional law to the Federalist Society at Nova Law School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on November 4. On October 25  Professor Thomas Folsom  will be participating at the Seventh Annual Intellectual  Property Scholars Forum sponsored by the University of Akron School of Law’s Center for Intellectual Property and Technology. On October 28, Professor Folsom will be a speaker at Gonzaga Law School where he will be presenting a paper entitled “Building a Trademark and Copyright-Compliant I...

In its annual law school rankings, The Princeton Review has recognized Regent University School of Law's faculty as among the top ten in the nation. Read the full story  here . Professor Kenneth Ching  will present “Justice and Harsh Results: Beyond Individualism and Collectivism in Contracts” at KCON9's 9th Annual Conference on Contracts. Professor Scott Pryor presented a paper at the conference last year.  Professor James J. Duane  will lecture about constitutional law at the invitation of the student chapters of the Federalist Society at Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, Va., on Thursday, October 17 at 2:30 p.m., and Suffolk University Law School in Boston, Mass., on Tuesday, October 22 at 4:00 p.m. Professor Lynne Marie Kohm  presented “Child Participation in Justice: Family Involvement as the Key to Love and Respect” in Haifa, Israel, as a part of a forthcoming publication from Oxford University Press and hosted a round...

In its annual law school rankings, The Princeton Review has recognized Regent University School of Law's faculty as among the top ten in the nation. The rankings are generated from student surveys conducted across the United States each year to help prospective students to find the school that is best suited for them. "I am gratified to see The Princeton Review's recognition of the outstanding law faculty we have at Regent University School of Law,” Jeffrey Brauch law school dean. “These men and women are excellent teachers and are dedicated to teaching students with rigor and excellence. In addition, they care personally and deeply for our students and invest in their lives. It's a joy to be a part of this learning community." The 2013 survey placed Regent Law professors among a select group of law schools including Duke, Stanford, Washington and Lee, and the University of Virginia. The Princeton Review surveyed more than 18,500 students at 169 law school...

On Monday Oct. 7, as the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) opened for its new October 2013 term, 10 former Regent University School of Law students serving as staff attorneys for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) were admitted to the Supreme Court bar. "Moving the admission of 12 ACLJ-trained lawyers and 10 Regent Law graduates to the Supreme Court bar is a part of the vision that Dr. M.G. "Pat" Robertson had when he founded the ACLJ over 20 years ago," said Jay Sekulow '04 (School of Business & Leadership), chief counsel for ACLJ. Sekulow is also a guest lecturer in Regent's School of Law, teaching elective courses such as Supreme Court History and seminars regarding the latest Supreme Court cases. Regent's campus is home to one of the primary offices of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), providing School of Law students volunteer and paid opportunities to assist ACLJ staff attorneys on international pro-fam...

Students involved in the Right to Work Practicum with Professor Bruce Cameron worked on the labor law case of Mulhall v. UNITE HERE, a case granted review by the Supreme Court of the United States, which may be mooted at Regent Law. So far this fall, the Civil Litigation Clinic has conducted intake on 23 different cases. 3L Donnie Gayle of Norfolk, Va, was featured in a student spotlight. The Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Society (IPELS) held a general meeting on Monday, September 30. The Student Bar Association (SBA) Mentor Luncheon was hosted on Tuesday, October 1. Students posed for a bowtie photo with Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft on Tuesday, October 1. Professor Lynne Kohm presented research from the Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law and the Child Advocacy Practicum in a talk titled, “Child Participation in Justice: The Teen Court Movement” on Tuesday, October 1. Reverend John C. Bates lead pastor of Free...

Professor James Boland is publishing "Is Free Speech Compatible with Human Dignity, Equality and Democratic Government: America a Free Speech Island in a Sea of Censorship" with the Drexel Law Review (forthcoming 2013). Professor Eleanor Brown presented "Tax Sweets or Eliminate 'Sweet' Subsidies from the American Diet? Can Taxation Make Us Healthier?" at the Regent University Law Review Symposium on Emerging Issues in Food Law. The symposium was held on September 28, 2013. Professor Eric DeGroff is working on "An Assessment of the Uniform Environmental Covenants Act" to examine the effectiveness of the Uniform Code on Environmental Covenants, which was promulgated in 2003 and has been adopted by a few state jurisdictions. On Friday, September 27, Professor Brad Jacob spoke at two university chapels at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind. Several thousand students, faculty members, and administrators attended. His message, "Ma...