Regent Law News

Professor James Duane  was quoted in a news article in  The Record  titled “ Analysis: Should Fifth Amendment Protection Apply to Documents in GWB Case? ” It addresses the George Washington Bridge scandal: members of Governor Chris Christie's staff are using Fifth Amendment protection to avoid providing documents to a legislative committee investigating the bridge shutdown. Professor Natt Gantt  and a group of law students that included Kevin Hoffman, Holly Ortiz, and Rebecca Vermette, presented a CLE program, "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: Ethical Issues Surrounding Lawyer Mobility," to the James Kent Chapter of the American Inn of Court on February 19. Professor Michael Hernandez  is completing the final edits for his book for West Publishing on "Estates in Land and Future Interests." Professor Bradley Jacob  was interviewed by WVEC on February 14 regarding the recent ruling against Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage. On February 15,   Pr...

Brian Babione   '93  was quoted in " A changing judicial landscape for gay rights ," an article in  The Washington Times . The  Oklahoma Bar Journal  published  Danielle Fields ' '11 article called " Returning Justice to the Community: Restorative Justice to Reform Oklahoma Juvenile Justice System ." Noel W. Sterett '06  has been named a 2014 SuperLawyer under Land Use & Zoning. He is currently an attorney for Mauck & Baker, LLC, a firm in Chicago. Seth Wilson '06  published an article in  The Indiana Lawyer , " Tips for Catching Up After Snow Days ."

Professor Kenneth Ching  will present his paper " Justice and Harsh Results: Beyond Individualism and Collectivism in Contracts " at the  9th Annual International Conference on Contracts  in Miami, which is held from February 21-22. He will participate in a panel on behavior, bargaining, incentives, and contracts.  Professor Bradley Jacob  was a guest on  The Tony Macrini Show  on 790 AM WNIS on February 14 to discuss a federal judge's recent ruling that Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Professor Lynne Marie Kohm 's article " Are We There Yet? Immigration Reform for Children Left Behind ," which she wrote with alumnus Keila Molina '12, is the most downloaded immigration-related paper on SSRN since it was posted on January 20, 2014. This week, the article is also ranked number one in downloads for AARN: Kinship, Gender, the Body & Sexuality. Judge Patricia West , distinguished pr...

After a comprehensive review, the American Bar Association (ABA) has reaffirmed its full accreditation of Regent University School of Law. "Regent Law received a very favorable report. The reviewers gave high praise for our faculty and our program of education, and they particularly emphasized our superior quality of teaching," said Jeffrey A. Brauch, dean of the law school. "They also noted the high level of respect between faculty and students." The ABA's review process began with a site visit in fall 2012. The review team of legal educators submitted their evaluation report in mid-2013, with the ABA's formal notice of approval coming to Regent in early February 2014. Regent Law has been fully accredited by the ABA since 1996. This is the second accreditation review that Brauch has experienced as dean, and one of several in his nearly 20 years with the school. The ABA visits each fully accredited school once every seven years. He described the inte...

On February 24–25, the Public Interest Advocates of Regent (PILAR) hosts its 12th Annual Silent Auction. All auction proceeds fund grants for students who have unpaid summer internships at public interest organizations. Dean Jeffery Brauch is auctioning his vintage Wisconsin cheese hat. PILAR President Stephanie Hartman Rojo, who has received two PILAR grants, started prepping for the auction last semester. She established a PILAR Board, hand delivered letters requesting donations from local businesses, and designed flyers. “I’m ecstatic about the work the PILAR Board and friends have put into this auction,” says Rojo. “Student organizations have donated their time; faculty, staff, and students have contributed wonderful items; and others have gone out of their way to do outreach to recruit donations.” The auction is only a few days away, and Rojo is pleased with the approximately 90 items that have been donated. Items on the auction block include: Dean Jeffery Brauch’s Wi...

While exhibiting excellence in the classroom throughout their three years of law school is important to the legal profession, another vital component of training to become a lawyer is writing, researching and defending an argument. Last week, a number of Regent University School of Law students were given the opportunity to exhibit their speaking and reasoning skills at three different Moot Court competitions in Virginia and New York. "I continue to be amazed at the skill, preparation and success of our moot court teams. They excel in every aspect of their competitions," said Jeffrey Brauch, dean of Regent Law. "I am deeply proud of our students and their faculty coaches—and I praise God for their success." Saturday, Feb. 8, Regent Law assistant professor Tessa Dysart led her team of 3L students, Andrew Stevener, Chelsea Schlittenhart and Drew Cziok (pictured above)  through the 2014 National Religious Freedom Moot Court Competition. The team finished in secon...

Twenty students received Eagle Awards for earning the highest grade in Fall 2013 law school courses. Read the full story here . Black Law Students Association (BLSA) will resume their weekly tutoring program at the Norfolk Detention Center on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm. The tutoring program is open to all students. The Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Society (IPELS) will host a speaker series on Tuesday, February 11 at 12:00 pm in Robertson Hall 103. The panel will include local Talent Agent, Sylvia Hutson from Hutson Talent Agency, Regent University and CBN General Counsel, Lou Isakoff, Esq., Actor Derek Leonidoff, and Director/Producer and Regent University School of Communications Professional-in-Residence, Mark Paladin. Each member will describe his role in the industry, and tell law students what to expect when entering the field. Spotlight on 3L Angela Desmond . The Alternative Dispute Resolution Board held the 2014 Intramural Ne...

Professor Jim Davids presented "The Role of Worldview in Judicial Decision-Making: A Case Study of John Paul Stevens" on February 8 at the 2014 International Conference on Law and Political Science in Delhi, India. Cambridge Scholar is expected to print the paper. Professor Tom Folsom presented his work at a panel called "Designing Law in a Coded World: Finding Superman in Cyberspace" at St. Mary's School of Law in San Antonio, Texas on February 6. Professor Natt Gantt presented “Teaching Agape Love to Law Students" at the Pepperdine University School of Law Symposium on Law and Love. The symposium was held on February 7-8 in Malibu, California. " Are We There Yet? Immigration Reform for Children Left Behind ," an article by Professor Lynne Marie Kohm and Regent Law alumnus Keila Molina ('12) that addresses immigration reform, is the most downloaded immigration-related paper on SSRN since it was posted on January 20, 2014. Ernie Wa...

Anna Adams '12, Dean J. Lederer '99 , and 14 other attorneys filed a Joint Comment in Opposition to the Oregon State Bar’s Proposal to Amend RPC 8.4 with the Supreme Court of Oregon. The amendment would limit Christian attorneys' right to practice law based on their beliefs. The Supreme Court of Oregon has not made a decision. Joshua Bachman '09 and Daniel Baker '08 helped investigate whether health information privacy laws include anti-abortion research and medical clinics. The project was for the National Institute of Family Life Advocates (NIFLA). Matt Osman '01 , a District Court judge for Mecklenburg County, N.C., was appointed to the North Carolina Statewide Impaired Driving Task Force . Keila Molina ('12) , Director of community relations and hispanic affairs for the Honorable Edward R. Royce, 39th Congressional District (CA), co-published with Professor Kohm an article in the Berkeley La Raza Law Journal. The article is titled " Are We...

On February 11, four seasoned entertainment professionals gathered at the Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Society (IPELS) Entertainment Law 360 panel to share their experiences in the field. IPELS President Jennifer Brown, who plans to become an entertainment lawyer, organized the panel as a joint event for Regent Law and School of Communication and the Arts students. Sylvia Hutson, Derek Leonidoff, Jennifer Brown, Lou Isakoff, Mark Paladini “I wanted to host an event that would educate others about the intricacies of the industry and what to expect when going into this field,” she says. “By inviting Regent Law and Communications students, I hope to begin a professional relationship between the two schools.” The panel included local Talent Agent Sylvia Hutson of Hutson Talent Agency , Regent University and CBN General Counsel Lou Isakoff, Esq., Actor Derek Leonidoff, and Director, Producer, and Regent University School of Communication Professional-in-Residence M...

Professor Tessa Dysart  will present her article, " The Protected Innocence Initiative ," at Duke University School of Law's "Current Issues in Sex Trafficking" symposium on March 3. The article is published in the  Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy . Professor Lynne Marie Kohm  was quoted in a  The Daily Beast  article, "Pressure Builds on Democratic Attorneys General to Quit Fighting Gay Marriage." Published on January 24, the article addresses Virginia Attorney General Mike Herring's decision to not defend the Commonwealth’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Professor David Wagner's  2007 article, "The End of Virtual Constitutionalism," was cited in an opinion of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on January 21, 2014 regarding  Commonwealth v. Williams . Professor David Wagner's  article, "Who Loves a Jury?" was cited in  The Legal Examiner . Judge Patricia L. West  joins the Regent community as a di...

In January, 20 Regent Law students received Eagle Awards for earning the highest grade in Fall 2013 law school courses. The inaugural award is based on Isaiah 40:31. “These awards celebrate the success of the recipients and our entire community,” says Douglas Cook, associate dean of academic affairs and student services. “Scripture says we are to rejoice with those who rejoice, and that is exactly what it felt like at the ceremony. Our students were encouraged and spurred on to greater accomplishment by seeing the excellence of their classmates.” Matthew Dunkley was pleasantly surprised when he learned that he was an Eagle Award recipient for Professor Bradley Jacob’s Christian Foundations of Law class. “This award is a confirmation that I am exactly where I am supposed to be and that I am doing exactly what God has called me to do,” he says. “Although I sometimes doubt my ability to do well in law school, this award reminds me that God equips those whom He calls.” Regent L...

Judge Patricia L. West, who served as a judge in the Virginia Beach Circuit Court and who most recently served as chief deputy attorney general of Virginia, is joining Regent University as a Distinguished Professor of Law and Government and as associate dean in the School of Law. Her appointment is effective immediately. "We are delighted to welcome Judge West to this new leadership role at Regent, where our students will benefit from her tremendous experience and legal insights," said Regent Chancellor and CEO, Dr. M.G. "Pat" Robertson. "Judge West is highly regarded in the legal community for her wise counsel, and Regent will be blessed to have such a dedicated public servant among our distinguished faculty and administration." West joined the Attorney General's office in 2012, after serving as a judge in Virginia Beach Circuit Court. She was named to the bench by the Virginia General Assembly in March 2000 after previously serving on the Virgi...