Regent Law News

In recognition of Constitution Day on Wednesday, Sept. 17, Regent University's College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) hosted "Technology and the Future of the U.S. Constitution." The event discussed a question that's been gaining momentum over the years: how do Americans guarantee natural liberties, constitutional rights and security in light of increasing dependence on government intelligence and technologies? The question was addressed by a panel of faculty experts and moderated by Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, dean of CAS. Dr. Josh McMullen, associate CAS professor; Dr. Dale Coulter, assistant professor in the School of Divinity; Dr. Mary Manjikian, assistant professor in the Robertson School of Government; and Professor Robert W. "Skip" Ash, the Senior Litigation Counsel for National Security Law at the American Center for Law & Justice comprised the panel. McMullen began the discussion by drawing attention to public desire for government intervention...

Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”   But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”   Matthew 14:15-16 Before leaving for Iraq, Tina Ramirez was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to join the students of Regent Law in a lunch series event hosted by the Center for Global Justice and Journal of Global Justice & Public Policy on the issue of religious oppression. According to Tina Ramirez, founder and Executive Director of Hardwired Global, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting religious freedom, religious oppression is a major contributor to numerous social evils, including human trafficking and child marriages. The antidote for change is religious freedom. Hardwired zealously advocates and promotes for the right of religious freedom by training individuals to bring the fig...

Three more Regent University School of Law alumni have been appointed to judgeships, bringing the total number of Regent Law alumni currently serving on the bench to 28. The Virginia General Assembly filled eight vacant judgeships during a special session on Thursday, September 18. Earle C. Mobley ’89 was appointed as a judge for the Portsmouth Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Mobley has served as the commonwealth’s attorney in Portsmouth since 2002. Phillip C. Hollowell ’98 was appointed to the Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Most recently, Hollowell has served as deputy commonwealth’s attorney in Virginia Beach. David Morgan Barredo '01 was appointed Culpeper County’s Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney, as the new Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge for Virginia’s 16th District. In addition, Joseph A. Migliozzi ’94 (pictured) , who had been serving as a judge in Norfolk General District Court since 2009, was promoted to the Norfolk Circui...

Professor  James Boland ' s latest publication entitled, " Is Free Speech Compatible with Human Dignity, Equality, and Democratic Government: America, a Free Speech Island in a Sea of Censorship? " is now available on SSRN. Professor  Eleanor Brown  is working on a piece entitled, " A Common Morality: Toward a Framework for Designing Fiscal Instruments to Respond to Global Climate Change " that will develop a common morality argument for environmental responsibility. Professor  Kenneth Ching  presented to the University Faculty last week on his work on Bonhoeffer entitled, " Would Jesus Kill Hitler ". Professor  C. Scott Pryor 's paper, " Who Bears the Burden? The Place for Participation of Municipal Residents in Chapter 9 ", was recently listed on SSRN's Top Ten download list for: Political Economy: Budget, Deficit, & Debt eJournal. The Honorable  Patricia West  will be the keynote speaker for the Second Annual Senator A...

Regent University's faculty members and their research topics are as diverse as the subject matter they teach. To share their research and unite their interests, Regent's Faculty Senate hosted its second Faculty Research & Scholarship presentations on Friday, September 12. "Academic excellence is fundamental to Regent's mission, and we look for excellence beyond teaching; we encourage our faculty's research activities and developed this event to help show our support," said Dr. Paul Bonicelli, executive vice president. "It's also valuable for faculty colleagues from Regent's diverse academic disciplines to have these opportunities to learn from each other and to possibly find common research interests for future collaborations." Dr. Andrew Quicke, chair of the Faculty Senate, also prompted Regent's esteemed faculty members to share their interests and findings, and encouraged his peers to spur conversations about their involve...

Dean  Jeffrey Brauch ’s article, " Human Rights Protections in the Post-9/11 World ", was recently listed on SSRN's Top Ten download list for: PSN: Effects of Terrorism (Topic). Professor  Eric DeGroff  and alum Steve Fitschen ('99) completed an article on  de facto  parenthood & the rights of natural parents in same-sex relationships.   Is it Time for the Court to Accept the O.F.F.E.R.?  Applying Smith v. Organization of Foster Families for Equality and Reform to Promote Clarity, Consistency, and Federalism in the World of De Facto Parenthood  will be published in the Spring 2015 edition of the Southern California Interdisciplinary L. J. Professor  Eric DeGroff  has been invited to write a book chapter for publication as part of an international environmental law encyclopedia,  expected to be published next year by Edward Elgar Press.  The book will be one of 11 volumes and will focus on environmental decision ma...

As Regent University School of Law seeks to provide excellent education for its attorneys-in-training, it also esteems the students who have proven to be the best and brightest in their classes. On Thursday, September 4, the School of Law hosted its second Eagle Awards ceremony in the Moot Court Room. Jeffrey Brauch, dean of the School of Law, and Douglas Cook, professor and associate dean for Academic Affairs and Student Services, honored students who achieved the highest grades in all 87 of Regent's law classes for the 2014 spring and summer semesters. The name of the ceremony comes from Isaiah 40:31 which says, "Those who hope in the Lord…will soar on wings like eagles." "The Eagle Awards celebrate students and their dedication to excellence; this is especially important given our Christian mission," said Brauch. "Colossians 3 urges us: 'Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.' The Eagle Awar...

       Do you know Lacy? A short film by the NGO Shared Hope International set the theme for the night. The film tracked the story of a young girl named Lacy who was courted by a charming older boy. As the boy took Lacy on expensive dates and lavished her with expensive gifts, she fell in love and he took advantage of her trust. Night after night, he sold Lacy for sex—multiple times per night. No one noticed and no one helped. This is the very real story of Lacy, which happens to be the same story of countless girls around the world and across the United States—including right here in Hampton Roads.        On Wednesday, August 27th, 2014, Congressman Scott Rigell hosted “Justice Against Slavery: A Summit on Human Trafficking” at the Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library in Virginia Beach. Congressman Rigell opened the summit by asserting that the first step to finding a solution is to acknowledge that the problem exists. While human trafficki...

Dean  Jeffrey Brauch  challenged the Law School faculty, students and staff, the deans of Regent's other graduate schools, along with its College of Arts & Sciences, and  Dr. Paul Bonicelli, Regent's executive vice president, to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and they accepted. Watch the video  here . Professor  Scott Pryor 's paper, " Who Bears the Burden? The Place for Participation of Municipal Residents in Chapter 9 ", was recently listed on SSRN's Top Ten download list for the topic of Other Political Economy: Budget, Deficit, & Debt.