Regent Law News

Chuck Slemp (’10), a graduate of Regent University with dual degrees from the Robertson School of Government and the School of Law, was recently elected as Commonwealth Attorney for Wise County, Virginia. After a hard-fought campaign, Slemp was elected on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 with over 57% of the vote and took office on January 1st. Slemp grew up on a farm in Wise County in a family with a long history of involvement in politics, which he says instilled in him a sense of responsibility to serve and help others from an early age. After receiving his undergraduate degree in business administration, he came to Regent University where he completed a master’s degree in law & public policy and a juris doctorate from the schools of government and law; he was awarded Outstanding Graduate for the Robertson School of Government in 2010. Reflecting on his time at Regent, Slemp said: “My wife and I are blessed to be part of the Regent University family. We both worked and studied at Reg

Regent University School of Law (LAW) students are one step closer to the United States Supreme Court. School of Law Students Visit The United States Supreme Court. Photo courtesy of Tessa Dysart. This month, Assistant Professor Tessa Dysart took her Honors Constitutional Law class to visit the United States Supreme Court and have a Q&A session with Justice Elena Kagan. Kagan shared her experiences and insights with students regarding her work as Solicitor General and her work on the other side of the bench. "She's such an incredibly kind and gracious person," said Dysart. "I wanted my students to learn about the Supreme Court and how it operates…I have so much respect for her and how much she cares about the Constitution and how she comes to decisions. By observing a Supreme Court argument, the students were also able to see that not every case in front of the court is a hot-button issue, and that the court works hard to get those cases righ

Hurt people hurt people. It's a vicious cycle that oftentimes began in the home for many United States juveniles lost within the pipeline. On Thursday, November 19, Regent University School of Law's (LAW) Child Advocacy Practicum hosted "Advocating for our Adolescents," a panel discussion exploring what serves "the best interest of the child" in the realm of crime and punishment. Special guests were brought to campus by Brittany Tabb '16 (LAW), who currently works with Lynne Kohm, associate dean of LAW Faculty Development & External Affairs and the Child Advocacy Program, and The Clapham Group, which represents clients to address modern-day injustices. Abby Skeans '14 (LAW), an associate at The Clapham Group, took the practicum at Regent when the program was in its infancy. Kohm said that she is happy to see her students care for such important issues such as making sure incarcerated children are "treated like human beings." "I kne

Battling 44 teams and 88 competitors, Regent University undergraduate students took the top three places in the Moot Court Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament November 6 and 7 at Regent University. These top teams will go on to compete in a national tournament at California State University at Long Beach. Eight teams from Regent competed in the tournament. Five of these teams placed within the top 16. Two Regent students received top-five speaker awards. Michael Maunder received second and Abigail Lisa received fourth. Marie Dienhart, a third-year law student in Regent’s School of Law, coached the team to success. " Regent Law's Moot Court Board enjoyed hosting the ACMA Competition to foster the appellate advocacy skills of aspiring law students," said 3L Matthew Dunckley,Vice Chairman and Legal Research Director of Regent Law's Moot Court Board.  Learn more about the American Collegiate Moot Court Competition > By Brennan Smith

Earlier this month, Regent University's Moot Courtroom was filled to the brim with trial advocate competitors from all over the nation who participated in the Leroy R. Hassell Sr. National Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition, hosted annually by Regent's School of Law (LAW). Matthew Dunckley (left) at the Moot Court Competition. Photo courtesy of Matthew Dunckley. Fall Semester 2015 marked the 15th year that LAW has hosted the competition. This year 15 teams, made up of about 50 competitors, participated in the event. The chief justice, for whom the competition was named, was the first African-American to preside on the Virginia Supreme Court. "He was a great friend of this school," said Jason Rodriguez '16 (LAW), chairman of Regent's Moot Court team. And though Hassell passed away in early 2011, the school continues to host the competition in his honor. Rodriguez was active in his hospitality service to the competitors. He and his

Regent University's School of Law Faculty members willingly share their knowledge and expertise beyond the classroom to spark scholarly debate and advance the practice of law. Their latest endeavors include the following. Professor Jeff Brauch spoke October 2 at the Christian Legal Society Annual Meeting on "The Christian and Human Rights."  Professor Brauch has also been appointed the Vice Chair of the Advocates International Board, the global Christian legal advocacy organization.  Download his previous publications on human rights here .  Professor Natt Gantt presented his work entitled “Leadership Development for Law Students” in Denver at the Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers (ETL) Conference. Associate Professor Kathleen McKee presented “Sexual Assault and College Campus Culture” at last weekend’s Regent University Law Review Symposium on College Culture, Sexual Assault and Due Process. Associate Professor Gloria Whittico attended the Memorial Service

Regent's California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ) trial team in San Francisco U.S. District Court preparatory to trial competition.  L-R: Chris Pocta, Katie Heyer, Joy Degenhart, Parker Wornall & their coach, Prof. Jim Metcalfe. Katie Heyer & Joy Degenhart, both Regent Law 3Ls, on Golden Gate Bridge after California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ) mock trial competition held in San Francisco U.S. District Court.

Regent 3L trial team at Stetson Law School National Pretrial Competition in Tampa Bay area in October 2015 L-R: Sam Gilbertson, Darden Barrett, Aubrey Cross. Crystal Barnett & their coach Prof. Jim Metcalfe.

College Culture, Sexual Violence, and Due Process in partnership with the  Regent Law Federalist Society  Banquet Keynote Speaker: ANDREW KLOSTER of the Heritage Foundation Symposium Moderator FARNAZ FARKISH THOMPSON* Associate General Counsel, University of Virginia *Any viewpoints or opinions expressed are given in a personal capacity only and not on behalf of the University of Virginia or on behalf of the Attorney General. Symposium Panel Speakers DENIS BINDER Professor, Dale E. Fowler School of Law PETER BLAKE Director, State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Member of the Governor’s Task Force on Combating Campus Sexual Violence NANCY CANTALUPO Research Fellow, Victim Rights Law Center Adjunct Professor, Georgetown Law JOE COHN Legislative & Policy Director, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) KATHLEEN MCKEE Professor, Regent University School of Law CHRISTOPHER NDRITU Student Body President, Old Dominion University Member of the Governor’s Task Force o

Regent University's School of Law Faculty members willingly share their knowledge and expertise beyond the classroom to spark scholarly debate and advance the practice of law. Their latest endeavors include the following. Professor Natt Gantt’s and Assoc. Dean Ben Madison’s paper, "Teaching the Newly Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Values in a Changing World," was recently listed on SSRN's Top Ten download list for: AARN: The Legal Profession.  View/Download their paper. Next week, Professor Natt Gantt is presenting on “Leadership Development for Law Students” at the Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers Conference in Denver, Colorado. On October 13, Craig Stern , executive director of the Center for Global Justice, Human Rights & the Rule of Law, is presenting "Positive Rights: Threat or Menace?" to kick off the 2015-16 Center for Global Justice Forums. Assoc. Dean Lynne Marie Kohm's paper, "The Unspoken Consequences of Obergefell: Ca

Judge Leslie Southwick was nominated as a federal judge and lives to tell about it. At least, that's what he said Monday, Sept. 14, at a luncheon hosted by Regent University's chapter of the Federalist Society, where he took School of Law students and faculty through the steps on his occupational road less traveled. Asst. Professor Tessa Dysart with Judge Leslie Southwick It happened, as it does with any federal judge nomination: clearing a list of hurdles including selections, questions, presidential selections, waiting and even FBI investigations. "And a whole lot of luck," added Southwick. It's a process he's written about in his book, The Nominee: A Political and Spiritual Journey ; what he expresses feeling like a character from the Pixar-animated film, Toy Story . "We were all waiting to see who 'Andy' would pick to take off the shelf next," said Southwick with a laugh. Tessa Dysart, assistant School of Law profes

For 40 years, Bruce Cameron, professor in Regent University's School of Law, has dedicated his career to bettering the lives of employees with the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. Now, as a result of his years of dedicated passion to litigating Foundation-funded cases representing employees whose religious or political beliefs have been compromised due to compulsory unionism, Cameron has been appointed as a member of the Virginia State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. "The goal of my life is to advance the Kingdom of God," said Cameron. "The employees I help are extremely grateful to be able to keep both their faith and their jobs. Regent Law students are able to work with me in helping these employees. Being a blessing to employees and students in a way that advances the work of God is extremely gratifying –

Regent Law's M.A. in Law - Wealth Management & Financial Planning Concentration is CFP® Board Registered. Regent University School of Law has registered with Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board) to provide a new concentration focusing on financial planning as part of its Master of Arts in Law program. An independent certifying organization, CFP Board owns the CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification marks, which it awards to individuals who meet its education, examination, experience, ethics and other requirements. Students completing the financial planning curriculum at Regent will have met the Education requirement for the CFP® Certification Examination administered by CFP Board. “CFP Board is pleased to approve the program at Regent University as a CFP Board Registered P

Jack Manhire. Photo courtesy of Texas A&M University. Regent University alumnus Jack Manhire '97 (School of Law) leads his life and career with one philosophy: bloom where you're planted. In August, Manhire, his wife, and his family of nine children will re-root themselves to Fort Worth, Texas, as he takes on his new occupational role as director of program development at Texas A&M University School of Law. "Like most, my career wasn't a straight path. It took a few years and a few different jobs to find the right fit and a practice-specialization that resonated with me," said Manhire. "None of it was really planned out. I just remained open to new opportunities that came my way." For Manhire, this full-time teaching opportunity has been a dream in the making. In the midst of a successful career as the chief of legal analysi

Molly Bricker (right) visits with Sage and Sage's mother after surgery. Photo courtesy of A Liver for Sage Facebook page.   It was just a regular day at the nail salon. Molly Bricker, a rising 2L in Regent University's School of Law, was in the midst of her very first round of challenging finals in December 2014. She sat with her friend waiting among the colorful splashes of nail polish when a news story on the salon's television screen caught her eye: The little girl’s name was Sage, a five-year-old from Portsmouth, Virginia, who was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia as an infant – and in dire need of a new liver. Her early illness required a bone marrow transplant, rendering her blood type different from the rest of her family. Bricker was struck. "I remember thinking, 'This little girl is so cute, and so small and so happy,'" s

Seek justice. Encourage the oppressed. Plead the case of the orphan and the widow. These charges to believers and the growing interest in global justice spurred Regent University's School of Law to develop new concentrations in Human Rights and General Legal Studies for its Master of Arts in Law (M.A.) program, launching Fall 2015. Both of these 30-credit hour programs are designed for adult learners seeking to enhance their careers in fields such as business, human resources, criminal justice, national security and non-profit management. The concentration in General Legal Studies will include courses in Christian Foundations of Law, American Legal System & Writing, with the opportunity for students to complete 24 credits in one or more M.A. in Law concentrations. The Human Rights concentration will train graduate students in areas such as child advocacy, natio

In its spring 2015 edition, The National Jurist , a publication for aspiring law students, listed Regent University School of Law among schools such as Duke University, Wake Forrest University and Syracuse University as having highly effective practical training in the legal fields. The National Jurist also listed Regent as among 33 schools in the nation for its stellar bar exam preparation, listing its 80.91 percent bar pass rate among its competitors such as the University of Virginia, Penn State Law, and Baylor University. Read the full National Jurist article. "These objective measures validate the excellence of our curriculum, faculty and students. A school cannot excel without excellent students, and we are blessed with a quality student body. Our curriculum does an exceptional job of preparing our students both substantively and practically to excel in the practice of law," said Michael Hernandez, dean of Regent's School of Law. Programs with

After a year of national and international Moot Court competitions, Regent University's School of Law was ranked in the top 10 for Best Moot Court Program in the Andrews Kurth Moot Court National Championship rankings by the University of Houston Law Center. Regent was ranked 8th among 202 American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law schools in the United States, placing above schools such as Harvard School of Law, Yale School of Law and New York University School of Law. “Our ranking of 8th out of over 200 ABA accredited U.S. law schools validates the excellence of our curriculum, skills training, faculty, students and Moot Court program,” said Michael Hernandez, dean of the School of Law. “It was a true team effort, and I am very proud to have the privilege of leading the Regent Law School team.” Prior to his stepping into the role as dean, Hernandez has had a long-standing history with Regent’s Moot Court program. He’s been an important leader in the program s

Michael Hernandez and Jeffrey Brauch. Bar passage rates were a lackluster 40 percent when Jeffrey A. Brauch was appointed interim dean of the Regent University School of Law in 1999. Brauch knew a curriculum overhaul was needed to better prepare students, and he turned to trusted law school colleagues to lead the curriculum reforms, including Michael Hernandez, who played a central role. Fast forward 16 years, and Regent’s bar passage rates have improved significantly, exceeding the Virginia average in four of the past five years. Also, the school, the students and the faculty have earned numerous accolades under Brauch’s leadership. Now, Brauch is returning to the classroom, and Hernandez, a seasoned legal professor and faculty adviser of the nation’s 8th ranked Moot Court program, has been appointed dean of the Regent University School of Law, with the transition beginning immediately. “We’ve had a great run with Jeff as our leader. He has done an excellent job