Regent Law News

Stephen Pfeiffer is a partner at Wolcott Rivers and Gates, one of the oldest and largest law firms in Virginia Beach. Stephen practices primarily in criminal defense on the state and federal levels, but he specializes in DUI defense, and is known by many as the “go-to lawyer” for DUI/DWI in his area. He lives in Virginia Beach with his wife Shelly, whom he met in law school at Regent, their two children, and his father. Stephen’s journey to Regent University’s School of Law began with a major shift in his life during the final year of his undergraduate studies. As a college football player, Stephen’s relationship with God and the church was distant and often non-existent throughout his time in college, but during his senior year, the message of the gospel changed his heart and he decided to put his life in God’s hands. As a new and maturing believer, going to a law school with Christian values was a must for Stephen, and Regent’s robust Christian values and decorated faculty caught...

Regent's Moot Court Team. Photo courtesy of Michael Hernandez. Regent University's School of Law has been ranked as the nation's sixth best Moot Court program out of all American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law schools in the United States by the University of Houston Law Center's annual report. Regent is ranked among schools such as George Washington School of Law, Columbia Law School, and Cornell University Law School. On Saturday, March 8, law students Renee Knudsen '16, Palmer Horst '16 and Marie Dienhart '16 did their part, becoming one of four groups from of 191 competing teams to advance from the regional round of the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition in St. Louis, Missouri. The team also took home the third-best brief award. Veteran moot court and School of Law professor Michael Hernandez coached the team. ...

Benjamin Nolot. Just a few weeks ago, box offices around the globe hit shattering records with the release of a blockbuster film celebrating sex as a form of submission and entertainment. But on Saturday, Feb. 21, Regent University's Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law along with the Regent Journal of Global Justice and Public Policy, hosted the fourth annual Global Justice Symposium: Human Rights and the Sexualization of Culture. The symposium featured panel discussions of leading experts who delved into the hyper-sexualized topics of the foundation of human rights; areas where there are certainly more than fifty shades of grey. "It was incredibly relevant and timely content for the world today," said Ernie Walton '11 (School of Law), administrative director for the Center f...

 Regent Moot Court Team at the GW School  of Law Religious Freedom Moot Court  competition.  Photo courtesy of Tessa Dysart. Regent University School of Law teams are continuing their victorious arguing streaks at various competitions in the United States. Earlier in February, two Regent Law Moot Court teams competed at the George Washington School of Law Religious Freedom Moot Court competition. Out of the 28 teams competing, both of Regent's School of Law teams continued to the semi-final rounds. "I am very proud of both teams; the students put in an incredible amount of work to prepare for the competition," said Tessa Dysart, associate professor in the School of Law. "Clearly their hard work paid off." Regent has entered this competition for three years running, earning several prestigious accolades along the way. This year, Danielle Bianc...

Fourth Annual Global Symposium Inoculation occurs when an immunization enters the bloodstream. The heart pulses the antidote, fortifying the body against the disease. What's true in today's medical culture also holds true in the current climate of sex in the media: Viewers bombarded with explicit images are less troubled by them. Regent University's School of Law will explore this phenomenon in the context of Human Rights and the Sexualization of Culture during the fourth annual Global Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law symposium on Saturday, Feb. 21. The event will explore the growing desensitization of sexual autonomy in today's culture, particularly regarding sex as a business and children as property. "This symposium is important, because it calls forth discussion of topics that are at the forefront of culture but that many Christians are unwilling to talk about," said Ernie Walton, director of Regent's Center for Global J...

Michael Hernandez This January, the Virginia Bar Association (VBA) announced the election of Regent University School of Law professor, Michael Hernandez, into the Inaugural Pro Bono Council. The council will advance its efforts to provide voluntary legal aid to those in the Commonwealth of Virginia who are unable to afford it. "A lot of times lawyers will agree to take a certain number of cases where they don't charge for it," said Hernandez. "You're essentially donating your time." Among the council, Hernandez is the only representative who is a professor of law. As a result, he intends to concentrate his efforts as a member of the council to gain broader student participation in pro-bono work. "I'll be more intentional about it," said Hernandez. "Mainly, I'll encourage third-year law students to get their practicing certificate and do some of it themselves." Hernandez explained that Christ's missi...

            The South African Bill of Rights [1] is foundational [2] in South African democracy, and clearly states, “No one may be subjected to slavery, servitude or forced labour.” [3] The Bill of Rights also includes a special provision for children that includes, “Every child has the right . . . (f) not to be required or permitted to perform work or provide services that ­— (i) are inappropriate for a person of that child's age; or (ii) place at risk the child's well-being, education, physical or mental health or spiritual, moral or social development.” [4] The South African Constitution and Bill of Rights were adopted in 1996, thus making South Africa a relatively young democracy. Therefore, many of South Africa’s challenges are found in the tension between traditional customs and new law.             In the United States Department of State’s 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report, South Africa...