Kerriel Bailey is an advocate for children as a Guardian Ad Litem in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Her persistence in seeking justice for the kids she represents precipitated her award as “Champion for Children” in the legal field in 2014. Outside of her work in family law, Kerriel also co-authored “They’ve Crossed the Line: A Patriot’s Guide to Religious Freedom” and works as an Adjunct Professor at Regent University.Kerriel’s journey to Regent Law and to a legal career started when she was already a homeschooling mom taking care of two boys. While in college, the birth of her son, Aaron, prevented her from finishing school, but she was inspired much later at a family member’s graduation ceremony to go back with hopes of finishing her Bachelor’s degree within ten years.
It was her experience as an undergraduate student at a secular college that sparked Kerriel’s interest in the law and her passion for bringing justice to those who have no voice. As she progressed through her American History class, it became clear that her professor was discriminating against her for her Christian perspective. When the professor found out that she had gone to the Dean about the situation, she asked her to step out of the room and laid into her, even physically hitting her in the face with her fingers, belittling Kerriel and denying the claim that she would grade unfairly.
“Let me tell you, that semester was one of the most trying times ever. I sought the Lord's face moment by moment to do excellent work and boldly share my faith amongst such overt hostility. It was at that time that I learned of the work of the American Center for Law & Justice. I used their resources as counsel and advice during that time so that I would know what my rights were in the public college setting. That is when the Lord sparked in my heart the desire to protect the religious liberties of people in America. The dream to become a lawyer was born out of a very difficult trial and God has seen that to fruition.”
“I was not only able to reach my goal of earning my BA in ten years, but I actually completed my Juris Doctor degree at Regent as well! During my second year in law school, I was one of only six individuals chosen to participate in a U.S. Supreme Court semester in Washington DC at the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ). When I returned from DC, I was hired as a law clerk at the ACLJ where I worked for over a year. Imagine the goodness of God sparking my interest and then allowing me to help others through my work at the ACLJ.”
Today, Kerriel owns her own practice, K. Bailey Law, PC. She said, “I represent a large number of children in my practice as a Guardian ad Litem which involves advocating for the best interest of children in custody and visitation cases, abuse and neglect cases, and foster care cases. This practice area is very rewarding because you truly can make a difference in the life of a child.” Having experienced severe abuse in her own childhood, Kerriel is able to bring compassion and zeal to her work that makes a big difference for the children she represents. She reflected, “As a result of my personal experience combined with excellent legal training, I can be that voice for the children and families. Children somehow know that I am a safe person and it is amazing how much they share with me. I can then use that information to improve their lives. It’s the kids that inspire me.”
Outside of her work in advocacy and family law, Kerriel is also an author and recently co-authored They’ve Crossed the Line. She said, “The reason I went to law school in the first place was because I was concerned that our religious liberty, guaranteed by the Constitution, was being trampled. Pennsylvania state representative Steve Bloom, whom I met through Regent and the Christian Legal Society asked me to co-author this book with him based on my work with the ACLJ.”When she is not working, Kerriel and her husband are both avid motorcyclists. She loves going on a ride on a beautiful day where she can take a moment to forget all of the situations she is handling at work.
When asked what advice she would give to other Regent University alumni, Kerriel said, “Do your best, unto the Lord. If you do excellent work with integrity, you will succeed.”