Regent Law News

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (July 5, 2022) – Today, Regent University School of Law announced the appointment of two new members of its faculty, Erin Morrow Hawley and David D. Velloney.  Both Hawley and Velloney are graduates of Yale Law School.  Professor Hawley will teach constitutional law and serve as a senior fellow at the Robertson Center for Constitutional Law.  Professor Velloney will focus on criminal law, military law, and constitutional criminal procedure.   Professors Hawley and Velloney are the third and fourth professors added to the Regent Law faculty in the past year.  “We are incredibly fortunate to attract such exceptional teachers, mentors, and scholars to our faculty,” said Brad Lingo, dean of Regent University School of Law.  “Our students will love learning from professors Hawley and Velloney and benefit from the depth of experience and Christian perspectives they bring.” New Faculty Appointments: Erin Morrow Hawley: Associate Pro...

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (June 24, 022) – Today, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in  Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization , which overruled two major abortion cases;  Roe v. Wade  and  Planned Parenthood v. Casey.  The Robertson Center for Constitutional Law collaborated with the Christian Legal Society to file  an important friend-of-the-court brief  in support of the prevailing party. The Center’s brief argued that the Court should overrule  Roe  and  Casey  and allow states to craft abortion policy through the democratic process.  The Court agreed. “This is a generational victory for the pro-life movement and the rule of law,” said Brad Lingo, dean of Regent University School of Law and executive director of the Robertson Center for Constitutional Law.   “We were honored to partner with the Christian Legal Society and the Hon. Kenneth Starr on our brief,” said Mike Schietzelt, th...

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (June 7, 2022) — Regent University School of Law has received a reaffirmation of accreditation from the American Bar Association. Regent Law is also welcoming a new dean this month.  “Accreditation from the American Bar Association reflects Regent’s rigorous, high-quality legal education,” said Dr. William L. Hathaway, executive vice president for Academic Affairs at Regent University. “This reaffirmation further validates our commitment to providing the highest-quality academic experience for our law students.”  This announcement comes on the heels of another significant external affirmation for Regent Law. In March—for the first time in school history—U.S. News & World Report recognized Regent University School of Law among its top 147 ranked law schools.   The Regent University Board of Trustees also announced that it has appointed a new dean of the law school. “We are thrilled to welcome Bradley J. Lingo as dean of the Regent Universi...

Master of Arts in Law graduate Amanda Colemon was featured on page 10 of the May 2022 issue of Returning Citizens Magazine , "the official magazine of the justice involved community." Amanda’s story is one of overcoming huge obstacles, including homelessness, loss of her mother, rearing two small children alone, and finally surviving a stroke at age 29. Coming back as a self-proclaimed fighter in 2019, Amanda went on to launch “A Chance for Change,” providing recovery services for mental health, substance addiction, and recovery housing. The knowledge she gained from Regent University’s M.A. in Law program assisted Amanda in making a difference for these individuals. Learn more about A Chance for Change at www.chance4change.org

  Associate Dean Bradley Jacob presented “The Curse of Voting? Unintended Consequences of the 17th Amendment” on Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP in San Diego, CA. Professor Jim Duane will be presenting at the Fed Soc chapter of the Idaho Lawyers “ Tearing Down the Walls that Keep American Jurors in the Dark ,” on April 20, 2022. Recent academic work of the Robertson Center for Constitutional Law includes several updates.  Associate Dean Brad Lingo and Professor Mike Schietzelt have just posted to SSRN their most recent paper, “What Lord of the Rings Can Teach the Supreme Court About Abortion.”  It’s available here . They have also placed their most recent full-length article, “A Second-Class First Amendment Right?  Text, Structure, and Free Exercise After Fulton,” in the Wake Forest Law Review.  It will be published in September and can be downloaded here .  Additionally, Associate Dean Lingo ’s review of Judge Kenneth Starr...

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (March 29, 2022) – For the first time in its history, Regent University School of Law has been ranked among best law schools by U.S. News & World Report. In the 2023 Best Graduate Schools rankings published today, Regent was listed among the top 147 ranked law schools. “With great enthusiasm, I am honored to announce that Regent Law is officially a ranked law school,” said Mark Martin, Dean of Regent Law and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. “I’ve long known that Regent is an excellent law school—and one that is getting stronger every year.  It’s wonderful to see U.S. News recognize what is happening at Regent.  Receiving this recognition is an important affirmation of the high-quality, rigorous academics at Regent Law.”   The 2023 Best Graduate Schools rankings measured 192 law schools fully accredited by the American Bar Association. U.S. News & World Report based 60% of its rankings on objective measurement...

Regent Law alumna Jennifer B. Shupert ('03)was unanimously selected by Virginia Beach lawmakers for an open judicial seat on the Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court last week. Before coming to Regent Law, Shupert earned a degree in family studies and child development from Oklahoma Christian University. She told lawmakers "I believe that helping children and families through the process of family law is very rewarding," and "I have specialized my practice in the area of family law intentionally." ( dailypress.com ) Shupert has been practicing family law in the Commonwealth for eighteen years. She will be joining the bench from Shupert Chaing, where she was partnered with another Regent Law alumna, Cynthia Chaing.

Shemeka Hankins chose to pursue an education in law at a young age as the foundation for her aspiration to be president of the United States. Along the way, after earning a juris doctorate at Regent University School of Law, her presidential ambition fell away while her love of the law and helping others thrived. Hankins began her career as an assistant commonwealth attorney in Norfolk where she cut her teeth in public service, fine-tuning her trial skills and working with law enforcement.  After seven years there, she currently works at Invictus Law in Virginia Beach where she is a senior associate attorney and Director of the firm’s criminal law practice group. She works in state and federal courtrooms and provides leadership to staff, associates and interns.  Hankins also has a passion for mentoring others in the field, volunteering for many statewide legal organizations including Virginia Law-Related Education, which runs the mock trial program for high school studen...

The Black Law Student Association (BLSA) launched the celebration of Black History Month with a professional development networking event centered on the theme: “Raising the B.A.R. (Beatitudes, Accountability, and Representation) in the legal profession. The event was designed in conjunction with Regent University School of Law Career Services to provide students with the opportunity to learn more about professional development and interact with judges and leading professionals in the legal field. "We are thrilled to be collaborating with BLSA for the second year on a February flagship career program," said Rosey Rivera, Associate Director for Career Services & Alumni Relations. "Working together allows us to better provide our students with networking opportunities with a diverse group of prominent alumni and legal professionals in the community." The commencement speaker for the event was the Honorable Cleo Powell of the Supreme Court of Virginia. Special gues...

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (February 15, 2022) – Regent University is pleased to announce that it will launch a fully online Bachelor of Arts in Law degree program through the School of Law in Fall 2022.  “Our new law program is an innovative and important addition to our celebrated School of Law offerings,” said Dr. William Hathaway, executive vice president for Academic Affairs at Regent University. “This program is built on excellence and will equip graduates with the foundational understanding of law systems and the legal processes.”   The Bachelor of Arts in Law is ideal for students who wish to pursue a career in a legal setting, such as a parole officer, case manager, court specialist, law clerk, legal mediator, court-appointed special advocate, and more. Regent’s “3+3” program enables qualified B.A. in Law students to move into Juris Doctor studies after three years of undergraduate work—saving J.D. students both time and money.   “Regent Law Sch...

Regent University School of Law took immediate action to increase   housing stability and access to justice in Hampton Roads On January 28, the White House and the Department of Justice convened with Regent University School of Law and other law schools who responded to the  Attorney General’s Call to Action to the Legal Profession  to address the housing and eviction crisis. Regent Law – along with 98 other law schools in 35 states and Puerto Rico – immediately committed to helping prevent evictions. Regent Law expanded its law clinic by launching an Eviction Diversion Initiative and by hiring a full-time housing fellow to help provide free legal aid to the Hampton Roads community. Since August, the Regent Law clinic has already helped more than 600 struggling renters who qualify for free legal assistance. At least 65% of those households have children in them. “Five months ago, I asked the legal community to answer the call to help Americans facing evict...

In September 2019, Regent University School of Law opened a law clinic in Norfolk, Virginia to provide pro bono legal aid to the Hampton Roads community. Regent Law is expanding this clinic by hiring a full-time housing fellow to help address the mounting housing and evictions crisis.  “Innumerable families in our region are facing eviction or ongoing housing struggles related to the pandemic,” said Mark Martin, dean of Regent Law and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. “The government is asking the legal community to help address the current evictions crisis, and we are honored to answer the call.” U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland recently wrote an appeal to members of the legal community, saying, “I write to urge you to join me in helping to address the looming housing and evictions crisis.” He added, “The legal community has an obligation to help those who are most vulnerable. We can do that by doing everything we can to ensure that people have ...

  This week, students from Regent University School of Law participated in special events in Washington, D.C., including a personal meeting with U.S. Senator Thom Tillis. “We’re so grateful for leaders, like Senator Tillis, who are willing to share their experiences and wisdom with Regent Law students,” said Mark Martin, dean of Regent Law. “This meeting was a valuable opportunity for our students to prepare for the practical challenges—and the opportunities—that lie beyond graduation.” Senator Tillis and other distinguished guests engaged with Regent Law students to discuss the practical challenges posed by public service. Students also had an opportunity to interact with experienced lawyers with various professional backgrounds and specialties. Senator Tillis was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2006 and was selected by his peers to serve as Speaker of the House from 2011 to 2014. As Speaker, he played an instrumental role in enacting job-creating p...

Samuel A. Alito Jr., Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States ,  instructed law students at the Regent University  School of Law  during a special jurisprudence seminar entitled “Select Issues in Constitutional Interpretation.” The seminar took place on January 10-12, 2022. Alito was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2005 by President George W. Bush and was confirmed to the post by the U.S. Senate in January 2006. He had previously served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, nominated by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. He has served as U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey; deputy assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice; assistant to the solicitor general in the U.S. Department of Justice under the Reagan administration; and assistant U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey. Alito holds a Juris Doctor degree from Yale University, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Review. He was a law cler...

The Robertson Center for Constitutional Law had a busy December, with significant activity in three cases: On December 23, 2021, the Robertson Center filed an amicus petition for certiorari with the United States Supreme Court in Hedican v.Wal-Mart Stores .  Edward Hedican, a Seventh-day Adventist, lost his job as an assistant manager at Walmart before his first day of work.  The reason: he asked Walmart to let him rest on his Sabbath.  This is the legacy of  TWA v. Hardison , a 1977 case that weakened Title VII’s protections for religious employees. The brief, filed on behalf of the Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty, asks the Supreme Court to hear Mr. Hedican’s case, overturn  Hardison ,   and restore Title VII’s promise of a workplace free of religious discrimination.  It explains that  Hardison ’s error has been particularly harmful to Jews seeking to honor the Sabbath and religious minorities who seek working-class jobs. On December ...

Officials from Mid-Atlantic Christian University (MACU) and Regent University (RU) signed a memorandum of understanding that creates a cooperative arrangement whereby students may earn in six years of study both a bachelor’s degree from MACU and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from RU’s School of Law. In this program, students who enroll at MACU may choose one of three majors: Biblical Studies, Business Administration, or Counseling and Psychology. Upon successfully completing 90 credit hours toward the baccalaureate degree, students will be eligible to be considered for admission to Regent’s J.D. program. If admitted to the program, students will complete the first year of law studies at RU and transfer those credits back to MACU, thus finishing and earning a baccalaureate degree. After two additional years of successful course work at RU, students will earn a J.D. degree. This partnership saves a student one year of schooling. Instead of 7 years for a combined baccalaureate and...

  Congratulations to Shemeka Hankins (LAW '11) for being selected as one of this year’s Top 40 Under 40 by Inside Business! Honorees are considered outstanding young professionals who are successful in their careers and involved in actively improving the Hampton Roads community. Shemeka, who works as a criminal defense attorney, is passionate about mentoring others in her profession. Shemeka is the criminal law practice group director at Invictus Law. She specializes in drug charges and DUIs, working in both state and federal courts. From Norfolk, Shemeka enjoys the warm, welcoming, "small" big city community that thrives in the Hampton Roads region.  Perhaps some of Shemeka's success is attributable to her belief in the necessity of balance. She likes the saying "You can't pour from an empty cup." If you keep giving of yourself without refilling your own personal needs, you will end up coming up empty. Her advice to upcoming young professionals: ...