Regent Law News

Regent University School of Law is pleased to announce a student and faculty exchange agreement with Shantou University Law School in Shantou , China. Students and professors at both institutions will promote program goals which include studying law from a comparative legal perspective, providing service opportunities for alumni from each institution, and creating a forum for internationally-oriented scholarship. Regent Law and Shantou University Law School hope the program will enrich comparative cultural understandings between China and the United States, further strengthening the ties between their respective legal communities. Regent Law’s new study abroad program in China adds to a growing number of summer and semester opportunities including programs in Israel, Spain, France, and England, and South Korea. It also expands opportunities for legal scholarship within the Regent Journal of International Law, the first Christian academic journal dedicated to scholarly publications o...

In this July’s edition of Virginia Super Lawyers published by Law & Politics magazine, Shawn A. Voyles (’98) was recognized for the third time as a “Rising Star,” an award given to the best attorneys in Virginia under the age of forty. “[Being selected as a “Rising Star”] is a rewarding recognition because the selections are made solely on the basis of your peers’ votes,” said Voyles. Voyles has been practicing a broad range of civil litigation matters for 11 years and is currently partner at Crenshaw, Ware & Martin in Norfolk. “The most rewarding part of my job is solving problems for clients, which could mean litigating a matter through to judgment or negotiating a resolution which is acceptable to all parties,” he said. Also an adjunct professor of Admiralty Law at Regent University School of Law, Voyles enjoys giving back to the school that prepared him for his career. “Regent Law is top notch. My professors were friendly and accessible and modeled the character traits tha...

For 3L Kelly Duff, Regent Law’s Summer Program in Israel was the capstone on her graduate work in Middle East studies and law. For three years, she has been immersed in legal analysis and in learning the political landscape of the Middle East. For her, studying in Israel tied it all together. “When I ‘met’ Israel,” she said, “everything came alive. It was an exciting country, a traditional country, a beautiful country, a country that represents so many paradoxes.” Duff joined approximately 25 other students from Regent University to study Qur’anic and Biblical law and Israel’s unique international legal environment. From mid-May to early June, the group toured the country while studying the legal aspects of each site. The itinerary included Abu Ghosh, Bethlehem, Masada, En Gedi, Modi’in, Tiberias, Capernaum, Metulla, Caesarea, and Tel Aviv, while Jerusalem and Haifa served as home base. “The professors did a wonderful job weaving legal education into the historic surrounding...

For nearly 10 years, Valerie Payne (’09) has been passionate about the issue of human trafficking. As a student at Regent University School of Law, she invested much time in researching and writing about the issue, as well as informing others about the impact of modern day slavery. The culmination of her research was her student note, “On the Road to Victory in America’s War on Human Trafficking: Landmarks, Landmines, and the Need for Centralized Strategy,” published in the Spring 2009 issue of the Regent University Law Review. Payne’s original article was nearly preempted by the passing of the William Wilberforce Reauthorization Act in late December 2008. Payne admits that it was tempting to abandon the project at that point, but she sensed the urgency and importance of pushing through to publication. After many late nights and with the help of the Law Review staff she was able to reconfigure the article to address concerns born out of the new legislation. Payne’s diligence and outsta...

Regent University School of Law alumnus Stephen Casey’s work and accomplishments have prompted his undergraduate alma mater, LeTourneau University, to recently award him Young Alumnus of the Year. LeTourneau highlighted Casey’s calling and passion for the law in a special “Where Are They Now?” section of its quarterly alumni publication, NOW . After competing with graduates from nine other law schools in Texas as well as a cohort of Ivy League grads, Casey (Regent Law ’07) won a coveted judicial clerkship for Texas Supreme Court Justice Scott A. Brister. He has also been busy raising support as he runs for a seat in the Texas legislature, House District 52, Round Rock. The elections will be held in 2010. Read about LeTourneau’s recognition of this Regent Law Alum, as well as Casey’s solid understanding of what it means to use the gifts and skills of a lawyer to serve God, in this summer's issue of NOW .

Service to the community is a vital part of the legal profession. Year after year, Regent students show their dedication to the public through activities such as tutoring at the Norfolk Juvenile Detention Center, raising money to stock the food shelves of Hampton Roads, organizing fundraisers for disease prevention, and working at local legal aid agencies. To recognize and promote service among law students, Regent Law’s Office of Career and Alumni Services, in conjunction with the Virginia Bar Association, sponsors Making the Commitment each year. This state-wide program challenges students to complete at least 35 hours of volunteer service each academic year and recognizes individual accomplishments upon graduation. With 31 students completing 35 hours or more of service in the 2007-2008 academic year, Regent Law completed more pledges than any of the other 6 participating Virginia law schools. These hours of service have been completed all over the country at various civic, religiou...

Summer is heating up and so are the court rooms in Hampton Roads. Under the watchful eyes of local Hampton Roads judges, Regent Law judicial interns are honing their legal skills in each of the seven cities’ courts. In partnership with these courts, Regent Law’s 8-week Judicial Internship Program is giving students the chance to study the work of judges, perform legal research, and observe courtroom interactions. Started in 1998, the Judicial Internship Program currently provides 8-week summer internships for 31 Regent Law students at 15 Hampton Roads Courts including Circuit, Juvenile & Domestic Relations and General District Courts. In just the first week of the program, student interns have been able to sit in on civil and criminal court hearings and assist with other court duties. In the weeks that follow, many will rotate between various specialty courts, gaining exposure to the full operation of each court by the end of the program. Some interns will work on special projects...