Regent Law News

Regent University launched its M.A. in Law program in the fall of 2014. A year later, Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson saw the need for a Wealth Management and Financial Planning Concentration and it was added to the program. Regent Law is happy to announce that the Wealth Management and Financial Planning program has been renewed for two years by the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board of Standards. The board commended the diversity in Regent’s program, calling it “an important area of emphasis for the CFP Board and the profession in general.” The M.A. in Law with a Wealth Management and Financial Planning Concentration currently consists of 30 credit hours and covers the 72 topics required for all CFP Board-registered programs. Graduates of Regent’s program are eligible to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination. This program was developed a bit more than 2 years ago when Dr. Robertson realized that as our population ages, there is an increased need for quality, principled leaders...

Each quarter, Regent University’s Office of Academic Affairs honors faculty members with Faculty Excellence Awards. On November 7, Regent Law professor Lynn Marie Kohm was awarded the 2017 Faculty Excellence Award in the area of service. According to Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, executive vice president of Academic Affairs, Kohm “embodies the cheerful servant leader,” and claims that her most important service to LAW is her commitment to coordinating a student women’s discipleship group. “[Kohm] exemplifies servant leadership,” said Moreno-Riaño. “She works tirelessly to promote her school to external audiences … in her faculty development role, she passionately encourages faculty to develop their research and scholarship.” Congratulations to Professor Lynne Marie Kohm!

On November 7, the Public Interest Legal Advocates of Regent (PILAR), in partnership with Regent University School of Law Career and Alumni Services, hosted a panel titled, "Women in the Law." Panelists included Dannielle Hall-McIvor, Associate City Attorney for Virginia Beach City Attorney's Office; Jennifer Williams, Assistant Commonwealth Attorney from the Newport News Commonwealth Attorney's Office; Virginia Van Valkenburg, Assistant United States Attorney from the Eastern District of Virginia and Mr. Kevin Reep, Human Resources Manager for the US Attorney's office in Norfolk and proud father of Jessica Reep, a current 1L. The President and Vice President, Madeline Jones, and Leata Laidlow respectively, introduced the panel and moderated the questions. Regent Law students enjoyed lunch and a lively discussion about the unique aspects of being a woman in the legal profession, focusing on the female perspective and issues women encounter in the workplace and...

On November 3, twelve of our Regent Law Honors Program students traveled to Richmond, VA, to visit the Supreme Court of Virginia.  They met with the Honorable Donald W. Lemons, Chief Justice, for a lively discussion.  After hearing oral arguments in two cases, State Law Librarian Gail Warren spoke with the students about the court, its work, and its history.  Some students also were able to speak with the Honorable D. Arthur Kelsey, Justice, joined by his clerk, Alexandra McPhee (Regent Law 2017 grad).  In the afternoon, students toured the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and discussed the operation and work of this court with Patricia S. Conner, the Clerk of Court.

During Fall Semester 2017, Regent University School of Law (LAW) students who earned the highest marks for their spring semester courses received what’s known and revered within the law community as a book award at the Ronald L. Fick Book Award Ceremony. And though the book award honoring academic achievement for law students is longstanding, the tradition at Regent began just a few years ago, when Ronald Fick, father of Allison Fick ’14 (LAW) and shareholder and attorney at Dunwody White & Landon, P.A. in Palm Beach, Florida, discovered that no such recognition for students existed in the school. “[Fick is] a great friend of the law school and the university; he’s been a supporter of the school for years…and he’s also been a great advisor to me,” said LAW dean Michael Hernandez. “Most important, he’s a committed believer who integrates his faith with his practice – and he embodies exactly what Regent Law is about.” Fick, who was present for the ceremony, offered his congra...

On Friday, October 27, Virginia’s Board of Bar Examiners (VBBE) released the bar examination passage rates for Virginia law schools. Regent University School of Law (LAW) alumni who took the Virginia bar examination in July 2017 earned a 94.59 percent overall passage rate – the highest in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and more than 23 percent above the statewide average. “To finish first in the state like Virginia is an incredible accomplishment,” said LAW Dean Michael Hernandez. “I’m proud of our graduates, and I’m proud of our faculty that rallied around and supported our graduates. This is a validation of our program and I’m really thrilled with the results.” Regent LAW alumni who took the test ranked over other law schools in the state including University of Virginia (92.59 percent), George Mason University (79.37 percent), University of Richmond (79.37 percent) and Washington and Lee University (84.85 percent). Regent LAW’s bar passage in Virginia for first-time test take...

On Saturday, October 21, Regent University School of Law was honored to host the 2017 Capital Area Legal Writing Conference.  The conference brings together legal writing and academic success professionals from across the Mid-Atlantic region, including several folks from as far away as Rutgers and Penn State. The conference included presentations on topics such using learning theory to help students prepare for a successful bar experience, teaching citation format in small, short lessons, and incorporating social justice in the first-year legal writing curriculum. Regent Law Professor Janis Kirkland hosted the group with the assistance of Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Kimberly Van Essendelft and Regent Law Library Director Marie Summerlin Hamm. Professors Kirkland and Hamm presented a session entitled "Where the Rubric Meets the Road: Measuring Legal Analysis, Research, & Writing Competencies Across the Curriculum." “This conference provided a great opportunity...