Regent Law News

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 ...