Regent Law Faculty Achievements – December 2017

Regent University’s School of Law Faculty members willingly share their knowledge and expertise beyond the classroom to spark scholarly debate and advance the practice of law. Their latest endeavors include the following.

 

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Professor Jeffrey Brauch just published his third book, Flawed Perfection: What It Means to Be Human and Why It Matters for Culture, Politics, and Law (Lexham Press 2017).

Associate Professor Gloria Whittico has accepted the offer to publish her article “The Rule of Law and the Genesis of Freedom: A Survey of Selected Virginia County Court Freedom Suits (1783-1800)” in 9.2 Alabama Civil Rights & Civil Liberties L. Rev. (2017). This article was also accepted for publication by the Richmond Public Interest L. Rev.

Assistant Dean Ernie Walton accepted the publication offer for his article, How Zivotofksy II and the Conservative Divide Over the Foreign Affairs Power Could Impact the Trump Administration, with Capital U. L. Rev. It was recently listed on SSRN’s Top Ten download list for: LSN: Trade Law (Topic).

Assistant Professor Caleb Griffin will publish his first piece The Hidden Cost of M&A, _ Colum. Bus. L. Rev. _ (forthcoming 2018).

Professor Ben Madison published a new casebook entitled “Federal Civil Pretrial Practice and Procedure.” He also published “Professional Identity and Professionalism,” in the ABA publication 24 Professional Lawyer (Fall 2017).

Director Marie Summerlin Hamm published a book chapter entitled “Courts and Case Law” in the new edition of A Guide to Legal Research in Virginia. Marie continues to edit the recurring “Law Libraries” column in each issue of the Virginia Lawyer.

Professor Lynne Marie Kohm published “Can a Dead Hand from the Grave Protect the kids from Darling Daddy or Mommie Dearest?” in 31 Quinnipiac Probate L. J. 1 (Nov. 2017). It is on the Top Ten Lists for:

• AARN: Family Law (Topic) Top Ten
• AARN: Kinship & Gender (Sub-Topic) Top Ten
• LSN: Children, Adoption, & Parenting (Topic) Top Ten
• LSN: Parent’s Rights & Obligations (Topic) Top Ten
• WGSRN: Family Law, Gender & Sexual Difference (Topic) Top Ten
• Women & Law eJournal Top Ten
• Law & Society: Private Law – Family Law eJournal Top Ten
• AARN: Kinship, Gender, the Body & Sexuality (Topic) Top Ten
• Wills, Trusts, & Estates Law eJournal Top Ten
• Family & Children’s Law eJournal All Papers
• Law & Society: Family Law, Relations & Dispute Resolution eJournal Top Ten

Associate Dean Natt Gantt published “Teaching Agape to Law Students,” 6 J. Christian Legal Thought 3 (Winter 2016).

Carol Rasnic, one of our adjunct scholar instructors, published a book review in The International Journal of Discrimination Law (United Kingdom), and an article in The Hungarian Labour Law Journal.

Professor Craig Stern published the lead essay, Authority to Pursue Charity is Not Granted to the State, in The Christian Lawyer, Vol. 13 (Fall 2017).

Professor Ben Madison’s most recent article, published in the ABA’s The Professional Lawyer, was featured on Dean Paul Caron’s Tax Prof Blog. Also, his piece, entitled “Professionalism and Professional Identity,” grew out of a presentation he did over the summer at the ABA’s Annual Professional Responsibility Conference in a panel entitled “Professional Identity Formation in Faith-Based and Public Schools.”

 

PRESENTATIONS

Sr. Lecturer Tom Folsom presented as a renowned scholar at the Texas A&M Center for Law and Intellectual Property Scholars Roundtable on Oct. 13-14 in Fort Worth, TX.

Professor Jim Duane was a key part of the Annual Meeting of the Boyd-Graves Conference of the Virginia State Bar, which took place on October 6-7, 2017, in Reston, Virginia. He will also be presenting on his book “Don’t Talk to the Police,” at the University of Arizona School of Law in March 2018.

Professor Lynne Marie Kohm presented The Best Interests of the Child in Family Policy, at the Family Policy Alliance Annual Conference, at Focus on the Family, July 26, 2017, Colorado Springs, CO.

Director Marie Summerlin Hamm attended in November the Thomson/West sponsored conference at Georgetown University entitled “The Future of Law Schools—Envisioning a More Collaborative Educational Model.”

Professor Jeff Brauch presented at the Advocates International Law Student Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, in July, which was attended largely by Handong International Law students. He also presented at Hope College in October on “The Christian and Human Rights.”

Professor Craig Stern presented a paper in October to a Christian conference in California. He also presented his work on “The Heart of Mens Rea and the Insanity of Psychopaths” for our Faculty Colloquium October 31. This work has already been downloaded more than 650 times.

Professor Bruce Cameron presented on Nov. 12, 2017 “EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch: Religious Discrimination Law Transformed” at the Adventist Attorneys Conference in Coronado, CA.

Director Janis Kirkland published Jennifer Franklin: Future Alpaca Farmer?, e Legal Writing Institute newsletter, LWI Lives. (Dec. 2017). She, along with Director Marie Summerlin Hamm also made a presentation on October 21, 2017, at the Capital Area Legal Writing Conference, Where the Rubric Meets the Road: Measuring Legal Analysis, Research, & Writing Competencies Across the Curriculum.

Associate Professor Brad Jacob presented Counting the Cost of Free Speech: Quarterbacks and Confederate Generals, at the Hampton Roads Federalist Society lecture/discussion, Norfolk, VA, November 9, 2017. He was also the moderator at the Convention of States Debate hosted by the Virginia Beach Tea Party, Virginia Beach, VA, November 1, 2017. Pardons, Impeachment, and Other Potential Perils for the President, was a lecture he presented to the Virginia Beach Republican Party, September 23, 2017, and The United States Constitution, was a lecture he presented to Mexican military officers at the Old Dominion University English Language Center, Norfolk, VA, August 24, 2017.

Associate Professor James Davids recently gave a series of presentations in the Ukraine. He spoke on Reformation of legal education in Ukraine at a Roundtable in University Shevchenko on Nov. 27; presented the Christian View of Law at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, and Reformation of legal education in Ukraine in a Roundtable in University Shevchenko, both on Nov. 28. He also presented a Christian view of Law at the National Aviation University; and presented Reformation of legal education in Ukraine in a Roundtable; and a Christian view of Law at the Financial and Legal College on Nov. 29. Davids also presented Reform of Legal Education in Ukraine in a Roundtable at Ternopil National Economic University on Nov. 30. He presented a Christian View of Law at the University King Daniel on Dec. 1, and two presentations at EELF on (1) Two Worldviews and Two Very Different Revolutions; and (2) Restoration of Economic Order through the Bible on Dec. 2. He also presented The Rule of Law in Theistic & Secular Democracies at Ostroh Academy on Dec. 3, and gave an interview on the TV program “10 Commandments” the same day. Finally, he presented The Rule of Law in Theistic & Secular Democracies at the International Economic and Humanitarian University in Rivne, and a Christian view of Law at Rivne State Humanitarian University on Dec. 5.

Professor Kim Van Essendelft presented “Opinion Writing: Beyond the First Draft” in Richmond at the Conference for Virginia Hearing Officers, an annual event organized by the Educational Services Department of the Supreme Court of Virginia. Her presentation was very well-received!

 

SCHOLARLY IMPACT

Associate Professor Gloria Whittico’s article, “‘A Woman’s Pride and a Mother’s Love’: The Missouri Freedom Suits and the Lengths and Limits of Justice,” was recently listed on SSRN’s Top Ten download list for: WGSRN: Women, Status & Power (Topic).

Professor Lynne Marie Kohm posted older articles to her SSRN page:

• Of Princesses, Charities, Trustees, and Fairytales: A Lesson of the Simple Wishes of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, 21 Hawaii L. Rev. 393 (Winter 1999) with J. Robert M. M. Seto.
• The First Amendment, Homosexual Unions, and “Newspeak”: Has the Language Surrounding the Marriage Debate Altered the nature of Marriage Itself, or Affected the truth of the Issues Inherent in Alternative marriage Demands? 4 Liberty U. L. Rev. 593 (2010).
• The Rising Tide of Juvenile Violence: The Natural Disaster of Values Free Education, Culture and Families, 1 Barry U. L. Rev. 109 (2000).
• Sex at Six: The Victimization of Innocence and Other Concerns over Children’s “Rights,” 36 Brandeis J. Fam. L. 361 (Summer1997)(co-authored with Maria E. Lawrence).
• On Mutual Consent to Divorce: A Debate with Two Sides to the Story, 8 Appalachian J. L. 35 (2008).

Her article, “The Challenges of Teaching Gender Equality in a World of Reproductive Gendercide,” was recently listed on SSRN’s Top Ten download list for WGSRN: Other Reproductive Health (Sub-Topic). Her article “A Christian Perspective on Gender Equality,” was recently listed on SSRN’s Top Ten download list for WGSRN: Gender & Religion (Topic) and has been downloaded more than 300 times.

Professor Craig Stern’s “Human Rights in East Africa” has a widely increased impact with downloads here.

 

In the Media:

• View Professor Jim Duane’s latest appearance in the local news.
• View Professor Lynne Marie Kohm’s CBN News spot on Masterpiece Cakeshop at SCOTUS
• Professor Brad Jacob (joined by the D-man, a law student) did a fabulous job on WNIS radio covering the issues raised in Masterpiece Cakeshop in the context of some challenging questions.
• View Professor James Duane’s recent interview online at thePMshow.tv.

 

NATIONAL IMPACT & RANKING

On Sept 1 Regent Law moved into #121 in SSRN ranking, on Oct. 1 we moved into #119, and then on Nov. 1 we moved into #117, achieving our highest 12-month download in Regent Law history. As of December 1, our latest SSRN ranking is up 3 slots to #114. We look forward to our faculty meeting on January 12 to enhance our scholarly impact to approach head-on our strategy to break into the top 100 of all law schools.

Several Regent Law faculty have been listed among the top 10% of authors on SSRN by total new downloads within the last 12 months, but more recently as top 10% of authors for all-time downloads, as well.

Regent Law Faculty members who rank in the top 10% of SSRN articles downloaded over 12 months, include: James Duane, Craig Stern, Mike Hernandez, Lynne Marie Kohm, and Jeff Brauch.

Regent Law Faculty members who rank among the top 10% of authors on SSRN by total new downloads in the last 12 months include: Natt Gantt and Ben Madison.