Regent Law Clinic Expands to Help Address Housing and Evictions Crisis
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (January 18, 2022) – 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 a meaningful opportunity to stay in their homes and that eviction procedures are carried out in a fair and just manner.”
According to a survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, over six million American households reported that they are behind on rent, and over three million American households could be facing eviction.
In response to this crisis, the Regent law clinic has added the position of a housing fellow to assist Norfolk residents facing eviction. The housing fellow will be available to assist tenants in applying for rent relief, negotiating with landlords to help tenants avoid having an eviction filed against them and assisting clients in court with defenses to eviction. The clinic will be working with the local legal aid program to offer pro bono services to the low-income community.
The housing fellow position will be filled by Ilinka Robinson who is a 2020 graduate of Regent University School of Law. Robinson is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She worked as a paralegal prior to attending law school and has experience in the areas of special education law, immigration law, and complex business litigation.
Reflecting on the significance of the clinic’s expansion, Dean Martin noted, “I continually challenge our students and alumni to commit themselves to a greater purpose and to excellence. That includes using their gifts to benefit others, and our law clinic is a shining example of this commitment.”
To learn more about the Regent University School of Law, visit webdev.regent.edu/law.
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Founded in 1977, Regent University is America’s premier Christian university with more than 11,000 students studying on its 70-acre campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and online around the world. The university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in more than 150 areas of study including business, communication and the arts, counseling, cybersecurity, divinity, education, government, law, leadership, nursing, healthcare, and psychology. Regent University is ranked the #1 Best Accredited Online College in the United States (Study.com, 2020), the #1 Safest College Campus in Virginia (YourLocalSecurity, 2021), and the #1 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in Virginia for nine years in a row (U.S. News & World Report, 2021).
About Regent Law
Regent Law’s more than 4,465 graduates practice law in all 50 states and over 20 countries and include 38 currently sitting judges. The School of Law ranks in the top 11 percent of all law schools for graduates obtaining judicial clerkships and ranked 20th in the nation for Ultimate Bar Passage in 2019. The school offers the Juris Doctor (J.D.) in three-year and part-time formats, an online M.A. in Law, an online M.A. in Financial Planning & Law, an on-campus and online LL.M. in Human Rights, and an on-campus and online LL.M. in American Legal Studies.