Center for Global Justice Annual Report for Academic Year 2013-2014 by Regent University School of Law

Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law

Annual Report for Academic Year 2013-2014

Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law: Annual Report “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” Isaiah 1:17 (ESV). With more and more students coming to Regent University School of Law citing verses like Isaiah 1:17 in their applications and stating unequivocally that they were pursuing a legal career because God was calling them to be an advocate for the oppressed, the School of Law knew it needed to respond. Accordingly, the School launched the Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law in October of 2010. The center’s mission is to equip Christian advocates who will promote the rule of law and seek justice for the world’s downtrodden—the poor, the oppressed and the enslaved—and to serve and support those already engaged in such advocacy. In less than four years, we have watched the Lord use the center to accomplish great things. Students are being equipped, organizations in the field are being supported, and victims are receiving justice. God continues to open doors for us to have influence around the globe, and we are excited to see where He will take us in 2015 and beyond.

S. Ernie Walton

But before we look to the future, it is crucial to remember what God has already done. In just the past few years, God has used the center in so many different ways. Whether supporting anti-trafficking initiatives in the United States, advancing the rule of law in war-torn African nations, protecting religious freedom in Europe and South America, or combatting child sacrifice in Uganda, the Center’s reach and impact are already global and still growing. Please take a look at the following pages to see what we have done over the past few years and how you can support our work.

— S. Ernie Walton, Esq. Administrative Director

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY COURSE OFFERINGS ................................................................................................4 The Center for Global Justice sponsors both traditional and experiential courses at the School of Law. One such course is the Child Advocacy Practicum (CAP), an experiential course led by Professor Lynne Kohm. In 2013, students in the CAP submitted an amicus brief to the Virginia Supreme Court in L.F. v. Breit, a case involving a custody conflict between unmarried parents who had a child using assisted reproductive techniques. The center’s brief focused solely on advocating the best interests of children born through ART. The court not only adopted the center’s position in its opinion, but the Virginia Code was also amended to ensure all children are protected in similar situations. *Funding Needed: To offer all the courses the center wishes to offer, the center requires $44,000.

INTERNSHIPS...........................................................................................................5 Our internship grant program provides students funded internships with legal organizations around the globe where they work on combatting human trafficking, advancing the rule of law, protecting children, securing religious freedom, and related human rights issues. This past summer, students served in Uganda, India, South Korea, France, Mexico, and throughout the United States. *Funding Needed: To sponsor 20 internships each summer, the center requires $100,000.

STUDENT STAFF ......................................................................................................8 To provide law students with additional practical experience in the legal protection of human rights, students volunteer with the center each semester to work on legal projects for other organizatons, such as writing reports, drafting amicus briefs, and conducting research projects. This past year, the center completed various projects, including drafting a memorandum on child sacrifice that will be submitted to the Uganda government. *Funding Needed: To submit two amicus briefs, one per semester, the center requires $2,000.

SPECIAL EVENTS ....................................................................................................11 Each year the center sponsors numerous special events, including conferences, panel discussions, CLE programs, symposia and more. Events from this past academic year include a luncheon featuring James Baak, former “Lost Boy” of Sudan; the North Korea Human Rights Summit; Advancing the Rule of Law in East Africa, the third annual symposium of the Center for Global Justice; and the Guardian Ad Litem CLE certification for Virginia attorneys. The center also recently launched its East Africa Initiative, which focuses on building the rule of law and protecting human rights in East Africa, including in the world’s youngest nation, South Sudan. *Funding Needed: To cover our events and East Africa Initiative, the center requires $50,000.

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COURSE OFFERINGS To help fulfill its mission to equip Christian advocates to promote the rule of law and seek justice for the oppressed and voiceless around the world, the Center for Global Justice sponsors both traditional and experiential courses at Regent Law. These courses include Human Trafficking, International Religious Freedom, Comparative Children’s Rights, NGO Creation & Management, the Child Advocacy Practicum and the Immigration Practicum. The Center also sponsors a Human Rights LL.M.

Course Highlight: Child Advocacy Practicum Led by renowned faculty member Lynne Marie Kohm, the Child Advocacy Practicum (CAP) has been a huge success. In just three years, the students in the practicum have made a huge impact on the lives of children throughout the world. One of CAP’s top projects was the submission of an amicus brief on behalf of the Center for Global Justice in the high profile case of L.F. v. Breit. While the main issues in the case centered on the rights and duties of the parents with respect to a child born through assisted reproductive techniques (ART), the center’s brief, written by CAP students and Center for Global Justice student staff members under the supervision of Professor Kohm, aimed solely at “encourage[ing] a judicial role that protects the best interests of defenseless children of assisted conception Lynne Marie Kohm, Participating when parents are unmarried.” Children resulting from ART are extremely Faculty, Center for Global Justice vulnerable and absolutely require their parents to protect their interests. When that does not happen, children are irreparably harmed. In this case, a court was asked to intervene to remedy this family breakdown, and the Center for Global Justice participated in that litigation. The center argued that a child should not be deprived of a parent, in this case her father, when her other parent (in this case her mother) argued that her father was simply a sperm donor rather than an intended parent. In L.F. v. Breit, the center saw a chance for a child to be deprived forever of one of her intended parents, something certainly not in her best interests. Our brief focused on the injustice in that scenario for any child, arguing that a child has an interest in knowing her parents, an interest protected by federal constitutional law, Virginia law, and good public policy on families. The Court adopted concepts set forth in our brief (and used some of our research verbatim) regarding the best interests of a child resting in the opportunity to have both a father and a mother involved in her life and the duty of the State to protect those interests when parents do not. The Supreme Court of Virginia recognized that children need a mother and a father, and should be able to know and have a relationship with both parents. You can find the Court’s opinion here (see pages 24-26 of that document for relevant discussion). This case is most significant as it is the first time that any court has recognized a child’s interest in knowing and having a relationship with her parents. This devleoment is particularly important because this interest is recognized not in a “rights” framework, but in a “best interests” framework, which better protects children. (See, e.g., Lynne Marie Kohm, Suffer the Children: How the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Has Not Supported Children, 22 N.Y. Int’l. L. Rev. 57 (Summer 2009)). As a result of this case and the center’s brief, not only will L.F. know her father, but all children

born in similar situations to L.F.’s will have the opportunity to know their parents as well. In March of 2013, the General Assembly amended the Virginia Code by adding § 1-240.1, entitled, Rights of Parents: “A parent has a fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education, and care of the parent’s child.” The General Assembly noted that it was their express intent to codify the opinion of the Supreme Court of Virginia in L.F. v. Breit as it relates to parental rights. *Funding Needed: To offer all the courses the center wishes to offer at the School of Law each year, the center requires $44,000.

INTERNSHIPS Our internship grant program provides students funded internships with legal organizations around the globe where they work on combatting human trafficking, advancing the rule of law, protecting children, securing religious freedom, and related human rights issues. Through this program, students gain hands-on legal experience, and many experience firsthand what it is like to work in another country. To date, 60 interns have served in countries including Cambodia, France, Greece, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Nepal, Russia, Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Malawi, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, in the Middle East, and throughout the United States. Here is a small sampling of a few of our interns from the past two years.

Abigail Skeans, 3L | Children’s Justice Initiative (Sixty Feet) – Uganda Protection of Children After a groundbreaking summer internship in 2012 with Sixty Feet, 3L Abigail (“Abby”) Skeans returned to Uganda to expand on the work she began the previous year. Sixty Feet is a Christian nonprofit organization that exists to bring hope and restoration in Jesus’ name to the imprisoned children of Uganda by addressing various problems in the juvenile justice system. According to some estimates, nearly 85 percent of the imprisoned children in Uganda should never have been exposed to the juvenile penal system at all, while the other 15 percent remain in prison much longer than necessary because they have no voice to advocate on their behalf.

Abigail Skeans, 3L

During her second consecutive internship with Sixty Feet, Abby expanded on her prior work by designing and implementing a legal literacy clinic for juveniles. The focus of the clinic was to provide legal training to juveniles in the justice system in order to empower them to “fairly and competently access justice.” Abby used various creative methods, including scavenger hunts, art, music, and crossword puzzles, to educate the children about their constitutional rights and duties as Ugandan citizens. Abby also continued her work with the Ugandan Judicial System’s J-FASTER program (Judiciary Facilitating A

Speedy Trial and Efficient Resolution), which uses the legal procedure of plea bargaining to provide juveniles with more timely access to justice. Through this program, Abby was able to help 30 juveniles, all arrested for capital offenses, to obtain access to justice, timely post-conviction sentencing, and resettlement in their communities. After two summer internships and working with Sixty Feet throughout the school year, Abby has seen the Lord use her to accomplish significant change in the Ugandan juvenile justice system. According to Abby, she was “grateful that Sixty Feet allowed her to remain involved during the past year and is humbled to have Sixty Feet’s trust and respect as she seek[s] to institutionalize the justice work in Uganda and seek out opportunities to expand in other contexts throughout Africa.”

Kyle Carter, 3L | Freedom Firm – India Human Trafficking Kyle Carter spent the summer after his 2L year fulfilling his calling as a human rights advocate by helping protect girls from sexual abuse. Kyle’s internship was centered in Pune, India with the Freedom Firm, which is directed by Regent School of Law alumnus Evan Henck (’07). Freedom Firm is an anti-trafficking NGO that seeks to eradicate child sex trafficking in the red-light district of India. Freedom Firm carries out its mission by conducting on-the-ground investigations of red light areas known for exploiting children, assisting police in conducting raids, using its legal resources to prosecute traffickers, and offering rescued girls hope through effective aftercare treatment. While at Freedom Firm, Kyle assisted with researching and writing two briefs for public interest litigation in Kyle Carter, 3L India’s High Court. According to Kyle, both briefs “focused on imploring the High Court to issue directives holding the appropriate authorities accountable to the law and to remedy their actions in perpetuating inadequate protection of the victim minor girls.” In addition to assisting with these briefs, Kyle conducted various research projects, including the status of several cases, methods for more effectively using public resources to prosecute traffickers, and general Indian law relating to developing businesses in which former trafficking victims can participate to earn a living. He was also able to attend court to gain an understanding of the Indian justice system and participated in planning two raids on local brothels. Kyle also had the opportunity to argue at India’s High Court before the public prosecutor why a particular case needed extra resources and attention in order to bring justice. Freedom Firm provided Kyle with the opportunity to conduct substantive legal work and gain valuable insight into the inner workings of the criminal justice system in India. According to Kyle, “Working in India with Freedom Firm was a wonderful experience. My goal of gaining expertise and professional knowledge to combine with my legal studies in preparation for my career as an advocate in human rights were attained far beyond my meager plans.”

Jessica Krentz, 2L | Land and Equity Movement & Northern Uganda Land Platform – Uganda Protection of Children & Rule of Law When asked to describe her summer in Uganda working for Land and Equity Movement (“LEMU”) and the Northern Uganda Land Platform (“NULP”), rising 2L Jessica Krentz called it one of the “hardest and best” experiences of her life. According to Jessica, “land is being stolen from the weak by the powerful. The weak have nothing other than their land—and when that is taken away, cyclical, desperate poverty is conceived.” LEMU, a Christian nonprofit organization, seeks to protect the weak, primarily widows and orphans, by combatting land grabbing and promoting a harmonized and effective justice system for society’s most vulnerable people. NULP assists organizations like LEMU by uniting various organizations that are working to combat land grabbing and by organizing data and resources.

Jessica Krentz, 2L

During her time working with LEMU, Jessica assisted in their mission of combatting land grabbing by creating a report that analyzed various case strategies for resolving land grabbing conflicts and by drafting various policy briefs—all being published. One particular brief focusing on the negative effects land grabbing has on wetlands is currently being circulated among various NGOs, environmental officers, the Egyptian Embassy, and even the Ugandan National Environment Management Authority. Through this one, ten-page brief, Jessica likely will have convinced the Ugandan government to take a much more active role in combatting land grabbing—and therefore in protecting the oppressed. While working with NULP, Jessica proved to be an invaluable member of the team as she helped NULP gather data and organize a comprehensive report discussing whether alternative dispute resolution is an effective method for resolving land grabbing cases. The report likely will be utilized by numerous NGOs with which NULP partners. During her internship, Jessica gained valuable, practical legal research and writing skills, in addition to gaining insight into the depth of the problem of land grabbing in Uganda and the devastating effects it has on the poor. According to Jessica, “Everything I did that was work-related was a fantastic experience. I learned so much from my internship, and I was able to provide some much-needed assistance to both groups along the way. God is on the move in land conflict resolution in Uganda.”

Kevin Hoffman, 2L | International Justice Mission – Rwanda Human Trafficking/Rule Of Law Development “Holistic Immersion” is the phrase that best describes the experience of Kevin Hoffman the summer following his first year in law school. Kevin spent the summer in Kigali, Rwanda, working with International Justice Mission’s (IJM) Rwandan office, living out his passion for justice and service, while spreading the love of Christ to those around him. IJM is most wellknown for its anti-human trafficking work throughout the world. In Rwanda, however, the focus is assisting the Rwandan government in the prosecution of criminal and civil cases of child sexual assault. During his internship Kevin was entirely immersed in IJM’s work, allowing him to gain an invaluable holistic experience – legally, emotionally, and spiritually. Kevin’s work in research and briefing the legal team, as well as sitting through multiple court hearings, Kevin Hoffman, 2L provided him with a solid understanding of the Rwandan civil legal system. Kevin was able to work with several NGOs during his time in Rwanda and assist their efforts in drafting new Legal Aid Policy. He also assisted the IJM Rwanda office in tackling challenges presented by a change in Rwandan law regarding volunteer visas so volunteers may continue the work of IJM in Rwanda in the long term. Most memorably, Kevin had the opportunity to attend client hearings. He describes one this way: “The sheer emotional impact of riding to court in the same vehicle as one of our four-year-old-clients and her father was both heartbreaking and inspiring. The impact of this stayed with me for the remainder of my internship.” This and several of his other experiences will follow Kevin in his pursuit of justice and service through his legal career as he continues to be an ambassador of Christ “sharing the love of God with people who are hurting.” *Funding Needed: $100,000: Every year, the center aspires to provide grants to at least 20 passionate law students to cover the costs of their internships. Sponsoring one intern generally costs $5,000. This funding is absolutely crucial. Without the grant, most, if not all, of the students would not be able to complete the internships. Because of our internship grant program, the oppressed are receiving justice, students are gaining valuable legal experience, and the organizations working in the field receive an effective legal intern free of charge.

STUDENT STAFF To provide Regent law students with additional practical experience in the legal protection of human rights, students volunteer with the center each semester to plan events and work on legal projects, such as writing reports, drafting amicus briefs, and conducting research projects. The projects involve the center’s four focus areas—the rule of law, human trafficking, the protection of children, and religious freedom internationally—and are often conducted on behalf of other legal organizations around the world. The Student Staff has anywhere from 15-30 members each semester. A summary of some of our core projects follows. © 2015 CENTER FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THE RULE OF LAW | REGENT.EDU/GLOBALJUSTICE

Rule of Law Several students have been researching and drafting a memorandum on South Sudan that will ultimately make several recommendations, based on comparative studies of other nations that have changed their legal systems, on what South Sudan should do to help change from sharia to common law. The report will provide background information on South Sudan, including its history, demographics, and current legal system. It will also highlight particular barriers to making the transition to common law. Ideally, the report will be used as a tool for the South Sudanese as they move forward. A second project involving South Sudan and the rule of law is the creation of a comprehensive Christian lawyer’s manual for South Sudanese lawyers. The manual will provide resources to help lawyers put Christ first in their work. In addition to our work relating to South Sudan, student staff members assisted International Justice Mission, Kenya in the spring of 2014, in its efforts to prosecute cases of sexual violence, protect the poor from police abuse of power, and secure the release of innocent men and women who have been wrongfully imprisoned. Students conducted research and drafted memoranda for the IJM Kenya office in preparation for their summer internships.

Human Trafficking Student staff members have been working on several projects involving human trafficking. In the fall of 2013, students completed for Truckers Against Trafficking a database that will help identify trafficking hot spots along trucking routes and designate the proper jurisdiction to respond to incidents of trafficking. In the spring of 2014, student staff members worked closely with Shared Hope International, a Christian NGO dedicated to combatting domestic minor sex trafficking, on the Protected Innocence Challenge. Under the Protected Innocence Challenge, every state receives a report card that grades the state on 41 key legislative components that must be addressed in a state’s laws to respond effectively to the sex trafficking of minors. Students assisted Shared Hope by completing and updating legislative framework charts and completing other research projects. A number of students created a framework chart for analyzing state laws with respect to how states process tips made to law enforcement and other nonprofit crime fighting organizations. Is the tipster’s identity confidential? Can police officers use the information provided by the tipster at preliminary hearings or trial without violating the Confrontation Clause? These questions and more were answered through the students’ research. This research was turned into a presentation made by School of Law professor and resident human trafficking expert, Kathleen McKee, and student staff member Jennifer Breedon at a Crime Stoppers training conference in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Protection of Children The center’s recent primary student staff project related to the protection of children has focused on the issue of child sacrifice in Uganda. In the summer of 2013, the center sent rising 3L Heather Pate to work with Kyampisi Child Care Ministries, a Christian NGO dedicated to protecting Ugandan children. As KCM’s first legal intern, Heather provided KCM much needed legal guidance. Through her research and investigative work, Heather discovered that there were various gaps in Uganda’s laws relating to child sacrifice. She also discovered that over 60 cases of child sacrifice had been inexplicably dismissed from the Ugandan court system. Thanks in part to Heather’s work, the government of Uganda is exploring new steps to combat child sacrifice. In the spring of 2014, several student staff members researched the Heather Pate current state of the law in Uganda regarding child sacrifice. Currently, Uganda criminalizes child sacrifice under its human trafficking statute, although the connection is not explicitly clear from the text of the statute. Thus, many prosecutors try these cases under traditional murder or kidnapping charges. While those charges are certainly on point, it is important that Uganda deal with the issue head on and recognize the novelty of this crime. Like trafficking, child sacrifice often involves different motivation from that of murder or kidnapping and does not always fit nicely into one of those categories. Student staff members drafted a memorandum that outlines what child sacrifice is, the current state of the law in Uganda relating to child sacrifice, and how best to protect child sacrifice survivors during prosecution. The memorandum was forwarded to members of all three braches of the Ugandan government.

International Religious Freedom In the fall of 2013, student staff assisted Alliance Defending Freedom’s (ADF) Vienna office with a legal project that highlighted the difficulties of European “religious communities” (churches) in obtaining legal personality with their civil governments. Onerous registration laws prevent many churches from obtaining tax-exempt status or purchasing land. The research and writing assistance provided by the center’s Student Staff was incorporated into a booklet to be published, dispersed, and used as a springboard for presentations before various international forums, such as the Human Dimension and Implementation Meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. In the spring of 2014, student staff members monitored all new cases before the European Court of Human Rights to determine whether the center or ADF may want to seek to intervene in the case as a third party. ADF intervened in one case, Nagy v Hungary, a case involving an ecclesiastical dispute in a Hungarian church. Student staff members provided ADF research assistance for its brief. Finally, student staff also completed a legal memorandum on behalf of Christian Solidarity Worldwide relating to Bolivia’s new church registration law, Law 351. Under this law, all religious organizations must reregister with the government to maintain their legal personality (and the attendant benefits that come with legal personality, e.g., tax exemption). Dangerously, the law defines a “religious organization” as an organization that conducts its “worship and belief practice”s for the spiritual and religious development of “the horizon of Living Well.” “Living Well” is an animistic worldview of the indigenous Andean people that holds that everything is connected and living, that we must live in harmony and balance with mother earth, and that humans are part of mother earth. Thus, any church that registers with the

government must agree that it carries out its religious practices for the development /advancement of this pagan worldview. *Funding Needed: To submit two amicus briefs, one per semester, the center requires $2,000.

SPECIAL EVENTS To further the center’s goals of equipping advocates for justice and of serving and supporting those working in human rights, the center sponsors a broad range of special events, including conferences, panel discussions, CLE programs, symposia and more. Events from years past include panels of government leaders discussing immigration issues; CLE training in humanitarian visas for law enforcement and attorneys; a film screening and follow-up roundtable discussion of a documentary exploring the root causes of trafficking in various countries; a mini-symposium exploring each state’s laws regarding the sexual exploitation of minors; and the center’s annual symposium fostering an academic and legal discussion of various human rights issues. Below are summaries of events from this past academic year, as well as an overview of the center’s recently launched East Africa Initiative.

Guardian Ad-Litem Certification On March 14, 2014, the Center for Global Justice hosted the seven credit CLE certification course to become a guardian ad-litem (GAL) for children in Virginia. GALs are attorneys appointed by a judge specifically to provide independent recommendations to the court about the child’s best interests, which can be different from advocating for what the client wants, and to bring balance to the decision-making process. Although normally offered for a fee, Virginia CLE agreed to offer the course free of charge to all third-year law students intending to sit for the Panel at Advancing the Rule of Law in East Africa Virginia bar examination in the summer of 2014. The Center for Global Justice paid for all materials for third-year students and provided lunch and coffee to all participants. A total of 29 students attended. Three local attorneys attended the event as well.

Annual Symposium: Advancing The Rule Of Law In East Africa On February 21-22, 2014, the Center for Global Justice hosted its third annual symposium entitled: Advancing the Rule of Law in East Africa. The symposium spanned two days and featured prominent speakers: Cynthia Alkon, associate professor of law, Texas A&M; The Honorable Mike Chibita, director of public prosecutions and former Justice of the High Court, Uganda; Kevin Cope, visiting associate professor of law, Georgetown; Brian Dennison, law faculty lecturer at Uganda Christian University; Jim Gash, interim director of Global Justice Program and professor of law, Pepperdine; Michelle Hughes, founder and CEO, VALRAC Innovation, LLC, and former senior executive in the U.S. Department of Defense; Ambassador Dickson Ogwang, minister counselor at the Embassy of Uganda, U.S., Peace & Reconciliation Ministries, Uganda; Dan Owens, president, Sixty Feet; Edward Sekabanja, Esq., managing partner of Sekabanja & Co. Advocates and president of Uganda Christian Lawyers Fraternity; Peter Sewakiryanga, founder and director of Kyampisi Childcare Ministries, Uganda.

The symposium comprised four panels beginning on Friday morning. Panels covered topics such as what the rule of law is, why the rule of law is important, barriers to the rule of law and how to overcome them, strategies for advancing the rule of law, and how to use the law and culture of East Africa to advance the rule of law in that region. In addition to the panels, Mike Chibita, former justice of the High Court of Uganda and current Director of Public Prosecutions, spoke at the banquet dinner. Justice Chibita shared how God has called and prepared him (at times against his wishes) to lead in Uganda through a Christ-like example of refusing bribes, fighting corruption, and prosecuting important cases. You can view the entire symposium here.

East Africa Initiative One of the highlights of the past year was the launch of the center’s East Africa initiative. Focusing on advancing the rule of law and protecting the oppressed in this emerging region, the initiative is centered mainly in South Sudan, Uganda, and Kenya. With respect to South Sudan, the center’s long-term goal is to assist the world’s youngest nation in making the transition from sharia to common law and building the rule of law. SOUTH SUDAN After years of British and Egyptian colonial rule, Sudan Justice Chibita became a fully independent nation in 1956. Shortly after gaining independence, however, civil war broke out between the predominantly Muslim North and Animist/Christian South. Almost fifty years later, and after millions of lives were lost, Sudan and South Sudan entered into a comprehensive peace agreement in 2005. In January of 2011, pursuant to the terms of the peace agreement, the people of South Sudan overwhelmingly voted to become an independent nation, the world’s youngest. Shortly after the vote of independence, South Sudan adopted a Transitional Constitution that declared English the official language, a move intended to help sever ties with the Islamic north. Beyond declaring English the official language, South Sudan decided to shed sharia (Islamic law) and return to the common law, the legal system operating in Sudan before the 1956 independence and transition to Islamic rule. Common law was developed in England and is largely based on Christian principles. It is the foundation of the American legal system and has been championed at Regent University School of Law by various faculty members. Chief among the tenets of common law is the rule of law, the principle that law, not man, is king. Implementing common law in this young nation is foundational to Flag of South Sudan developing a society based on the rule of law where the rights of all, including the poorest and weakest, are protected. Discarding sharia and moving into common law will not be easy. Most South Sudanese judges and lawyers, even if not Muslims, are trained in sharia and are much more comfortable speaking Arabic than English. Additionally, tribal villages follow customary law and are wary of any new legal systems, whether based on Christianity or not. These are just a few of the hurdles South Sudan will face in changing legal systems. © 2015 CENTER FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THE RULE OF LAW | REGENT.EDU/GLOBALJUSTICE

This is where the Lord has provided opportunity for the Center for Global Justice. With experts in common law and the notion that practicing law is a calling from the Lord, Regent University School of Law, through the Center for Global justice, has been led into strategic partnerships in South Sudan. Among its contacts are young, Christian lawyers in South Sudan who are passionate about developing their nation and making the transition from sharia to common law. Regent entered into a memorandum of understanding with Juba University, a public university in the capital of South Sudan with a growing law school. And the center also intends to partner with the African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries (see more below). Through these and other partnerships, Regent Law students, faculty and alumni will be able to assist this young nation in developing a country based on the rule of law. Although we continue to examine how we can best accomplish our goal of assisting the South Sudanese change from sharia to common law, the primary avenue we are pursuing is a “bottom-up” approach. In essence, we believe our work in South Sudan will focus on training Christian lawyers and judges in common law legal work and integrating faith into their legal practice. The center planned to travel to South Sudan in March 2014; flights were booked. But the outbreak of violence in December 2013 led the center to postpone the trip indefintiely. Please pray for peace in this young country. UGANDA Beyond South Sudan, the Center for Global Justice’s East Africa Initiative is heavily based in Uganda, South Sudan’s southern neighbor, and is similarly focused on the rule of law and serving the oppressed. Over the past three years the center has sent at least four interns to Uganda to work on various legal issues, including land grabbing, child sacrifice, and juvenile justice. Through these internships and the center’s 2014 symposium, God continues to strengthen partnerships between the center and the host organizations working on the ground in Uganda. And as discussed above, the student staff is working with Kyampisi Childcare Ministries on various legal projects intended to help combat child sacrifice. In addition to internships and student staff projects, the School of Law, in 2013, launched a four-week study abroad program in Kampala, Uganda. KENYA In addition to its work in South Sudan and Uganda, the center also has been called to work in Kenya. In the summer of 2014, rising 3L Krystle Blanchard interned with International Justice Mission in D.C., working remotely for the IJM Kenya office. IJM’s work in Kenya is mainly centered on prosecuting cases of sexual violence, protecting the poor from police abuse of power, and securing the release of innocent men and women wrongfully imprisoned. Lord willing, the center will be able to support IJM Kenya on a longterm basis.

ALARM Luncheon On October 22, 2013, the Center for Global Justice hosted African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries (“ALARM”) staff Leah Boyd and James Baak. Leah is an American attorney who serves as ALARM’s Director of Justice Initiatives. James, an ordained minister and South Sudanese native, serves as ALARM’s Pastoral Director for South Sudan. ALARM Luncheon

Speaking to approximately 65 students, Leah shared how ALARM is training lawyers in East Africa to help them understand their role in servant leadership and advocacy and how they can be a voice for the oppressed in their communities. Particularly powerful was a story Leah shared about how ALARM’s mediation training led to a peaceful resolution between two brothers actually ready to kill each other over their father’s estate. As part of its Christian lawyer training, ALARM hosted a Christian lawyers conference in South Sudan in November 2013, ALARM’s first in the world’s youngest nation. After Leah finished speaking, James, one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan,” shared his own story—a story of God’s grace and a great reminder of the Biblical truth that God’s ways and thoughts are much higher and better than our own (Isaiah 55:8-11). To read about James’s full story, go here.

North Korea Human Rights Summit The human rights violations of the regime of North Korea have spawned both a present-day Holocaust and Underground Railroad. Mostly unknown to millions to the rest of the world, the religious and political persecution taking place in North Korea affects millions, including nearly 200,000 people trapped in concentration camps. In November 2013, the Center for Global Justice explored these human rights abuses during the North Korea Human Rights Summit. Students obtained a glance into the outrageous violations, such as torture, starvation, forced abortions, beatings and assaults that take place in the nation every day. According to S. Ernie Walton, administrative director of the center, “This is arguably the greatest human rights abuse that is taking place today. The people are starving and they have no rights. Worst of all, no one is really aware of what is taking place.” The summit featured a showing of the Korean film, The Crossing, which delves into the hardships many North Koreans are facing as they struggle to flee the country, seeking refuge in South Korea by escaping through China. The summit also featured expert panelists dedicated to informing the public about the flagrant abuses taking place and about bringing justice to the people of North Korea. Jae-Chun Won,

professor from Handong International Law School in South Korea; Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director for the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK); and Myunghee Um, a North Korean refugee and pastor, shared with students. Greg Saclatoiu gave an overview of the prison and concentration camp systems and the general conditions prisoners face. He also discussed the oppressive caste system in North Korea, Songbun, and how this system is used for political advantage by the Kim regime to reward those loyal to the government and oppress any suspected of being a political threat. Professor Won, a law professor, spoke from a legal angle. His talk centered on proving why China is the key to protecting North Koreans. Professor Won noted that China, as a signatory to the United Nations Convention for Refugees, is legally obligated to provide the UN access to all potential refugees. Instead of classifying North Koreans who escape into China as refugees, however, China claims that North Koreans are merely “economic migrants” who escaped North Korea looking for food and work. Thus, instead of granting the UN access to North Koreans to investigate their status, China, in cooperation with North Korea, illegally and forcibly repatriates them to North Korea. Because leaving North Korea is a crime, many of those repatriated face execution or long sentences in prison camps where they are subject to torture, starvation, and forced labor. If China were to adhere to its legal obligations under the UN Convention, North Koreans would often find legal protection under their status as refugees. Pastor Um shared her compelling story of how she became a Christian, escaped North Korea, and eventually ended up in the United States. She was introduced to Christ through an undercover KoreanChinese missionary posing as a black market salesman. (The missionary was from the Chosunjok tribe, a group of people who are ethnically Korean but have Chinese citizenship, and therefore can cross back and forth between China and North Korea.) The missionary gave Pastor Um a Bible, and she began reading. Slowly the Lord softened her heart to the gospel. The North Korea government then discovered that Pastor Um and the missionary were engaged in some type of religious activity. The missionary was sent back to China and Pastor Um was thrown into prison where she was tortured repeatedly. Due to her previous loyalty to the government, however, she was eventually released. Fearing she would be thrown into prison again because of her new-found faith, Pastor Um escaped North Korea into China. While in China, she was taken in by a family. The father tried to rape her, and because she resisted, he took a knife and stabbed her. Pastor Um escaped this house and continued her roughly 2,000 mile journey to Burma, all the while hiding from the Chinese authorities. After crossing the border into Burma, she was captured and kept in an immigration detention center. She eventually escaped to Thailand, where she made contact with the South Korean embassy. Having settled in South Korea, she was ordained as a minister by the Yeoyido Full Gospel Church, the same church that funded the missionary that had introduced her to Christ. Pastor Um now lives in America and works as an associate pastor at Dallas Korean Baptist Church. Her two daughters, whom she had left in North Korea, also escaped and now live with her in Dallas. The summit was a great success. The center is confident God will use it to help the people of North Korea. Funding Needed: $50,000: If the center is going to have long-lasting impact in East Africa, we need a presence there. To fund a team of four or five lawyers to travel to South Sudan or other African country and pay the cost of a Christian Lawyers conference will cost approximately $30,000. Our events on campus cost $20,000. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves . . . defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9)

Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law Regent University School of Law â&#x20AC;&#x201C; RH 225L 1000 Regent University Drive | Virginia Beach, VA 23464 757.352.4660 globaljustice@regent.edu | regent.edu/globajustice