Center for Global Justice Annual Report for Academic Year 2014-2015 by Regent University School of Law

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

Annual Report for Academic Year 2014-2015

Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law: 2014-2015 Annual Report It’s hard to believe the Center just completed its fifth year. I stand amazed at the influence God has given us in this short time. In this last year, we provided top-notch legal education to Regent law students, drafted a number of scholarly articles, sent out twenty fully-funded interns, completed legal projects for ten different human rights organizations, and hosted a number of great events at Regent Law. Please read more to see how God is using the Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law to accomplish His redeeming purposes in this fallen world. I also encourage everyone to support the Center by using smile.amazon.com and choosing “Regent University” as your charity. Shop as you normally would at Amazon, and 0.5% of your eligible purchases support the Center for Global Justice.

— S. Ernie Walton, Esq. Administrative Director

S. Ernie Walton

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTERNSHIPS - regent.edu/centerinterns ................................................................3 The Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law Internship Grant Program provides both essential training opportunities for students who are called to become advocates for justice and great support to those working in the field. Students work on issues like combating human trafficking, protecting women and children, advancing the rule of law, securing religious freedom, and related human rights issues. To date, more than 100 interns have served. *Funding Needed: To sponsor 20 internships each summer, the Center requires $100,000.

STUDENT STAFF – regent.edu/studentstaff .............................................................5 To provide Regent law students with additional practical experience in the legal protection of human rights, students volunteer with the Center each semester to present 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. *Funding Needed: support the legal research and writing of the 25+ student staff, the Center requires $10,000.

COURSE OFFERINGS ................................................................................................7 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, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law sponsors both traditional and experiential courses at Regent Law. *Funding Needed: To offer all the courses the Center wishes to offer at the School of Law each year, the Center requires $44,000.

SCHOLARSHIP .........................................................................................................8 The Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law is committed to academic scholarship and seeks to engage the legal community on human rights issues from a biblical perspective. *Funding Needed: To fund research for faculty articles, the Center requires $10,000.

SPECIAL EVENTS ......................................................................................................9 Each year the Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law sponsors numerous special events, including conferences, panel discussions, CLE programs, and symposia. The Center also recently launched its East Africa Initiative, which focuses on building the rule of law and protecting human rights in East Africa. *Funding Needed: To cover our events and East Africa Initiative, the Center requires $50,000.

INTERNSHIPS - regent.edu/centerinterns The Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and Rule of Law Internship Grant Program provides students funded internships with legal organizations around the globe where they work on combating 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 learn firsthand what it is like to work on legal matters in another country. To date, more than 100 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. Through 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. Here are some highlights from just a few of our summer 2014 interns working on our areas of focus:

Krystle Blanchard International Justice Mission Rule of Law in Washington, DC Interning for the very organization that led her to law school and the call to be a human rights Lawyer was a dream come true for Krystle Blanchard. Krystle interned with International Justice Mission (IJM), a Christian non-profit whose goal is to fight violence against the poor in foreign countries by rescuing victims, holding criminals accountable, restoring survivors, and transforming justice systems. Krystle completed several projects for the IJM Kenya office, including drafting a legal memorandum on how Kenya can change its laws relating to pre-trial detention to ensure that innocent men and women do not languish in prison. This memo should help transform the Kenyan judicial system and protect the innocent.

Paul Shakeshaft Advocates International Religious Freedom in Sofia, Bulgaria Paul Shakeshaft interned with Advocates Europe (AE), a branch of Advocates International. AE is a Christian non-profit legal organization that focuses on promoting religious freedom and fighting corruption; Advocates also works on combating human trafficking, promoting equal justice for the poor, and advocating for the sanctity of human life and the other pro-family values. Paul worked on cases before the European Court of Human Rights involving the persecution of Christians in Bulgaria.

ÂŠ 2015 CENTER FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THE RULE OF LAW | REGENT.EDU/GLOBALJUSTICE

Stockton Brown Freedom Firm Human Trafficking in India Stockton interned with Freedom Firm, an anti-trafficking NGO that seeks to eradicate child sex trafficking in the red-light districts of Southeast Asia. Freedom Firm is directed by Regent Law Alumnus Evan Henck ('07) and carries out its mission by conducting on-the-ground investigations of red light areas that exploit children, assisting police in conducting raids, using its legal resources to prosecute traffickers, and offering rescued girls hope through effective aftercare. Stockton drafted a legal brief in support of allowing a trafficking victim to be permitted to testify via video conference from her native country, made suggestions to change Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s law relating to children, and monitored various trafficking cases in court.

Palmer Hurst Land & Equity Movement Protection of Women, Rule of Law in Kampala, Uganda Palmer interned with Land & Equity Movement in Uganda, a Christian non-profit dedicated to protecting the property rights of widows. Palmer worked on many projects, including representing underserved Ugandans in court, drafting court documents, presenting reports to important stakeholders, and raising awareness for land conflicts.

Emily Arthur Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center Human Trafficking/Immigration in El Paso, TX Emily Arthur split her summer interning with Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center (LAIAC) and Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA). LAIAC is a non-profit dedicated to serving the legal needs of low income immigrants, including refugees and battered women, and is based in El Paso. TRLA is also a non-profit organization that provides free legal services to low-income residents in sixty-eight counties of southwest Texas and represents migrant and seasonal farm workers throughout Texas and other southern states.

Get updates on Center interns on our blog >

*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

ÂŠ 2015 CENTER FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THE RULE OF LAW | REGENT.EDU/GLOBALJUSTICE

internships.

STUDENT STAFF – regent.edu/studentstaff

To provide Regent Law School students with additional practical experience in the legal protection of human rights, students volunteer with the Center each semester to 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 conducted on behalf of other legal organizations around the world. The Student Staff has anywhere from 15-30 members each semester. Here is a brief overview of our spring 2015 projects: 

Jerusalem Institute for Justice, Israel Students drafted a document addressing whether non-state/quasi-state actors are subject to international human rights law and the legal consequences of a designated terrorist organization becoming a recognized State in international law. Read more >

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International Justice Mission Students created a training presentation for Rwandan judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement and provided research regarding children testifying in court. Students also created legal checklists for the five different paths to citizenship for the Hill Tribe people in N. Thailand. Read more >

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Shared Hope and the Virginia Kids Are Not For Sale Coalition Students provided research for an Oregon Bill seeking to establish a hearsay exception in trafficking cases; researched and recommended language to include in Virginia sex trafficking legislation; and created charts that surveyed the laws of 50 states relating to the sex trafficking of children. Read more >

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Alliance Defending Freedom, Vienna Students summarized cases before the European Court of Human rights (ECHR) in which ADF might want to intervene; drafted summaries of ECHR cases relating to religious freedom; and helped research an amicus brief advocating greater protection of pregnant mothers and unborn children. Read more >

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Tiny Hands International, Nepal Students drafted a legal memorandum that outlined various ways women and children are trafficked in the United States to help Tiny Hands International, a non-profit organization that fights sex trafficking along the Nepal-India border, decide how to expand its work to the U.S. Read more >

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Freedom Firm, India Students provided legal research on American law relating to child victims and children in conflict with the law and recommended ways India can change its Child Welfare Committees. Read more >

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Hampton Roads Coalition Against Trafficking Students drafted a legal memorandum on federal and state law as it relates to the regulation of massage parlors and sexually-oriented businesses. Read more >

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M1:Zero Students drafted a legal memorandum that explained whether criminals can obtain access to M1:Zero’s technology under public records laws and helped determine whether its technology is subject to disclosure in discovery. Read more >

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Land and Equity Movement, Uganda Students edited and provided research for two papers on land policy that were submitted to international conferences and the Ugandan government. Read more >

Get updates on Center staff work on our blog >

*Funding Needed: To submit two amicus briefs, one per semester, the Center requires $2,000.

COURSE OFFERINGS To help fulfill its mission to equip Christian advocates to promote the rule of law and seek justice for the oppressed, the Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law sponsors both traditional and experiential courses at Regent Law. These courses include International Trafficking in Persons, 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.

Faculty Highlight: Associate Professor Kathleen McKee Associate Professor Kathleen McKee is the Director of the Civil Litigation Clinic, a staple of Regent Law School for more than 15 years providing law students with the opportunity to use their legal knowledge to serve area residents who couldn't otherwise afford legal representation. Professor McKee has presented on human trafficking both in the local Hampton Roads area and around the world. She has served as a panelist for issues surrounding human Prof. McKee Speaking at the Southeastern Crime trafficking and presented at a specialized seminar on Stoppers 2014 Annual Conference Clinical Legal Education at a human rights attorneys conference in Galway, Ireland. She has led several Moot Court teams to competition success and serves as an adjunct faculty member with Handong International Law School in South Korea.

Selected Courses Taught by Prof. McKee Int'l Trafficking in Persons: Overview of the global problem of trafficking in persons for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor with a focus on trafficking in persons as a human rights violation and the treatment of trafficked persons as victims of a crime. Legal Aid Externship/Non-Profit Externship: Students interested in public interest law may serve as externs with the local legal aid program and nonprofit organizations that have a legal division. For students who enroll in the legal aid externship, there is a classroom component in which lawyering skills such as factual investigation, interviewing, case analysis, and litigation strategy are discussed. Civil Practice Clinic: For more than a decade, the Civil Practice Clinic has served local low-income clients by providing them skilled and principled legal representation free of charge. The clinic handles approximately 20 to 30 cases each semester and provides professional development for future lawyers.

Article Highlight: McKee, Kathleen A. and Kohm, Lynne Marie, Examining the Associations between Sustainable Development Population Policies and Human Trafficking. 23 MICH. ST. INT’L L. REV. 1 (2015). *Funding Needed: To offer all the courses the Center wishes to offer at the School of Law each year, the Center requires $44,000.

SCHOLARSHIP The Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law is committed to academic scholarship and seeks to engage the legal community on human rights issues from a biblical perspective. Below is highlight from a recent article published by Executive Director Craig Stern.

Scholarship Highlight: Human Rights or the Rule of Law -- The Choice for East Africa? by Professor Craig A. Stern The world over, what political cause is celebrated more than human rights? The rule of law, perhaps. These two noble and important objects of civil government — both valued as of inestimable worth these days — usually are complementary. Human rights are insecure without the rule of law to protect them, and what human right is more fundamental than the right to be treated in accordance with the law and not the whim of the mighty? Human rights and the rule of law seem to stand together. How then, when human rights and the rule of law stand opposed, and in circumstances where they most need each other’s mutual support and meet opposition enough from other forces? Download this article free of charge at SSRN.com >

The Journal of Global Justice and Public Policy The Journal of Global Justice and Public Policy (JGJPP) is Regent University School of Law’s

premier academic journal presenting original legal research related to the integration of faith and international human rights. The Center and Journal work together throughout the school year on symposia and other events, and the Center provides the journal with material for print publications and online presence. The Journal of Global Justice and Public Policy was established in 2014 to fill the void in

the global justice field by publishing articles, notes, comments, and book reviews by practitioners, professors, and students from a Christian perspective. The Journal’s first issue is an eclectic mix of articles, student notes, and symposium transcripts. Read more >

*Funding Needed: To fund the research for scholarly articles, the Center requires $10,000.

SPECIAL EVENTS To further the Center’s goals of equipping advocates for justice and of serving and supporting those working in the field, the Center sponsors a broad range of special events, including conferences, panel discussions, CLE programs, and symposia. Events from years past include panels of government leaders discussing immigration issues; CLE training for law enforcement and attorneys on humanitarian visas; 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.

Both Ends Burning In October 2014, the Center hosted Both Ends Burning, a non-profit dedicated “to promoting every child's right to a permanent and loving family.” Both Ends Burning screened their film STUCK, which highlights the stories of three American families who adopted internationally and identifies many of the legal hurdles associated with international adoption. Both Ends Burning's general counsel, Kelly Dempsey, also Skyped with our students and answered questions about being an adoption attorney and the shortcomings of the Hague Adoption Convention.

International Justice Mission In October 2014, the Center for Global Justice, along with the International Law Society, had the pleasure of hosting Erin Clifford, the internship and fellowship director of International Justice Mission (IJM), on October 6, 2014. Since 2012, four Regent students have interned with IJM, and beginning in 2014, the Center student staff has completed a number of legal projects for IJM involving police abuse of power and strengthening the rule of law in East Africa. Read more >

Tina Ramirez: The Struggle to End Religious Oppression In September 2014, Tina Ramirez from Hardwired Global spoke to over 70 students about her work in securing freedom for Meriam Ibrahim, the Sudanese Christian sentenced to death for converting to Christianity. She also discussed Hardwired's work in promoting religious freedom in Sudan by training Christian attorneys. Read more >

Annual Symposium: Human Rights and the Sexualization of Culture On Saturday, February 21, 2015, the Center for Global Justice, along with the Regent Journal of Global Justice and Public Policy, hosted the Center’s fourth annual Symposium: Human Rights and the Sexualization of Culture. The symposium featured three panel discussions discussing the foundations of human rights, sex as a business, and children as property. The sex as a business panel featured Regent alumnus Scott Alleman, assistant Commonwealth's attorney at the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office; and Laila Mickelwait, manager of Policy and Public Affairs for Exodus Cry. Read more >

Second Annual Guardian Ad-Litem Certification On Friday, March 20, 2015, Virginia Continuing Legal Education (Virginia CLE) and the Center for Global Justice partnered to bring an amazing opportunity to those seeking to become a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) in the state of Virginia. Third-year students were eligible to receive free CLE and complete the CLE requirement for becoming a GAL. Read more >

Professor Dave Velloney Visits Congo In April 2015, Regent Law Professor Dave Velloney joined a team of Christian lawyers from the Congo Initiative-USA to travel to Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (UCBC) in Beni, DR Congo, for a Christian lawyers and judges conference. UCBC is a bilingual Christian University dedicated to training men and women in various fields of study from a biblical worldview. Read more >

International Roundtable Discussion On April 16, 2015, the Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law was honored to host an international roundtable discussion on the rule of law. The Center partnered with Open World Host Committee of Norfolk Sister Cities Association to bring together judges, professors, and lawyers from the countries of Georgia, Japan, and the United States. Read more >

Professor James Davids Visits Ukraine In May 2015, the Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law sent Professor Jim Davids to Ukraine for a week-long trip as part of its commitment to transforming justice systems around the globe. During his stay, Professor Davids had the opportunity to lecture to over 400 students and faculty, observe a competition involving ten different universities, and receive an honorary professorship. Read more >

*Funding Needed: To cover our events and East Africa Initiative, the Center requires $50,000.

CONNECT WITH US The Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law depends on generous donations from people like you to accomplish its mission. By Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grace, and through your faithful support, we are changing the world. Whether combating child sacrifice in Uganda, fighting sex trafficking around the world, or advancing the rule of law in war-torn African nations, the Center is making a lasting impact in the lives of the oppressed and vulnerable around the globe. Here are some ways that you can connect with us.

Pray for Us Please pray for the Center's interns, our staff, and the organizations we support. If you are interested in praying for specific interns, please let us know and we will send you detailed information.

Quarterly eNewsletter Get Center for Global Justice quarterly updates sent to your email. Sign up here >

Become a Partner If you are an advocate for the oppressed, we invite you to contact us. Please consider receiving and mentoring Regent interns, and let us know how we can best serve you and further your work.

Give Donations The Center needs financial resources to fund internships and meet operating costs. Give here or reach Lisa Marie Otto at globaljustice@regent.edu or 757.352.4660 to discuss how we can make the giving of your donation as efficient as possible.

AmazonSmile Also support the Center by using smile.amazon.com and choosing "Regent University" as your charity. Shop as you normally would at Amazon, and 0.5% of your eligible purchases support the Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law.

ÂŠ 2015 CENTER FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THE RULE OF LAW | REGENT.EDU/GLOBALJUSTICE

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