New Law Carrels Have More Elbow Room

2014-08-11T10:06:00.000-04:00

This summer, the Regent Law Library completed another phase of its renovation project: updating the study carrels. The new carrels are up to 5 inches wider and 15 inches longer than the old ones, which means students have a lot more elbow room.

At first glance, the new carrels look just like the old versions, which are featured here:

You could cram a lot into this cubbie, but you'd feel claustrophobic studying amongst all this stuff. Add a laptop and one more law book, and there's no room to think.

The old carrels' dimensions ranged from 25 inches x 35 inches to 30 inches x 40 inches. The new carrels are 30 inches x 50 inches, which means you have enough space for you and your 15-inch laptop, hefty law books, a few pictures of friends and family, and sacks. The old carrels couldn't achieve that feat!

Here's the new layout for the larger carrels: two-by-two with an additional table.

A carrel with room to stretch out. Happy studying!

This post is by Rachel Smith, a writer for the Regent Law Marketing and Communications Department.

Kayaking and Canoeing at Munden Point Park

2014-07-22T08:26:00.001-04:00

Rachael wanted to go kayaking for her birthday, so she rounded up a group of Regent Law students. On Saturday, we headed to Munden Point Park, which is on the outskirts of Virginia Beach.

It is easy to get lost, so if you see "Welcome to North Carolina!" like we did, turn around. I recommend printing directions and a map just in case your GPS fails you.

To kayak or canoe, you can rent equipment for $10/hour, which includes a life jacket (safety first!) and paddles. During the month of July, there's a special: buy one hour, get one free. For $40, six of us canoed/kayaked for about two hours. The park also has picnic shelters, grills, a fishing area, basketball courts, playgrounds, horseshoe pits, volleyball courts, and other amenities. It's a great place to have a summer function.

Each of us enjoyed the trip, which was an adventurous alternative to a birthday dinner. It was also great to trade the city for nature's solitude. As we paddled along, we spotted a heron and several river otters, and encountered typical insects like dragon flies.

Unfortunately, the only photo we took was at the conclusion of our expedition. I was terrified of getting my camera wet. (It rained sporadically, and I didn't want to drop it in the river.)

Here's the happy group:

Spotlight on Incoming IL Mark Martinez

2014-07-14T08:26:00.002-04:00

Hometown: Glen Rose, Texas
Undergraduate School: University of North Texas
Major: Anthropology

Q. If you could only tell the Regent Law community one thing about yourself, what would it be?
A. Although my parents’ divorce left an indelible mark on my life, their separation allowed me to be exposed to what I call “two Americas” when I was growing up. My stepfather was a fourth-generation peanut farmer who valued hard work. So, I spent the first half of every summer from 1993-1997 on the farm. I trekked up and down a hot dusty field with a hoe in hand, disposing of pesky weeds that grew among our crops. During the second half of my summer, I followed my dad, who was the director of a Boys & Girls Club in Fort Worth, Texas, around the barrio while he mentored ex-gang members. Moving from rural to urban landscapes every summer heightened my awareness of socioeconomic disparities in the United States at an early age.

Q. Which life events and personal/professional goals brought you to law school?
A. I spent a few years working for a non-profit advocating for at-risk youth. I felt I was hardly making a dent in helping clients overcome systemic barriers, so I transitioned to traditional church ministry. However, I met a wise man along the way who challenged my limited understanding of ministry. He said, “Ministry is not what you do, like preach or plant a church, but it is who you are. Once you know who you are, everything you do is ministry.” This paradigm shift helped me realize that I have the greatest impact on society when I live out the role God created for me. Doing so has led me to law school.

Q. How did you know that Regent Law is the right law school for you?
A. My visit to Regent definitely confirmed what I already felt. It’s hard to describe, but there is a momentum unique to Regent that is palpable, and I wanted to be a part of it. I’d also like to tip my hat to the Admissions Staff at Regent Law for making a big impression. They clearly take pride in recruiting, which is shown by their attention to detail. There is a standard of excellence unmatched by any other law school admissions office I encountered.

Q. What does becoming a lawyer mean to you?
A. Becoming a lawyer means operating as a reformer and leaving things in a better state than when I found them. It means being sprinkled into the fabric of society like salt and releasing hope in hopeless situations.

Q. How will you spend your last summer before law school?
A. I will spend my last summer before law school with my wife and son, happily obliging to whatever they want to do. I want to make sure that I get a lot of quality family time.

Q. What kind of law do you hope to practice after graduation?
A. My previous work experience lends itself to family and immigration law. However, I remain very open to the process and understand that things can change.

Q. What is your favorite book and why?
A. Depends on the season of life. When I was in elementary school, it was Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! When I was in high school, it was Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. In college, it was Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead. In this particular season, living with an 18-month-old son, I would have to say Dr. Seuss again, but this time it’s The Foot Book. I read somewhere that it’s important to remain childlike.

Q. What is your favorite Bible verse?
A. Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Q. You have a rare weekend in which nothing is on your schedule. What will you do with the free time?
A. Is it college football season? If not, then I would load up the family and take a technology-free hiking trip.

Q. Is there anything else you would like your peers and future law students to learn about you?
A. I once lived in a tent in the Stanislaus National Forest, which was 15 miles from the nearest electrical outlet, for over five months. It was 2007; I was 26 years old; and I was building trails for the National Forest Department. Perhaps—not unlike law school—the idea sounds great until you are about three months into the season, with no contact to the outside world, running on very little sleep, and crying out to God at night for mercy.

It was an AmeriCorps program partnership with the California Conservation Corps. We hiked between 2 and 5 miles per day carrying 50-100 pounds each way. I lived in a trail crew of around 20 people and became adept at managing conflict. A layer of extended adolescence was shed in the transcendent Sierra Nevada Mountains, and I became attune to my servant identity. Serving not for the sake of notoriety but for the sake of others was engrained in me in that season. I returned home with greater vision for my life and a peace I’d never known before.

Regent Law Life in Photos

New Law Carrels Have More Elbow Room

Kayaking and Canoeing at Munden Point Park

Spotlight on Incoming IL Mark Martinez