School of Law | Today at Elon | 福利亚洲国产精品 /u/news Fri, 29 May 2026 15:17:18 -0400 en-US hourly 1 鈥楽tand for the rule of law鈥: Elon Law graduates sworn to state, federal bars /u/news/2026/05/29/stand-for-the-rule-of-law-elon-law-graduates-sworn-to-state-federal-bars/ Fri, 29 May 2026 15:17:18 +0000 /u/news/?p=1048924 Swearing oaths to uphold the Constitution and rule of law, 15 recent graduates of 福利亚洲国产精品 School of Law joined the legal profession during a joint ceremonial session of state and federal courts at the L. Richardson Preyer Federal Courthouse.

Presiding over the ceremony were The Hon. Catherine C. Eagles of the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, The Hon. Stephanie L. Reese of the North Carolina Superior Court and The Hon. Bill Davis of the North Carolina District Court. Graduates were presented to the court by sponsoring attorneys before being admitted to practice before the state bar, the federal bar or both.

Four people with right hands raised as they take an oath in a courtroom.
From left, Tyler Sherrill L’25, Tristan Reynolds L’25, Yates May L’25 and Sadie Lambert L’25 swear oaths to join the federal bar in the L. Richardson Preyer Federal Courthouse on May 21, 2026. (Photo by Jerry Wolford / Perfecta Visuals)

鈥淭oday is the day you can represent people, represent clients and call yourself a lawyer,鈥 Eagles said during the Thursday, May 21, session. 鈥淚t鈥檚 your job to stand up for people and to stand up for the rule of law. It is your job to conduct yourself uprightly and according to law, and to look after our system of justice every day in everything that you do.鈥

The ceremony was hosted by the 鈥檚 Young Lawyers Section, one of many held across North Carolina and the nation as members of Elon Law鈥檚 Class of 2025 complete their legal studies after December graduations and successful performances on the February 2026 bar examinations. Dean of Elon Law Zak Kramer delivered remarks welcoming new attorneys, calling the ceremony 鈥渢he culmination of years of work and sacrifice by our graduates and their families.鈥

Jonathan M. Parisi, president of the Young Lawyers Section, encouraged newly licensed attorneys to engage in the legal profession and broader community as they begin their careers.

鈥淭his is not the end of your learning journey. It鈥檚 just the beginning,鈥 Parisi said. 鈥淪eek out mentors, get involved in your legal community, and find ways to serve.鈥

Davis reminded them that their professional reputation will shape their careers.

鈥淵our reputation is your greatest tool and your greatest asset,鈥 Davis said. 鈥淏e thoughtful about how you interact with judges, lawyers, clients and court staff. Build a reputation that will serve you well and help you succeed.鈥

Reese emphasized the responsibility attorneys assume when clients place their trust, livelihoods and futures in lawyers鈥 hands.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e shown incredible strength and character in making it to this point,鈥 Reese told the newly admitted attorneys. 鈥淧eople put their very lives in your hands. From today forward, you have that responsibility, and no one else can carry it for you. You are their voice. You are their guide and their strength in the storm.鈥

Eagles also encouraged the graduates to pursue civic leadership beyond courtrooms and law offices.

鈥淟awyers are often the people making the nonlegal parts of our community work,鈥 Eagles said. 鈥淔ind your place where you can make a contribution beyond the courtroom and your office.鈥

Presiding over the ceremonial court sessions were:

The Hon. Catherine C. Eagles of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina

The Hon. Stephanie L. Reese of North Carolina Superior Court for the 24th District

The Hon. Bill Davis of North Carolina District Court for the 24th District

Elon Law graduates admitted to federal and state court

Elon law graduates seeking admission only to federal court

Elon Law graduates seeking admission only to state court

A judge in a robe shakes hands with a woman. A law license is beneath their hands on a desk in a courtroom.
Alyson Hanlon L’25 shakes hands with Superior Court Judge Stephanie L. Reese while having her law license signed May 21, 2026. (Photo by Jerry Wolford / Perfecta Visuals)

听尝’25

福利亚洲国产精品 Elon Law

Elon Law is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. With a focus on learning by doing, it integrates traditional classroom instruction with a required residency-in-practice field placement for all full-time students during the winter or spring of their second year. The law school鈥檚 distinctive full-time curriculum provides a logically sequenced program of professional preparation and is accomplished in 2.5 years, which offers exceptional value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their careers.

Elon Law has graduated more than 2,000 alumni since opening its doors in downtown Greensboro in 2006. Its annual enrollment now tops 500 students. The law school is regularly featured in PreLaw Magazine鈥檚 鈥淏est Schools for Practical Training鈥 rankings, maintaining an A+ rating each year since 2023. Elon Law was also among schools highlighted by Bloomberg Law in 2023 for its innovative approach to student development.

福利亚洲国产精品 has applied to the American Bar Association to open a full-time, 2.5-year J.D. program in Charlotte beginning in fall 2027. The Elon Law Flex Program, a part-time, in-person program of legal study, launched there in 2024. Designed for students balancing work, family and other commitments to earn their J.D. in under four years, it will enroll its third cohort in fall 2026.

 

]]>
Elon Law Review publishes Volume 18, Issue 1 /u/news/2026/05/21/elon-law-review-publishes-volume-18-issue-1/ Thu, 21 May 2026 12:20:09 +0000 /u/news/?p=1048180 Elon Law Review has published Volume 18, Issue 1, featuring scholarship on the evolving intersection of law, technology and the First Amendment.

This volume includes articles from contributors to the law review鈥檚 2025 symposium, 鈥淏reaking News: First Amendment on Trial,鈥 which explored emerging challenges to free speech and expression. It also features legal analysis by Elon Law graduates of the Class of 2025.

Published annually by Elon Law students, the Elon Law Review is dedicated to advancing thoughtful, practice-informed legal scholarship that engages timely and complex legal questions shaping the profession and society.

The volume continues the journal鈥檚 commitment to rigorous analysis of emerging legal issues.

鈥淭he Elon Law Review is proud to present Volume 18 to scholars, practitioners and readers interested in timely legal issues,鈥 said Rachel Claffee L鈥26, the journal鈥檚 editor-in-chief. 鈥淭his edition features scholarship exploring how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping the First Amendment and journalism. It also includes analysis of juvenile commercial sexual exploitation courts, racial annexation in rural North Carolina, the reasonable doubt standard, and disaster resilience, including work completed by members of the Elon Law Review Class of 2025.鈥

]]>
Portrait of an innovator: Dean Emeritus Luke Bierman’s Elon Law legacy /u/news/2026/05/19/portrait-of-an-innovator-dean-emeritus-luke-biermans-elon-law-legacy/ Tue, 19 May 2026 15:09:31 +0000 /u/news/?p=1047908 His portrait now hangs on the wall, but some legacies are written into the life of an institution.

At 福利亚洲国产精品 School of Law, Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law Luke Bierman left his mark on a curriculum unlike any other in legal education: a 2.5-year J.D. program built around a full-time Residency-in-Practice. Already proven 鈥渁 law school with a difference,鈥 that curriculum has become a nationally recognized model of experiential legal education, consistently ranked for the quality of its programs and the success of its graduates.

Luke Bierman in a suit on a stage with the ELon University seal and behind an Elon Law podium.
Dean Emeritus Luke Bierman speaks May 12, 2026, in Elon Law Library.

鈥淓verything that distinguishes Elon Law today traces back to Luke鈥檚 vision and the decisions he made to reimagine legal education,鈥 said Dean Zak Kramer. 鈥淥ur students learn the law by living it, and that distinctive model continues to shape every graduate who walks across our stage.鈥

Faculty, staff, university leaders and friends gathered May 12 in the Elon Law Library to celebrate Bierman鈥檚 career and unveil an impressively detail portrait painted by Laurel Boeck, honoring a teacher, scholar and dean whose influence continues to impact every Elon Law student.

鈥淲ithout question, Luke was the right person to lead Elon Law when he arrived in 2014,鈥 said Vice Dean Alan Woodlief, who has served as an associate or vice dean since the law school鈥檚 inception, on May 12. 鈥淟uke is truly an innovator, and his innovations at Elon Law have been central to the school鈥檚 success and prosperity over the past 12 years.鈥

When Bierman arrived, legal education faced a crisis of cost, time and relevance. Applications were plummeting nationwide, and critics 鈥 including then-President Barack Obama 鈥 argued that law school took too long, cost too much and left too many graduates unprepared for the realities of practice.

Bierman turned that critique into an opportunity.

Working with Elon Law鈥檚 faculty and staff, he led the curriculum redesign, shortened the path to a law degree and embedded every student in full-time legal residency before graduation. Elon Law students now complete their degrees in seven trimesters over 2.5 years and spend a full trimester in a course-connected Residency-in-Practice that pairs them with judges and lawyers in judicial chambers, law firms, businesses, government agencies and other organizations. Tying the residency program to academic requirements emphasizes professional development and mentorship from both faculty and site supervisors.

The redesign reduced average student loan debt by nearly 30 percent 鈥 a fact he鈥檚 most proud of 鈥 and propelled Elon Law to record enrollment, stronger academic credentials, improved bar passage and employment outcomes, and sustained national recognition for practical training. In 2021, the American Bar Association reaccredited the law school following a successful review under Bierman鈥檚 leadership.

鈥淟uke Bierman鈥檚 contributions to 福利亚洲国产精品 extend far beyond his tenure as dean of the School of Law,鈥 said 福利亚洲国产精品 President Connie Ledoux Book. 鈥淗e guided Elon Law through a period of transformative change and continued to invest in our students as a teacher and mentor. His legacy is reflected in the strength of the law school, its distinctive place in legal education, and the generations of lawyers who will continue to find their purpose at Elon Law.鈥

鈥湼@侵薰 has been fortunate to have the right dean at the right time in the evolution of its young law school,鈥 said Leo M. Lambert, 福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 president emeritus and professor of education. 鈥淒ean Bierman brought a tremendous spirit of innovation and experimentation to Elon Law, building on Elon鈥檚 national reputation for experiential learning. It was a perfect DNA match.鈥

鈥淟uke is first and foremost a teacher, and a lawyer second,鈥 said Steven D. House, who served as Elon鈥檚 provost from 2009 through 2019. 鈥淗is focus has been and always will be transformation. The program he built transforms students鈥 lives while strengthening and serving the broader legal and civic community.鈥

An Educator First

Bierman always carries two items with him: A Bic pen and a pocket Constitution.

For him, they symbolize a commitment to teaching and to the institutions that sustain democracy. As dean, he began the tradition of giving every Elon Law student a pocket Constitution.

鈥淓ducation is important to us because we know how important it is to America,鈥 Bierman said May 12. 鈥淭homas Jefferson, James Madison and all those folks from 250 years ago thought that education was incredibly important to the American experiment in self-government. That鈥檚 the rule of law. That鈥檚 what we鈥檙e here at this law school and across the country thinking about and are terribly worried about at this moment in our national history.鈥

He is a third-generation lawyer but didn鈥檛 grow up anticipating a legal career. Perhaps because of that, his career rarely followed a straight line.

He moved among roles in legal practice, public service, policy and higher education, pursuing work that interested him and challenged him. Before joining Elon Law in 2014, he served as associate dean for experiential education at Northeastern University School of Law, executive director of the Institute for Emerging Issues at North Carolina State University, general counsel to the New York State Comptroller and leader of the American Bar Association Judicial Division. These responsibilities reflect academic and professional achievements that include election to Phi Beta Kappa and the American Law Institute.

鈥淭he attraction was to do something different where I could learn something,鈥 Bierman said recently. 鈥淐oming to Elon to think about curriculum and curricular programs and activities was natural for me.鈥

Luke Bierman holding a small Constitution speaking to an audience behind a podium that says Elon Law
Dean Emeritus Luke Bierman displays the pocket Constitution he always carries during a reception May 12, 2026, in Elon Law Library.

That motivation 鈥 to learn, to experiment, to acquire new skills 鈥 stemmed from a core family value: Education.

鈥淚 think of myself as an educator, maybe even more than I think of myself as a lawyer,鈥 Bierman said.

He is the second of three generations of teachers. His mother taught in public schools. His sister leads a school in Vermont. Two of his daughters work in education, and all three have earned doctoral degrees.

Reflecting on his legacy at Elon Law, he returned to the same concerns that guided Elon Law鈥檚 transformation.

鈥淚 do hope the work that we did at Elon Law remains. The ideas about cost, length and relevance: I hope those remain top of mind. Higher education is critically important in the world. We need to be responsive to how the world functions and operates.鈥

]]>
Elon Law journals select new members /u/news/2026/05/11/elon-law-journals-select-new-members/ Mon, 11 May 2026 14:04:53 +0000 /u/news/?p=1046902 Thirty-six Elon Law students in the Class of 2027 have been selected for membership to the Elon Law Review and We The People 鈥 Elon Law鈥檚 Constitutional Law Journal. Professor David S. Levine announced the selection of new staff members Wednesday, May 6, following a competitive process.

Elon Law Review

  • Aleezah Adams
  • Trinity Barata
  • Vivian Camplin
  • Megan Chen
  • Kali Crooks
  • Samantha Davis
  • Frank Deronja
  • Avery Ferrigno
  • Lauren Heist
  • Jordan Hicks
  • Isabela Latorre
  • Maya Mahs
  • Carson Patterson
  • Bryanna Rediger
  • Queen Salaam
  • Alex Sarmiento
  • Andrew Stark
  • Baron Turner

The Elon Law Review was established in 2008 as the student-run and student-edited scholarly journal of the 福利亚洲国产精品 School of Law. With each issue, the journal strives to advance legal education and scholarship through the contribution of intelligent discussion and analysis of the law. In addition to publishing an annual issue that examines novel and significant topics of legal scholarship, the Elon Law Review hosts an annual symposium on an emerging topic in the legal field.

Professor David S. Levine and Professor Eric Fink serve as advisors to the Elon Law Review.

We The People 鈥 Elon Law鈥檚 Constitutional Law Journal

  • Madison Curtis
  • Kayleigh Foster
  • Jacqueline Gardner
  • John Grice
  • John Grosso
  • Noah Jackson
  • Kyla King
  • Michael Maroney
  • Gordon McKeehan
  • Kassidy Neuner
  • Grant Paramore
  • Cole Payne
  • Karly Pins
  • John Prather
  • Emily Radcliffe
  • Lily Sanders
  • Kaitlyn Sella
  • Leah Shaw

We The People 鈥 Elon Law鈥檚 Constitutional Law Journal aspires to promote the contribution of intelligent discussion and analysis of the U.S. Constitution and constitutional law-related issues. The online journal was founded in 2022, aiming to foster healthy dialogue on timely legal issues in a respectful manner that its founders observed is often missing in contemporary debate.

Professor David S. Levine serves as the journal鈥檚 advisor.

]]>
Peering into the Supreme Court鈥檚 shadows at Elon Law /u/news/2026/05/11/peering-into-the-supreme-courts-shadows-at-elon-law/ Mon, 11 May 2026 13:55:14 +0000 /u/news/?p=1046769 The legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court and the rule of law depend on transparency, accountability and public trust. All of those are increasingly under strain, said .

Speaking during Elon Law鈥檚 Joseph M. Bryan Distinguished Leadership Lecture on Wednesday, May 6, at Greensboro鈥檚 Proximity Hotel, Kantor discussed her reporting on the Supreme Court, including extensive behind-the-scenes investigations of the Court鈥檚 internal processes and the justices themselves.

Jodi Kantor speaks on a stage with a maroon backdrop and 福利亚洲国产精品 seal behind her
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times investigative journalist Jodi Kantor

This spring, she and colleague Adam Liptak examining the Supreme Court鈥檚 growing use of its emergency or 鈥渟hadow docket,鈥 through which consequential rulings are often issued rapidly and with limited explanation or legal reasoning. At a moment of declining trust in institutions and the judiciary itself, Kantor warned that the practice can bypass some of the traditional safeguards associated with judicial deliberation and further erode public confidence in the court.

鈥淛udges write opinions as an act of transparency and humility and faith,鈥 Kantor said. 鈥淎n opinion says to the public: 鈥榊ou may disagree with this decision. It may put your brother in jail. It may mean the end of your business. But I want you to know that I鈥檓 being sincere, and that I diligently worked through the law to come to this conclusion.鈥欌

Kantor鈥檚 lecture series appearance featured an extended conversation with Professor Catherine Ross Dunham, a charter member of Elon Law鈥檚 faculty whose scholarship focuses on civil procedure and complex litigation.

Kantor earned international recognition for her work with colleague Megan Twohey in exposing decades of sexual abuse allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. That reporting helped ignite the global #MeToo movement. Kantor and Twohey won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2018, and their work was later published in later adapted into an acclaimed film. Her other work has focused on technology and the modern workplace, leading to changes at companies like Amazon and Starbucks, and the Obamas鈥 life inside the White House. Most recently, she joined the New York Times鈥 Supreme Court team.

Investigating the Supreme Court

鈥淚nvestigative journalism is about taking secrets that are in the public interest and putting them into sunlight,鈥 Kantor said.

She described her reporting on the Court 鈥 in her words, 鈥渙ne of the most secretive institutions in American life鈥 鈥 as seeking to better understand how power operates within one of the nation鈥檚 least transparent institutions, including questions surrounding internal negotiations among justices, the role of clerks and the long-term effects of lifetime appointments.

鈥淗ow much do they bargain with one another? What role do clerks play? How does power really flow?鈥 Kantor asked. 鈥淲hat does it mean to hold power at that level for 20 or 30 years? How do people age in those jobs?鈥

At the same time, she acknowledged the tension between transparency and judicial independence, arguing that 鈥渏udges need room to think, to deliberate, to change their minds.”

She emphasized that she isn鈥檛 interested in exposing pending Court decisions because that 聽鈥渨ould interfere with the judicial process.”

鈥淚鈥檓 not trying to know everything about the Supreme Court,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut I still think there are important questions worth answering.鈥

Privacy, secrecy and institutional power

Kantor repeatedly turned to the distinction between privacy and secrecy 鈥 a theme connecting both her Weinstein reporting and her more recent investigations into the Supreme Court.

Jodi Kantor and Catherine Dunham on a stage. The backs of audience members' heads are visible in the foreground.鈥淲hat I learned from the Weinstein investigation is that there鈥檚 a difference between privacy and secrecy,鈥 Kantor said, referencing the nondisclosure agreements now required of Supreme Court staff and the stifling secrecy of settlement agreements in Weinstein鈥檚 case.

鈥淰ictims deserved privacy,鈥 Kantor said of the Weinstein investigation. 鈥淏ut was the system benefiting from blanket secrecy that enabled predation? No. Legal culture is very invested in confidentiality, but confidentiality can run amok in ways that deprive the public of enough information to understand what is happening.鈥

She warned that excessive confidentiality inside powerful institutions 鈥 including courts, workplaces and corporations 鈥 can ultimately weaken public understanding and democratic trust.

鈥淛ournalism is one of democracy鈥檚 valves,鈥 Kantor said. 鈥淚 would rather us have rigorous coverage of the Supreme Court that leads to productive debate than a thousand other things, including the really disruptive political violence we鈥檙e seeing across the (political) spectrum.鈥

Resisting political caricatures

Jodi Kantor listens as Catherine Dunham asks a questionThe conversation explored the dangers of reducing Supreme Court justices to simplistic political caricatures. Kantor pointed to Justice Amy Coney Barrett as an example of a jurist who was immediately misunderstood by both the political right and left when she was appointed in October 2020.

Kantor described Barrett as 鈥減erhaps the most independent of the Republican-appointed justices,鈥 adding that even some of Barrett鈥檚 ideological critics view her as intellectually serious and institutionally minded.

鈥淪he鈥檚 very conservative,鈥 Kantor said, 鈥渂ut she has this independent streak. She wants to be trusted by a broad swath of Americans. She does not want to be pigeonholed.鈥

Starting a meaningful career

Kantor also reflected on questions of professional purpose and career-building, themes explored in her new book, Drawing on her workplace reporting and conversations with students navigating political uncertainty, economic anxiety and rapid technological change, Kantor encouraged young professionals to identify their talents, develop a craft and identify a societal need their craft addresses.

When evaluating early-career opportunities, Kantor said she encourages young professionals to focus less on prestige and more on growth, mentorship and intellectual curiosity. Taking calculated risks to gain experience and further develop craft will pay off.

鈥淎re you learning?鈥 Kantor said. 鈥淎nd are you working for good people?鈥

Earlier in the day, Kantor met with Elon Law students, faculty and staff for a smaller discussion centered on identifying purpose and launching meaningful careers in a challenging time.

福利亚洲国产精品 Elon Law鈥檚 Distinguished Leadership Lecture Series

The Distinguished Leadership Lecture Series presented by The Joseph M. Bryan Foundation is an integral part of Elon Law鈥檚 commitment to learning, lawyering and leadership. Endowed through a generous gift from The Joseph M. Bryan Foundation of Greensboro, N.C., the series brings accomplished leaders from a variety of disciplines to 福利亚洲国产精品 to share their experiences and perspectives with students and faculty.

 

]]>
Amanda McGee 鈥26 featured in Burlington Times-News for community health campaign focused on Alamance County /u/news/2026/05/06/amanda-mcgee-featured-in-bru-times-news-for-community-health-campaign-focused-on-alamance-county/ Wed, 06 May 2026 20:21:24 +0000 /u/news/?p=1046553 Elon student Amanda McGee smiles against a white background.
Amanda McGee 鈥26, a senior Communications Fellow, will present her research at 福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 Spring Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF), highlighting a community health campaign designed to promote sustainable, healthy living in Alamance County.

福利亚洲国产精品 student聽Amanda McGee 鈥26 was featured in a聽聽article highlighting her research and community outreach efforts aimed at improving public health in Alamance County. The story focuses on McGee鈥檚 development of a wellness campaign designed to encourage healthier living through accessible, community-based strategies.

A strategic communications major and Communications Fellow, McGee created a multi-platform campaign inspired by 鈥淏lue Zones,鈥 regions of the world associated with longer, healthier lives.

鈥淭his project has helped me recognize my calling,鈥 McGee said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 made me feel so capable and inspired to continue pursuing work in the public health field that creates change, even on a small scale.鈥

Her project combines social media outreach, local partnerships and interactive workshops that encourage participants to build sustainable habits related to movement, purpose, rest and nutrition.

鈥淐ompletely eliminating unhealthy behaviors is often unrealistic,鈥 she said. 鈥淎 more effective approach is encouraging small, manageable changes that can be integrated into daily routines.鈥

McGee presented her project at Elon’s Spring Undergraduate Research Forum on April 28.

]]>
Jurists, faculty examine judicial interpretation at Elon Law journal event /u/news/2026/05/05/jurists-faculty-examine-judicial-interpretation-at-elon-law-journal-event/ Tue, 05 May 2026 20:58:39 +0000 /u/news/?p=1046271 At a moment when court decisions are dissected, debated and often cheered or criticized along partisan lines, a panel of Elon Law faculty and jurists convened to discuss a fundamental question: How should judges reach their decisions?

Elon Law students and faculty gathered for 鈥淛udicial Interpretation and Review Under the United States Constitution,鈥 hosted by We the People 鈥 Elon Law鈥檚 Constitutional Journal.

A man in a gray suit and pink tie gestures as he speaks to an audience
Phil Berger Jr., North Carolina Supreme Court Justice and adjunct professor at Elon Law

The program featured retired North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, Elon Law鈥檚 Sandra Day O鈥機onnor Professor of Law; North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Phil Berger Jr., an adjunct professor at Elon Law; and Professor of Law Enrique Armijo, a constitutional law scholar. Professor of Law David Levine, who also serves as faculty adviser to We the People, moderated.

Their conversation centered on three themes: competing approaches to constitutional interpretation, the growing public and political pressure on courts, and how judges navigate decision-making in practice.

A central focus was the longstanding debate between originalism and the idea of a 鈥渓iving Constitution.鈥

Berger said he follows a textualist approach grounded in original meaning, cautioning against judges imposing their own will on constitutional interpretation.

鈥淚f interpretation relies on will, then the Constitution can mean anything at any time,鈥 Berger said, pointing to the amendment process as the appropriate avenue for change.

A woman speaks to an audience and gestures with both hands. She is wearing a black suit.
Cheri Beasley, former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court and Sandra Day O’Connor Professor at Elon Law

Beasley characterized judicial review and interpretation as a pendulum that swings back and forth throughout American history, and said that the Constitution must function for the country as it exists today. She pointed out that the Founding Fathers wouldn鈥檛 have considered her, a Black woman, as deserving of rights 鈥 let alone able to serve on the court.

Armijo pointed to processes and landmark cases, like Brown v. Board of Education, as examples where historical meaning did not control modern outcomes. He framed constitutional interpretation as competing theories that provide the 鈥渞easons for the reasons鈥 behind judicial decisions.

Panelists also addressed the pressures shaping today鈥檚 judiciary.

A man in a blue suit speaks to panelists on his left as he gestures with one arm raised.
Professor of Law Enrique Armijo

Berger described a 鈥渃heerleading鈥 dynamic in which the public focuses more on outcomes than legal reasoning. Beasley pointed to the influence of money in judicial elections and the challenge of balancing transparency with safety, citing concerns about threats against judges. Armijo noted that decisions in high-profile cases have become increasingly predictable in a more politically polarized environment.

鈥淵ou can often predict how individual (U.S. Supreme Court) justices are going to vote,鈥 Armijo said, adding that partisan politics risks reducing the rule of law to a scoreboard of judicial appointments.

Berger emphasized the importance of consistent methodology, even when outcomes are difficult. Beasley said judges inevitably bring their life and professional experiences to the bench, but are bound to apply the law faithfully, balancing human perspective with legal obligation.

鈥淚s there some level of humanity in decision-making? I believe there is 鈥 and I don鈥檛 know that that鈥檚 a bad thing.鈥

Three panelists seated behind a long table. A student stands speaking in front of them, gesturing. He is wearing a gray suit.
Nicolas D’Amelio L’26, editor-in-chief of We the People 鈥 Elon Law’s Constitutional Journal, welcomes students to “Judicial Interpretation Under the U.S. Constitution” on April 29, 2026, at Elon Law.
]]>
Elon student research on virus-based cancer treatments featured in Burlington Times-News /u/news/2026/05/04/ryder-hutchinson-28-featured-in-burlington-times-news-for-research-on-virus-based-cancer-treatments/ Mon, 04 May 2026 19:56:14 +0000 /u/news/?p=1046252 福利亚洲国产精品 student Ryder Hutchinson 鈥28聽was recently featured in a highlighting his research into the use of viruses as a potential tool in cancer treatment. The story focuses on Hutchinson鈥檚 early involvement in laboratory research examining how viruses can be engineered to target and destroy cancer cells.

Hutchinson began research shortly after arriving on campus and is working alongside Assistant Professor of Biology Efrain Rivera-Serrano to study how certain viruses interact with the immune system.

鈥淎s a nursing major, I have always wanted to make a meaningful difference in people鈥檚 lives,鈥 he said. 鈥淢y interest in cancer research became more personal after my grandmother was diagnosed with leukemia. Although leukemia was not the direct model used in my current project, that personal experience motivated me to pursue cancer-focused research more broadly.鈥

The article emphasizes that Hutchinson鈥檚 work is part of a broader effort to develop innovative cancer therapies that complement traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. By understanding how viruses trigger immune responses, researchers hope to create more targeted and effective approaches to fighting the disease.

Hutchinson presented his research at Elon’s Spring Undergraduate Research Forum on April 28.

]]>
Elon student research on NFL rules featured in Burlington Times-News /u/news/2026/05/04/elon-student-research-on-nfl-decision-making-featured-in-burlington-times-news/ Mon, 04 May 2026 19:36:09 +0000 /u/news/?p=1046246 Chris Guider 鈥29, an 福利亚洲国产精品 economics and business analytics double major, was recently featured in a examining how data analysis can challenge assumptions about decision-making in the National Football League.

The story highlights 听辞苍听the effectiveness of new NFL kickoff rules introduced in 2024. The changes, designed to improve player safety, created multiple 鈥渢ouchback鈥 scenarios, situations where the ball is placed at different yard lines depending on how a kickoff ends.

鈥淎 big misconception is that moving touchbacks farther up automatically leads to higher scoring,鈥 Guider told the Times News. 鈥淲hat surprised people is that starting field position didn鈥檛 have a statistically significant impact on whether a team scored or how long a drive lasted.鈥

Guider presented his research during the Spring Undergraduate Research Forum on April 28.

]]>
Elon nursing students represent university at national convention, present policy resolution /u/news/2026/04/21/elon-nursing-students-represent-university-at-national-convention-present-policy-resolution/ Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:38:15 +0000 /u/news/?p=1044874 Six members of 福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 Student Nurses Association (SNA) executive board recently represented the university at the 74th Annual National Student Nurses鈥 Association (NSNA) Convention, held April 8鈥11, 2026, in Houston, Texas.

The convention brought together more than 2,000 nursing students, educators and healthcare leaders from across the country for four days of leadership development, professional networking and policy engagement. Centered on the theme 鈥淚gnite, Innovate, Lead,鈥 the event provided students with opportunities to strengthen their leadership skills while contributing to national conversations shaping the future of nursing.

Elon was represented by senior nursing students Victoria (Tori) Whetstone, founding SNA president; Lathan Rubant; and Katherine O鈥橬eill, along with junior executive board members Taylor Rae Spurgeon, Katie Pescatore, and Sarah Vinges. The group was accompanied by faculty advisor Professor Jeanmarie Koonts and faculty member Elizabeth Van Horn.

A highlight of the conference was Elon students鈥 active participation in the House of Delegates, the governing body of the NSNA. Whetstone and Rubant served as official delegates, while O鈥橬eill participated as an alternate delegate. Together, they contributed to national discussions on policy and professional issues affecting nursing students and the broader healthcare system.

The Elon delegation authored and presented a resolution titled 鈥淎ddressing Bias by Changing 鈥楻efusal鈥 Language in Clinical Documentation.鈥 The resolution calls attention to how language used in healthcare documentation can unintentionally introduce bias and impact patient care. Rubant served as the lead author, with Whetstone and O鈥橬eill contributing as co-authors. The students formally presented and advocated for the resolution before peers from across the nation.

In addition to presenting their own resolution, Elon delegates participated in voting on multiple proposed resolutions, parliamentary matters, and the election of the 2026鈥27 NSNA national executive board.

For Whetstone, the experience marked a meaningful milestone in her leadership journey and in the growth of Elon鈥檚 SNA chapter.

鈥淚t has been such an incredible honor to serve as the founding president of the Student Nurses Association, and I could not be more proud of how far we have come,鈥 Whetstone said. 鈥淲hat started as a vision has grown into a thriving, passionate community of student nurses dedicated to leadership, advocacy, and service.鈥

Since its founding, Elon鈥檚 SNA has rapidly expanded its impact, growing to more than 70 members in its first year and engaging in a wide range of initiatives. These include professional development programming, mental health awareness efforts, community-building events, and fundraising to support organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, and the National Black Nurses Association.

Participation in the NSNA Convention reflects Elon nursing students鈥 commitment to leadership beyond the classroom鈥攅ngaging in policy, advocacy, and professional development at a national level while preparing to enter the nursing workforce.

As the organization continues to grow, its student leaders remain focused on advancing patient-centered care, fostering professional excellence and development, and shaping the future of nursing through advocacy and innovation.

]]>