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Liberty Law Honors Program creates opportunities for excellence in the legal profession

The School of Law Honors Program has created an environment that motivates students to pursue excellence in their legal education.

Liberty University School of Law has always strived to create an educational environment where law students can unlock their full God-given potential by challenging themselves during their legal studies.

Enhancing this academic environment, Liberty Law launched its Honors Program in 2018 under Professor Tory L. Lucas, who founded and directs the program.

Lucas said that by creating such a program and basing it upon a culture of academic excellence, service, and gratitude, the awareness and reputation of the School of Law will continue to grow and help recruit top law students from around the globe.

“If future students want to take their legal education to a higher level and build a solid foundation that will support their entire legal career, I encourage them to consider Liberty Law and our unique Honors Program,” Lucas said.

Interested students qualify for the Honors Program as first-year students if they meet a minimum Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) score and grade point average (GPA) and as second-year students if they perform well in their first year at Liberty Law.

Lucas built the program upon five foundational pillars: recruitment (helping to attract top law students), enhanced student experience (networking events, monthly academic discussions, participation in Law Review, and intentional mentoring by alumni, faculty, or upper-level law students), placement (showing potential employers that graduates have benefitted not only from the outstanding legal education at Liberty Law, but also the unique opportunities of the Honors Program), development (reinvesting their time and resources into the program), and the branding of a culture of academic excellence, service, and gratitude.

He said the Honors Program is cultivating a heightened experience for law students and building a highly regarded academic brand that has already created positive outcomes for graduates.

“Justice Thomas D. Waterman of the Supreme Court of Iowa came to the School of Law for a Moot Court event,” Lucas said. “At a dinner following the event, he hired one of our Honors Program students as one of his law clerks.”

The Honors Program hosted many exciting events throughout the year. “I had a student tell me that every Honors Program event piqued their interest and taught them an important life lesson or an aspect of the law or legal system,” said Lucas.

The Inaugural Honors Program Student Scholarship Presentation gave students the opportunity to be recognized for their outstanding achievements. Clockwise from top left: Hannah Joy Coad, Professor Tory L. Lucas, Christiana Hope Johnson, and Jillianne L. Engen

An amazing year was capped off with a virtual ceremony for the Inaugural Honors Program Student Scholarship Presentation in April, where three students from the Class of 2020 presented their legal scholarship and were recognized for their commitment to academic excellence, service and gratitude.

Special guests included deans, professors, classmates, family members, and Justice Waterman.

Trailblazing a path as the first-ever presenter, Christiana Hope Johnson (’20) discussed her article, “It’s Not A ‘Get Out of Jail’ Free Card: Prosecuting International Sex Crimes When the Victim Does Not Testify.”

Hannah Joy Coad (’20) displayed a deep understanding of the complicated intersection of law and science by presenting her article, “The Degree of Alteration Necessary for Patent Eligibility of Synthetically Printed DNA Post Myriad Genetics.”

Jillianne L. Engen (’20) examined “Legislative Prayer in Local Government: An Analysis of the Fourth and Sixth Circuits’ Interpretation of Town of Greece.”

“The Student Scholarship Presentation was a remarkable and historic event,” Lucas noted. “I am so proud that these students lit the torch that will burn brighter as future students add to it and fan the flames of learning and discovery. The future of this event — and the Honors Program — is limitless.”

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