Regent Law Launches Singer Center for Advocacy to Train 'Advocates for the Voiceless,' Regent University Reports : Law as a Sacred Calling
- Dr. Layne McDonald
- Jun 9
- 6 min read
1. The Facts: What Happened
Regent University announced in December 2025 the establishment of the Singer Center for Advocacy at Regent Law, set to officially launch in fall 2026. The center will train the next generation of attorneys to defend vulnerable populations and pursue justice through advanced skills training and real-world legal experience.
The center is named after Randy Singer, a Regent friend and attorney with over 30 years of trial experience who has served the university in multiple capacities: including Senior Lecturing Fellow, Chairman of the Board of Visitors, and Attorney in Residence. Singer graduated second in his class from William and Mary Law School and also serves as Teaching Pastor at Trinity Church.
According to Regent's announcement, the center rests on three core principles: advocacy is a sacred calling, powerful advocates change the world, and Regent Law is uniquely positioned to train advocates through its existing programs and faith-based mission.
Law School Dean S. Ernie Walton described the vision: "The Singer Center for Advocacy is going to take our existing programs, our work, bring resources, new coaches, and more classes so we can train advocates who will go out, be public servants in government, trial lawyers, appellate advocates, advocates all over the country speaking up for those who need a voice."
The center will be housed in Robertson Hall on Regent's campus, with renovations beginning in the coming months.
2. How It Happened: The Context
For years, Regent Law has emphasized trial advocacy, moot court programs, and public service opportunities rooted in Christian legal philosophy. The Singer Center represents a formal consolidation and expansion of those efforts: bringing together existing programs under one umbrella with additional resources, faculty, and structured mentorship.
Randy Singer's personal journey reflects the center's mission. He has consistently viewed advocacy as an extension of his Christian faith, stating: "I've always seen advocacy as the highest calling. We're told that Christ is our advocate, and he advocates for us before the Father, and we're supposed to be like Christ."
Singer founded the law firm Singer Hoffman, which has taken on high-profile cases including those involving terrorism victims. The center will formalize a partnership with the firm, allowing students to earn academic credit while working on real cases: bridging classroom learning and courtroom practice.
Additionally, former prosecutor and Judge Pamela Hutchens leads a public service initiative within the center that provides scholarships for third-year students pursuing public service work, ensuring that financial barriers don't prevent future advocates from serving underrepresented communities.
3. Where We Are Now: Current Status
The Singer Center is currently in the planning and renovation phase. Robertson Hall will undergo updates in the coming months to house the center, with the official opening scheduled for fall 2026.
Regent Law is already recruiting faculty, coaches, and adjunct instructors who specialize in trial and appellate advocacy. The moot court and trial advocacy programs will be strengthened with advanced training modules, mentorship pathways, and leadership structures designed to equip students for high-stakes legal work.
Students interested in the center's programs will be able to apply for opportunities beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year, including the formal partnership with Singer Hoffman for credit-bearing casework.
The university has emphasized that the center is not a standalone degree program but an integrated training hub designed to enhance the broader Regent Law curriculum with specialized advocacy skills.
4. The Conversation: What People Are Saying
Legal educators and Christian advocates have welcomed the news. Many see the center as filling a gap in legal education: combining rigorous trial skills training with a theological framework that views advocacy as ministry.
Some in the legal community have raised questions about the intersection of faith and advocacy, particularly how religious conviction influences case selection, client representation, and courtroom strategy. The center's leadership has indicated that students will be trained to serve all clients with excellence while maintaining personal integrity and biblical ethics.
Randy Singer has addressed this balance directly: "Being a Christian advocate doesn't mean you only take 'Christian cases.' It means you bring the character of Christ into every courtroom: honesty, preparation, respect, and a commitment to justice."
Others have noted that the center's focus on "the voiceless" is especially timely, given ongoing debates about access to justice, public defender funding, immigration representation, and pro bono service requirements in the legal profession.
There's also enthusiasm within Regent's student body. One third-year law student told the university's communications team: "I came to Regent because I wanted to practice law in a way that honors God. The Singer Center gives me the tools to actually do that at the highest level."
5. Biblical Center: Scripture and Grounding
The Bible consistently calls God's people to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Proverbs 31:8–9 says:
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."
Advocacy isn't a secular career path that Christians happen to enter: it's a sacred calling woven into the fabric of biblical justice. God Himself is described as an advocate for the oppressed (Psalm 68:5, Psalm 82:3–4), and Jesus Christ is our ultimate advocate before the Father (1 John 2:1).
When we step into courtrooms, hearing rooms, or legislative chambers on behalf of the vulnerable, we're reflecting the heart of God. Isaiah 1:17 commands: "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow."
Legal advocacy: when done with integrity, preparation, and compassion: is Kingdom work. It requires both skill and character, both legal knowledge and a heart shaped by the Gospel.
The Singer Center's mission isn't to produce celebrity lawyers or political power brokers. It's to train advocates who see their courtroom work as an extension of their worship: a practical expression of loving God and loving their neighbor.
6. Finding Peace: Next Steps
If you're a law student or young attorney wrestling with how your faith fits into your legal career, here are some practical next steps:
Pray for clarity. Ask God to show you where He's calling you to serve. Not every Christian lawyer is called to the same kind of advocacy. Some will defend the innocent in criminal court. Others will fight for foster children in family court. Some will represent churches and ministries facing legal challenges. All of it can be Kingdom work when done with a right heart.
Seek mentorship. Find attorneys who practice with both excellence and integrity. Ask questions. Shadow them. Learn not just the technical skills but the posture of Christ-like advocacy: how to be zealous without being cruel, persuasive without being manipulative, and strong without being arrogant.
Serve where you are. You don't need to wait for a degree or a courtroom to start advocating for the vulnerable. Volunteer at a legal aid clinic. Help a neighbor navigate a confusing bureaucracy. Write a letter to a public official on behalf of someone without a platform.
Guard your heart. The legal profession can be brutal. It can make you cynical, exhausted, and numb. Stay connected to a community of faith. Keep Scripture central. Remember why you started. Advocacy is a marathon, not a sprint.
If you're not a lawyer but you care about justice, pray for advocates. Pray for public defenders carrying impossible caseloads. Pray for immigration attorneys navigating a broken system. Pray for prosecutors seeking truth in messy situations. Pray for judges making life-altering decisions. They need the wisdom of God and the strength of the Spirit.
And if God is stirring something in you: a sense that you're called to speak up, to stand in the gap, to be a voice for the voiceless: don't ignore it. Explore programs like the Singer Center. Talk to mentors. Take the next small step. God doesn't call the equipped; He equips the called.
Source: Regent University official announcement (https://www.regent.edu/news/regent-university-announces-singer-center-for-advocacy/)
Follow for more stories of hope and Kingdom work at LayneMcDonald.com.
7. Sonny-Ready Social Caption Blocks
Facebook / Instagram Caption:
Regent Law Launches Singer Center for Advocacy : Training Lawyers as 'Advocates for the Voiceless'
Regent University announced the Singer Center for Advocacy, set to open fall 2026, to train the next generation of attorneys who see legal advocacy as a sacred calling rooted in Christ.
Named after attorney and teaching pastor Randy Singer, the center will combine trial skills, real-world casework, and biblical ethics to equip advocates who speak up for the vulnerable.
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." : Proverbs 31:8
Advocacy isn't just a career. It's Kingdom work.
Read the full story + find practical next steps at [LINK]
Google My Business Caption:
Regent Law Announces Singer Center for Advocacy : Law as a Sacred Calling
Regent University is launching the Singer Center for Advocacy (fall 2026) to train attorneys who defend the vulnerable and pursue justice through Christ-centered legal work. Named after trial attorney Randy Singer, the center will strengthen Regent's trial and appellate programs with advanced training, real-world casework, and scholarships for public service students.
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves." ( Proverbs 31:8)
Learn more at [LINK]
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