Faculty | Today at Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ | Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ /u/news Wed, 04 Nov 2026 20:22:48 -0500 en-US hourly 1 Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law professor presents at international asylum conference in Finland /u/news/2026/11/03/elon-law-professor-presents-at-international-asylum-conference-in-finland/ Tue, 03 Nov 2026 16:09:18 +0000 /u/news/?p=1062779 Assistant Professor of Law Heather Scavone presented her research on biometric governance and asylum adjudication at an international academic conference held Oct. 15-17, in Turku, Finland.

The conference, “SOGIESC in Asylum: Evidence-Based and Cross-Cultural Perspectives,” was hosted by the Psych-AID research network at Ã…bo Akademi University. It convened scholars, researchers and practitioners from multiple countries to examine the legal, psychological and institutional challenges associated with adjudicating asylum claims involving sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC).

Scavone’s research examines the intersection of administrative law, emerging surveillance technologies and immigration policy, with particular attention to the legal limits of government authority to collect and use sensitive personal information. Her presentation, “From Credibility to Genetic Verification: Biometric Governance in SOGIESC Asylum,� explored the implications of expanding biometric collection and identity verification practices within the U.S. immigration system.

A person presenting in front of a projected screen with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services logo and says Proposed Rule Expansion of Biometric Collection and Use
Assistant Professor of Law Heather Scavone presenting about changes in biometric technologies and immigration policies in forthcoming federal regulation.

Scavone’s presentation considered how emerging biometric technologies and administrative policies in a forthcoming federal regulation could affect asylum applicants, particularly those whose claims involve sexual orientation or gender identity. She highlighted the legal and practical challenges associated with using biological and behavioral characteristics in immigration adjudications, as well as broader questions concerning privacy, administrative authority and the government’s role in evaluating individual identity.

The presentation drew upon Scavone’s experience as a former senior attorney with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, where she advised agency leadership on federal administrative law, regulatory development and immigration policy.

The conference also featured interdisciplinary discussions of credibility assessment, investigative practices, psychological evidence and institutional decision-making in asylum proceedings, with an emphasis on international collaboration and evidence-based approaches to asylum adjudication.

Scavone, who co-founded Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law’s Humanitarian Immigration Law Clinic in 2010, returned to the law school this fall as an assistant professor. She currently teaches constitutional law and professional responsibility.

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Enrique Armijo quoted by Washington Post in coverage of FCC warning to broadcasters /u/news/2026/10/27/enrique-armijo-quoted-by-washington-post-in-coverage-of-fcc-warning-to-broadcasters/ Tue, 27 Oct 2026 19:57:08 +0000 /u/news/?p=1061753 Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law Professor Enrique Armijo was quoted in The Washington Post on Oct. 21 about whether federal regulators can penalize broadcasters for reporting election polls deemed misleading or fabricated.

Portrait of Enrique Armijo
Professor of Law Enrique Armijo

In Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr warned broadcasters against airing or amplifying fake polls, citing agency rules against news distortion and broadcast hoaxes.

“As a federal judge just said … in rejecting President Trump’s claim against Iowa pollster Ann Selzer, there is no such thing as a ‘fake poll,’� Armijo told the newspaper. “And even if there was, the FCC’s long-dormant news distortion and anti-hoax rules would do nothing to empower the FCC to take action against broadcasters who report on them.�

Armijo also criticized Carr’s warning as an attempt to intimidate journalists over unfavorable news coverage.

Armijo teaches and researches First Amendment and constitutional law, media and internet law, online disinformation, and international freedom of expression. His scholarship examines the intersection of new technologies, free speech and government regulation. He recently joined a coalition of First Amendment scholars urging the FCC to preserve broadcasters’ editorial independence.

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Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law professor examines transparency in data center development /u/news/2026/10/19/elon-law-professor-examines-transparency-in-data-center-development/ Mon, 19 Oct 2026 20:13:37 +0000 /u/news/?p=1060607 As Congress considers legislation to increase transparency in data center development, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ School of Law Professor David S. Levine recently discussed how trade secret protections and nondisclosure agreements can prevent the public from learning how taxpayer resources are used and how projects affect local communities.

A portrait of Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Professor of Law David Levin standing in a courtroomAn Oct. 14 article published by MLex, examines the bipartisan No Secrets for Data Centers Act Bill, which would restrict non-disclosure agreements between data center developers and public officials. MLex, a LexisNexis news service, covers legal and regulatory developments for attorneys, businesses and government agencies.

“The public expects transparency and accountability when it comes to allocation of taxpayer funds … NDAs piled on top of robust trade secret protection leaves the public largely blind. Given this compounded secrecy, the likelihood of corruption increases,� Levine told MLex.

Levine, who studies trade secrecy and information law, also discusses how existing trade secret protections could continue to limit public access to information even if non-disclosure agreements were prohibited, preventing access to information about environmental, health, and safety risks and where public money is going. An area of focus, Levine was consulted by then-Vice President Joe Biden’s staff regarding NDAs and trade secrecy during the second Obama administration.

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Inking the deal: Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law Dean Zak Kramer makes good on bar-pass promise /u/news/2026/09/08/inking-the-deal-elon-law-dean-zak-kramer-makes-good-on-bar-pass-promise/ Tue, 08 Sep 2026 18:42:05 +0000 /u/news/?p=1055570 Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law Dean Zak Kramer is nothing if not a man of his word.

Last year, Kramer challenged the Class of 2025 to achieve an overall first-time bar passage rate of 83%, a mark that would have been the highest in Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law history.

The class’s Student Bar Association president had a counterproposal: What if they reached 85%? Would the dean get a tattoo?

Kramer said yes.

A man makes a face of discomfort while getting a tattoo.
Dean Zak Kramer’s expressive face was on full display as he got his “One and Done” tattoo Friday, Sept. 4, at Frozen Pines Tattoo in Gibsonville.

The Class of 2025 responded with a 90.9% overall first-time bar passage rate across North Carolina and 11 other states.

On Sept. 4, Kramer responded by rolling up his sleeve.

At Frozen Pines Tattoo in Gibsonville, North Carolina, shop co-founder and tattoo artist Annie Bella inked “One and Doneâ€� on the dean’s arm, a reference to Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law’s slogan around bar preparation and passing the bar examination on the first try.

The tattoo celebrates a significant achievement for the Class of 2025 and Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law. In addition to the 90.9% overall first-time passage rate nationwide, class members taking spring exams also achieved a 91.96% first-time passage rate on the North Carolina Bar Examination.

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law’s accelerated 2.5-year J.D. program allows students to graduate in December and take the bar in February, months ahead of the traditional three-year law school timeline.

Kramer isn’t letting the Class of 2026 rest on its predecessors’ success. He’s challenged this December’s graduating class to raise the bar again when they sit for the exam in February.

What kinds of promises will he make them? That remains to be seen.

So, how did this one go?

“Ow,� Kramer said just afterward, “but I’m happy to do it. Proud of the students.�

“A deal’s a deal.�

Dean Zak Kramer shows off the tattoo of his 1 and Done slogan, smiling
Law School Dean Zak Kramer kept his promise to the Class of 2025, emblazoning the “One and Done” slogan permanently on his left arm Friday, Sept. 4, 2026.
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Faces new and familiar join Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law faculty and staff /u/news/2026/08/27/faces-new-and-familiar-join-elon-law-faculty-and-staff/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:47:56 +0000 /u/news/?p=1054497 Four new faculty and staff members at Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ School of Law bring expertise in a breadth of legal fields, the practice of law and professional development to campuses in Greensboro and Charlotte.

Assistant Professor of Law Robert Craig, Assistant Dean of Experiential Education Bryant Park, Assistant Professor of Law Susan Ross and Assistant Professor of Law Heather Scavone join the law school with professional backgrounds spanning federal courts, civil rights advocacy, corporate legal practice, career and experiential education and federal immigration policy. Their experiences will shape courses and programs that prepare students for both the intellectual demands and practical realities of the legal profession.

Craig, Park and Ross are based in Greensboro, while Scavone returns to the School of Law as a member of the faculty in Charlotte.

Here’s a bit more about each of them as Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law prepares to begin the Fall trimester next week.

Robert Craig, Assistant Professor of Law

Robert Craig brings to Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law a career spanning the K-12 classroom, federal courts and constitutional civil rights advocacy.

headshot of Robert Craig
Assistant Professor of Law Robert Craig

A Tucson, Arizona, native, Craig studied philosophy and political science at the University of Arizona before joining Teach For America and teaching fifth grade in Phoenix. He earned a master’s degree in elementary education from Arizona State University and later a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Craig clerked for Judge Andrew D. Hurwitz of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Judge James A. Soto of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. He then spent seven years in nonprofit legal practice focused on plaintiffs-side federal constitutional and civil rights issues, including due process, private prisons and the delegation of government authority.

At Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ, Craig will teach Constitutional Law I & II and First Amendment. He was drawn to the law school’s emphasis on innovative and experiential teaching — something he has considered throughout a career that began in an elementary school classroom.

Craig enjoys seeing students grasp new ideas, but teaching also allows him to encounter familiar cases and concepts through students’ perspectives. Each semester offers a chance to learn something new and refine his approach.

“There’s a built-in natural way to get better,� he said.

Craig and his wife, Erin Duncan-O’Neill, have two children, Connor and Wren. Outside the classroom, he enjoys golf, soccer, games, and science-fiction and fantasy novels.

Bryant Park, Assistant Dean of Experiential Education

Bryant Park joined Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law to lead the continued refinement and growth of its signature Residency-in-Practice Program in Greensboro and Charlotte.

headshot of Bryant Park
Assistant Dean of Experiential Education Bryant Park

The program places every full-time student in an immersive legal setting during their second year, where they work alongside attorneys and judges while developing the practical skills, professional judgment and confidence needed to enter the profession. Park was drawn to a model that ensures every full-time student receives that experience.

“Law school does a great job of helping you think like a lawyer, but not necessarily all the nitty-gritty of how to be a lawyer,â€� Park said. At Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law, the required Residency bridges that gap for every student through experience working with clients and colleagues and learning the everyday mechanics of legal practice.

Park brings experience in legal practice, career development and experiential education. He began his career practicing family and elder law in Wisconsin and most recently served as senior associate director of career and professional development at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law.

A first-generation law student and lawyer, Park earned his bachelor’s degree in English creative writing from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and his J.D. from Marquette University Law School. The Wisconsin native enjoys puzzles, LEGO and figuring out how things work. He recently built his first computer — and discovered he enjoyed building it as much as using it.

Susan Ross, Assistant Professor of Law

After two years as a visiting professor, Susan Ross joins Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law’s full-time Legal Method & Communication faculty with decades of experience spanning engineering and corporate law.

headshot of Susan Ross
Assistant Professor of Legal Method & Communication Susan Ross

Ross spent much of her legal career as an in-house attorney, including nearly a decade with Vontier and Gilbarco Veeder-Root and seven years with a Triangle-based technology company later acquired by Oracle. Her work encompassed contracts and negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, employment law, litigation management, environmental matters and corporate management, including service as chief legal officer for the Americas.

Raised in Arizona, Ross studied engineering at Duke University before working as an engineer and earning her J.D. from Arizona State University. She has taught throughout her career, from tutoring and serving as a teaching assistant to leading continuing legal education programs.

At Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ, Ross teaches Legal Method & Communication courses and is developing a course on artificial intelligence and the practice of law. Having seen the internet transform legal practice early in her career, she views AI as the profession’s next technological shift.

“We’re not going to get rid of AI,� Ross said. “We need to lean into it and find a way to teach students to use it responsibly.�

Ross, a longtime Greensboro resident, has an adult son and two dogs. And students can expect each class to begin with one of her favorite teaching tools: a dad joke.

Heather Scavone, Assistant Professor of Law

Heather Scavone returns to Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law with deep roots at the law school and years of experience shaping federal immigration policy.

headshot of Heather Scavone
Assistant Professor of Law Heather Scavone

Scavone first joined Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ in 2010 after directing a Greensboro legal services program for refugees. Working with founding faculty member Helen Grant, she helped establish Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law’s Humanitarian Immigration Law Clinic, creating an opportunity for students to serve clients while putting their legal education into practice.

She left Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ in 2018 to join U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where she served as associate counsel in the Refugee Asylum Law Division of the Office of the Chief Counsel. During her federal service, she served as a legal and policy advisor to USCIS and DHS leadership on matters involving humanitarian protection, administrative law, national security, and federal immigration policy. Her work included advising on complex regulatory and statutory issues, supporting the Department of Justice in class action litigation, drafting certiorari recommendations to the U.S. Office of the Solicitor General, and briefing members of Congress and senior executive branch officials on areas of subject-matter expertise.

Now an assistant professor at Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law in Charlotte, Scavone will teach Constitutional Law and Professional Responsibility. Her executive branch experience provides a particularly timely foundation for exploring constitutional law and separation of powers with students.

For Scavone, teaching offers another way to expand the impact of her legal career. Students who have transformative experiences in law school, she said, become “the ripples that just keep going out� as they serve clients and communities.

Scavone earned a bachelor’s degree in French from Guilford College and her J.D., cum laude, from North Carolina Central University School of Law.

Outside of the classroom, Scavone enjoys baking, playing traditional Irish music with her father, and going on international adventures with her husband and children.

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Faculty, staff recognized for excellence in Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ College, the College of Arts and Sciences /u/news/2026/08/18/faculty-staff-recognized-for-excellence-in-elon-college-the-college-of-arts-and-sciences-2/ Tue, 18 Aug 2026 14:52:33 +0000 /u/news/?p=1053513 Five members of faculty and staff in Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ College, the College of Arts and Sciences, were honored during Planning Week on Aug. 17, 2026, for their excellence in teaching, scholarship, service-leadership and mentorship.

Recipients of the annual awards are nominated by their colleagues and selected by the College’s dean and associate deans.

“Each of these award recipients demonstrate dedication to their students and colleagues,â€� said Hilton Kelly, dean of Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ College, the College of Arts and Sciences. “I am so pleased to recognize each of these faculty and staff members for all of their work and contributions to supporting the mission of the College.â€�

The 2026 College Excellence Award recipients:

Excellence in Teaching Award

Kristen Mazur

Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics

Headshot of Kristen Mazur
Associate Professor Kristen Mazur

Associate Professor Kristen Mazur builds her classrooms around the idea that students learn best when they are encouraged to take intellectual risks, embrace productive struggles and grow through challenges. She was the leader in the development of Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµâ€™s Precalculus program and co-creator of the Mathematics and Statistics Learning Assistant Program, helping strengthen pathways into science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. She received the Trevor Evans Award, established by the Mathematical Association of America, for scholarship of an exceptional mathematics article that is accessible to undergraduates which was published in “Math Horizons.â€� Mazur also has multiple publications with undergraduate co-authors.

Excellence in Scholarship

Yanica Faustin

Assistant Professor of Public Health

Headshot of Yanica Faustin
Assistant Professor Yanica Faustin

Assistant Professor Yanica Faustin’s work focuses on health equity and understanding and dismantling the systemic and structural barriers that shape health and well-being for marginalized communities. Faustin was Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµâ€™s first recipient of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Equity Scholars for Action award, a national grant supporting groundbreaking scholarship that advances health equity. This award helped position Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ on a national stage in public health research. In addition to peer-reviewed publications, invited presentations and public scholarship, she has built a research program committed to developing future scholars. Faustin has also advanced national conversations around maternal and reproductive health, racial inequities in birth outcomes, severe maternal morbidity and the health experiences of Black communities across the diaspora.

Excellence in Service-Leadership Award

Corey Roberts

Assistant Professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies

Headshot of Corey Roberts
Assistant Professor Corey Roberts

Assistant Professor Corey Roberts’ service has been defined by a commitment to collaboration and community engagement. Through leadership of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation (OBSN) Heritage Language and Learning Working Group, Roberts helped secure multiple grants, develop educational initiatives, organize conferences and workshops and deepens the partnership between Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ and the OBSN. These efforts brought together students, faculty, staff, tribal leaders and community members in meaningful and lasting ways. He helped to lead the creation and installation of a historic marker at The Oaks that includes Yesa:sahí language and a land acknowledgment, along with coordinating signage on OBSN tribal grounds. The dedication brought more than 120 members of the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ and tribal communities together. Roberts also helped organize the Undergraduate Conference on Languages and Cultures, coordinated Polyglot Lunches, co-advises the Native American Student Association and delivered guest lectures that embody language, culture, community and belonging.

Excellence in Mentoring Award

Lauren Guilmette

Associate Professor of Philosophy

Headshot of Lauren Guilmette
Associate Professor Lauren Guilmette

Associate Professor Lauren Guilmette has created numerous opportunities for students to connect their academic work with the wider world. From mentoring independent research projects, Honors students, Summer Undergraduate Research Experience scholars and graduate school applicants, to creating programs that connect students with faculty mentors, community partners and scholars across the country, Guilmette bands the horizons of what mentoring can be. As an advisor to the Gender & Sexuality Living Learning Community, Guilmette has cultivated spaces where students find community, leadership opportunities and a sense of belonging. Through partnerships with local organizations, grassroots initiatives, and community leaders, students have been encouraged to see themselves not simply as learners, but as engaged citizens capable of making a difference in the world. She also has a gift for connecting people, students with mentors, students with communities, students with one another and students with a deeper sense of purpose.

Staff Excellence Award

Beth DeFord

Program Assistant for Psychology, Human Service Studies and Public Health

Headshot of Beth DeFord
Program Assistant Beth DeFord

Program Assistant Beth DeFord has spent more than two decades tracking down the right answer, identifying a potential problem before it arises, navigating a complicated process, helping a colleague meet a deadline and working behind the scenes to ensure things run smoothly. Known for approaching tasks with professionalism, precision, kindness and a desire to help others succeed, faculty trust her expertise, students benefit from her support and colleagues rely on her wisdom and institutional knowledge. DeFord supports three academic departments, Psychology, Human Service Studies and Public Health, to provide assistance to faculty, supervise student employees, support hundreds of students and manages a building. One nominator described DeFord as a superhero who manages an enormous workload, yet somehow makes it all look effortless.

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Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law clinic garners NCBA Law School Pro Bono Project of the Year Award /u/news/2026/07/17/elon-law-clinic-garners-ncba-law-school-pro-bono-project-of-the-year-award/ Fri, 17 Jul 2026 18:34:37 +0000 /u/news/?p=1051519 Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law students arrived ready to explain legal documents and language. They left with a better understanding of what it means to practice law.

As they helped parents prepare legal documents designed to ensure their children would continue receiving care and education if the unexpected happened, students found themselves doing something equally important: listening to families navigating uncertainty and providing greater peace of mind.

Organized by Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law’s Pro Bono Board in partnership with — an agency that advocates for and serves immigrants in the Triad — the May 2025 clinic responded to concerns from families who wanted to prepare for the possibility of sudden family separation. Under the supervision of licensed attorneys — including an Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law alumna and a faculty member — students assisted parents in completing powers of attorney that would allow trusted caregivers to make educational and medical decisions for their children if needed.

“It was something concrete we could actually do,” recalled Molly Hohler L’26, who helped organize the clinic through the Pro Bono Board.

Families spoke candidly about their fears as they contemplated possible detention or deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Working alongside fellow board leaders Frank Edwards L’25, Adnan Omer L’25, Saniya Pangare L’25 and Cameron Riordan L’25, Hohler organized the clinic with FaithAction International, Professor of Law Andy Haile and attorney Abigail Seymour L’17. Together, they identified a way to use their legal training to meet a community need and serve real clients.

More than a year later, that student-led effort earned statewide recognition. during the association’s Annual Meeting this summer, recognizing an “outstanding law student group whose pro bono project advanced access to justice in North Carolina.

“You have that script of what you want to say, and then all of that goes out the window because you recognize the emotions your client is experiencing. It taught us that you have to approach clients with empathy, not just legal answers.”
— Adnan Omer L’25

The idea grew from conversations with FaithAction International, which identified an urgent community need and contacted the Pro Bono Board. Immigration legal advice was beyond the scope of what students could provide, but powers of attorney offered a meaningful way to serve clients under attorney supervision.

For Adnan Omer L’25 and others, the clinic quickly became much more than a legal exercise.

“People come to you on one of the hardest days of their lives,â€� said Omer, now an associate attorney with Vrapi Weeks Immigration Attorneys in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “You have that script of what you want to say, and then all of that goes out the window because you recognize the emotions your client is experiencing. It taught us that you have to approach clients with empathy, not just legal answers.”

A woman smiling in a posed photo. She is wearing a red blouse and blue jeans.
Abigail Seymour L’17, founder of Camino Law in Greensboro

Seymour L’17, who founded Greensboro-based Camino Law in 2019, was the supervising attorney for the clinic. As a former Pro Bono Board member herself, she understood the value of the experience for students. Throughout the day, she observed, interpreted and worked alongside them during client meetings in the one-day clinic.

“The main purpose of this clinic was to give people a sense of control and preparation,” Seymour said. “Peace of mind to know that if the worst were to happen, they would have a plan.” Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law students “were wonderful and jumped right in. They didn’t hang back.â€�

“The most important lesson is learning to work with clients who are facing significant challenges that we as lawyers may never experience ourselves. In class, we can debate and discuss these abstract issues of law and policy, but when you see how they affect real people, that makes it a different lesson.”
— Professor of Law Andy Haile

In recommending the clinic for the statewide award, Seymour praised the students’ “extraordinary professionalism, leadership and compassion,” writing to the NCBA that they approached the work “not as an academic exercise, but as a professional responsibility.” The project exemplified “the highest ideals of pro bono service in North Carolina,â€� she wrote.

Haile, who also supervised students during the clinic, said the experience demonstrated why experiential learning is critical for legal preparation. Some skills can’t be learned in a classroom.

“The most important lesson is learning to work with clients who are facing significant challenges that we as lawyers may never experience ourselves,” Haile said. “In class, we can debate and discuss these abstract issues of law and policy, but when you see how they affect real people, that makes it a different lesson.”

For Pangare, whose family immigrated to the United States, the project carried special meaning.

“It was an opportunity to help people feel more secure in their homes, their surroundings and their communities,” said Pangare — now an associate attorney at Hall Booth Smith P.C. in Asheville, North Carolina. “We wanted to help a community we knew felt vulnerable and let them know we were there to support them.”

“We have unique skills as soon-to-be lawyers. The more we can use those skills to help people, the better lawyers we become in the process.”
— Molly Hohler L’26

She joined Hohler and Shannon Ward L’26, current Pro Bono Board co-director, in accepting the award on behalf of Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law during the NCBA Annual Meeting on June 26.

Hohler said that public service has been a throughline in both her personal and professional life. Serving on the Pro Bono Board gives her an opportunity to channel that instinct alongside classmates who share a commitment to service.

“I love working with clients. It gives me new energy,” Hohler said. “We have unique skills as soon-to-be lawyers. The more we can use those skills to help people, the better lawyers we become in the process.”

 

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Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ professors join FCC filing on First Amendment, broadcast journalism /u/news/2026/07/10/elon-professors-join-fcc-filing-on-first-amendment-broadcast-journalism/ Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:44:39 +0000 /u/news/?p=1051309 Two Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ professors joined a coalition of 50 First Amendment scholars and organizations in supporting reply comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission on the government’s role in regulating broadcast news programming.

Professor of Law Enrique Armijo and Assistant Professor of Journalism Israel Balderas joined the coalition supporting the filing. organized the effort and submitted the reply comments to the FCC.

Although the proceeding involves ABC’s “The View,â€� the filing argues the broader issue is whether the federal government should determine what qualifies as a news interview program and second-guess broadcasters’ editorial decisions — a form of government interference with the independence of news organizations that the signers of the filing say the First Amendment is intended to prevent.

Directory portrait of Israel Balderas
Assistant Professor of Journalism Israel Balderas

The proceeding stems from a public notice issued by the FCC’s Media Bureau, the office responsible for broadcast policy and licensing, seeking comment on ABC’s request that “The Viewâ€� retain its status as a bona fide news interview program. Under the federal equal time provision, broadcast stations generally must provide comparable airtime to opposing political candidates when one candidate appears on a program. News interview programs that qualify for the FCC’s longstanding exemption don’t have to adhere to that requirement.

Balderas — a professor in the School of Communications whose professional experience includes work as an Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist, First Amendment attorney and former media adviser at the FCC — said the coalition’s concerns extend beyond a single television program.

“The Constitution puts that decision off-limits to government. Once any administration, of any party, gets the power to decide what qualifies as news, it will use that power against whoever criticizes it,â€� Balderas said. “The First Amendment doesn’t protect the press because journalists are perfect. It protects the press because a free people need information their government doesn’t control.â€�

Portrait of Enrique Armijo
Professor of Law Enrique Armijo

Armijo — a professor in the School of Law whose scholarship examines the intersection of new technologies, free speech and First Amendment doctrine — said the filing addresses both the immediate FCC proceeding and broader concerns about government regulation of speech.

“While the TechFreedom comments are about the current proceeding at the FCC as to whether “The Viewâ€� and similar programs should continue to be exempted from the agency’s equal time requirements, they also speak to something larger: the current administration’s continuing attempts to use its regulatory authority as a pretext to punish points of view with which it disagrees,” Armijo said.

The reply comments become part of the public record the FCC will consider as it reviews ABC’s petition.

At Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law, Armijo teaches constitutional law, the First Amendment, media and internet law, torts and international freedom of expression.

In the School of Communications, Balderas teaches courses in media law and ethics, TV reporting and leads programs that bridge political communication with civic engagement.

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Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law professor explores housing policy, economic opportunity in publications /u/news/2026/06/29/elon-law-professor-explores-housing-policy-economic-opportunity-in-publications/ Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:31:37 +0000 /u/news/?p=1050707 Associate Professor of Law Rosa Newman recently published two pieces of scholarship examining how property law and housing policy, shape wealth creation, neighborhood development and access to economic opportunity.

A portrait of Rosa Newman
Associate Professor of Law Rosa Newman

In the The article examines how federal housing policies contributed to racial disparities in homeownership and wealth accumulation and argues that Housing Choice Vouchers should be viewed not only as rental assistance, but also as a vehicle for sustainable homeownership. Drawing on historical analysis of federal housing programs and lending practices, Newman argues that government housing policies have played a significant role in shaping economic opportunity and wealth-building across generations. Newman proposes reforms that would enable more recipients of federal housing subsidies to leverage that assistance as a pathway to homeownership, helping expand access to intergenerational wealth-building opportunities.

Newman also published a In the essay, Newman examines University of Richmond School of Law Professor Carol Brown’s article “A Civil Rights Defense of Gentrification,â€� that challenges the conventional assumption that neighborhood reinvestment and gentrification inevitably displace existing residents. Newman highlights Brown’s argument that legal tools such as inclusionary zoning and affordability protections can allow redevelopment to occur in a way that promotes both opportunity and inclusion, and without widespread displacement.

Together, the two publications reflect Newman’s broader research agenda, which examines how property law and housing policy shape wealth creation, neighborhood development, and racial inequality, with a particular focus on the legal institutions that govern access to homeownership and economic mobility.

Newman joined the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law faculty in 2022 and teaches Property, Wills and Trusts, and Real Estate Transactions. Her teaching and scholarship focus on property, real estate and housing law, with particular interests in housing and economic development. She earned her B.A. from the University of Chicago and a dual J.D./M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Iowa.

Before entering academia, Newman worked in the commercial real estate development field for firms in Miami, Florida, and Charlotte, North Carolina, specializing in structuring multilayered financing for mixed-income, multifamily housing developments. That professional experience continues to inform her research and teaching. She later served as a Louis Westerfield Fellow at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.

Newman chairs the Legal Education Committee of the Uniform Laws Group of the American Bar Association’s Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section (RPTE), serves as a contributing editor for JOTWELL’s Property section, and is a member of the Trusts Drafting Committee of the North Carolina General Statutes Commission. She also serves on the Executive Council for the Florida Bar’s Out-of-State Division and as a member of the Mecklenburg County Citizens Revaluation Commission.

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Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law professor contributes chapter to leading free speech volume /u/news/2026/06/22/elon-law-professor-contributes-chapter-to-leading-free-speech-volume/ Mon, 22 Jun 2026 14:16:09 +0000 /u/news/?p=1050321 Professor of Law Enrique Armijo recently published a chapter examining global approaches to social media moderation, regulation and freedom of speech.

His chapter appears in “The Elgar Companion to Freedom of Speech and Expression,” edited by Ashutosh Bhagwat and Alan K. Chen and published by Edward Elgar Publishing.

Picture of a man in suit and tie in front of a bookcase
Professor of Law Enrique Armijo

Armijo’s chapter, “Online Must-Carry in Comparative Perspective,” draws on an international freedom of expression course he taught in The Hague through Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ School of Law’s global study partnership with Stetson University College of Law. In it, he examines how different countries balance the rights of online platforms to moderate content with growing recognition of those platforms as primary forums for public discourse.

Using recent efforts by Texas and Florida to limit social media companies’ ability to remove content or users, Armijo explores how those laws align with or diverge from international human rights laws protecting the right to receive information. He also compares other countries’ efforts to balance the expressive rights of platforms and their users

The volume examines contemporary debates surrounding free speech, including online expression, higher education, the press and related rights. The editors solicited contributions from leading free speech scholars in the United States and around the world, including Armijo.

book cover of "The Elgar Guide to Freedom of Speech and Expression"At Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Law, Armijo’s scholarship and teaching cover broad areas of the law, including the First Amendment, constitutional law, torts, administrative law, media and internet law, online disinformation, and international freedom of expression. He is also a Fellow at the Yale Law School Information Society Project and the UNC-Chapel Hill Center for Information, Technology and Public Life, and a Faculty Fellow with the George Washington University Institute for Data, Democracy, and Politics.

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