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| Michael Brandon Morris, 3L Undergrad: Indiana Wesleyan University Major: Political Science Pre-Law & Economics |
A. I am from the small town of Farmland, Indiana, and, for those of you wondering, that is the actual name of the town. Believe it or not, I was not raised on a farm.
Q. How did you spend your summer?
A. The summer after my 2L year, I took the Right to Work Practicum, interning for the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation under Professor Bruce Cameron, and took Labor Law, an elective course that is also taught by Professor Cameron. My time was spent researching Compulsory Unionism and how the law has evolved over the years.
The summer after my 1L year, I interned for the office of Congressman J. Randy Forbes in Chesapeake, Virginia. Among other things, during the internship I was able to gain experience in helping constituents obtain passports, contacting and corresponding with agencies on behalf of citizens, and in setting up a job fair that presented an opportunity for citizens in the area to obtain valuable employment.
Q. What does becoming a lawyer mean to you?
A. To me, becoming a lawyer is more than just a position with a firm or foundation. It is an opportunity to protect those who are unable to protect themselves. It is arming yourself in such a way that you can seek out justice while standing on truth and a firm foundation.
Q. What do you wish you knew before you started law school?
A. Before beginning law school I would have appreciated having a familiarity with legal citation styles and usage. 1L citation assignments always seemed to take more time than I had hoped, but once I gained a greater understanding of how to navigate the Blue Book things went a lot more smoothly.
Q. What surprised you most about Regent?
A. To me, the most surprising thing about Regent University is its atmosphere, especially within the law school community. In undergraduate school the whispers and even shouts alleged that law school was cutthroat and unforgiving, and that is probably still the truth.
However, here at Regent it is taxing in a completely different light. At Regent University, the student body and the faculty press in to your personal life and push to make every individual, not just a better student or learner, but to be an all-round better person. It is this intrusion, if you would like to call it that, which helps to create a sense of accountability unlike any other school experience that I have ever had. There is a sense of oneness here, and it is quite inspiring and immensely helpful when life throws you that unexpected curve.
Q. How is law school different from your college experience?
A. Aside from the obvious things, like tougher schedules, more work, and tougher competition, law school is a place where you experience struggles with others. Perhaps this is an experience that is exclusive to Regent, but in law school there is unity that is not necessarily felt in undergraduate schools. Everyone seems to have an understanding and an interest in what others are going through, and because of that, law school has a way of bringing people together.
Q. What is your favorite class so far and why?
A. My favorite class, thus far, has been Religion in the Workplace. I really enjoyed the class structure, the professor, and the subject matter. Having taken courses in undergraduate school with a similar subject matter (one class even having the same name, “Religion in the Workplace”) I would say that this is an area that I am very passionate about.
Q. What kind of law do you hope to practice after graduation?
A. My hope is to work for a nonprofit organization/foundation to protect religious objectors and to reestablish the Founders’ ideals of religious liberty as clearly displayed in the Declaration of Independence and through the laws of nature and nature’s God that are firmly imprinted on the minds of men.
Q. How would you describe the group of your closest friends found here at Regent?
A. If I had to describe the group of my closest friends at Regent I would say that our Flag Football name bears out our demeanor and personality. This year our team name is Frolic and Detour, and I will leave that to the lawyerly minds reading this to recall from Torts its meaning. More pointedly, though, I have found that my friends here at Regent are some of the most dependable, trustworthy, upstanding, and professional individuals that I have had the opportunity to meet. I am certain that many of them will turn out to be lifelong friends.
Q. How do you prefer to study?
A. I prefer to study at home so that I can spend more time with my wife. Even if it means that we are both working on different things, which we generally are. I find that working at home is helpful for both of us in terms of balancing life’s day-to-day situations. Come exam time, however, I always find my way to my library carrel for some quiet note taking and outline creating.
Q. What is your favorite book of all time and why?
A. My favorite book of all time would have to be So Help Me God by Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore. This book is a nonfiction book about Chief Justice Moore’s struggle to continue to acknowledge Almighty God in the public sphere. I enjoy this book because through this book I discovered my call to come to law school.
It would be a travesty if I were not to mention my second favorite book of all time, because it carries with it great sentimental value. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown is my second favorite book, and that is because this book is the book that helped me get my first date with my wife. To make a long, but very important, story short: I saw her in a coffee shop while she was reading Angels and Demons, wherein I approached her and began a casual conversation. She suggested that I read this novel, and that is when I got a “novel” idea—pun intended. I told her that I would be happy to read the book as long as she would agree to go on a date with me to see the movie, as it was just being released in theaters at that time. She said yes, and the rest is history.
Q. What is your favorite Bible verse?
A. My favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” This verse is a great reminder to lawyers and law students that we do not have all the answers, but with a little help from others, it is possible to grapple with tough issues and come out on the other side with greater understanding and maybe even a new perspective.
Q. If you could meet with anyone alive or dead, who would it be and why?
A. If I could meet anyone alive or dead, I would choose to meet Alexis de Tocqueville. I would choose Tocqueville because I believe that his observations of the United States’ founding are among the most perceptive and forthright observations that have ever been made. It would be fascinating to speak with a man whose opinion is as evenhanded and unfettered as Tocqueville, to shed some light on what it appears that the Founders had attempted to create in the American political structure. Tocqueville, in his book Democracy in America, makes several amazing points that many in today’s society neglect to reflect upon, such as the United States government’s interwoven nature with the nation’s faith in Almighty God. It is my belief that with a greater understanding of Tocqueville’s observations, this nation can once again return to its founding principles of individual liberty, limited government, and personal responsibility.
Q. If you could have lunch with any faculty member or administrator at Regent who would it be and why?
A. If I could have lunch with any faculty member or administrator at Regent I would want to have lunch with Dr. Pat Robertson. Many on this campus and around the country ridicule and deride Dr. Robertson for some his past comments and beliefs. Yet, I believe that much can be learned from Dr. Robertson and his experiences on both the international stage, as the founder of CBN and the 700 Club, and the national stage, as a former presidential candidate of the United States and founder of Regent University. I admire his principled and passionate stance in sticking up for his beliefs in an increasingly politically correct and religiously hostile world. People may not always agree with Dr. Robertson, but he is obviously doing something right. Look at where he is today. Accomplishments such as Dr. Robertson’s do not come about through happenstance or by accident. Thus, having lunch with this accomplished man would be altogether exciting and honoring. I am certain that he has much wisdom to bestow on those who would lend an ear to listen and learn from what he has to share.
Q. What kinds of extra-curricular activities are you involved with?
A. I am involved in several extracurricular activities here at Regent University School of Law. Currently, I am the Vice Chair of Membership for the Republican National Lawyers Association Regent University School of Law Chapter and will be helping put together a panel discussion on Human Trafficking during the Spring Semester 2014. I am also a sitting Honor Council Member, on which I held the position of Clerk my 2L year, wherein I helped SBA put together the elections for incoming members. I am a member of the ABA, Students for Life, and the Federalists Society as well.
Along with my more formal positions, I am involved in other extracurricular activities. I, along with two other individuals here at Regent, am captain of the Men’s Regent University School of Law Softball Team and have been on the team since 1L year. With this team I have competed in six tournaments, two of which were the annual UVA National Law School Tournament. Our team made it to the Final 4 out of about 60 total teams. Similarly, my 2L and 3L years, I have been Defensive Captain of my class’s flag football team and have been a member of the team since 1L year.
Finally, I attend New Life Providence Church (Deep Creek Campus), and I, along with my wife, attend a Life Group consisting of other young married couples.
Q. If you had an entire weekend available, what would you do in the Hampton Roads area?
A. If I had the entire weekend available in the Hampton Roads area I would likely go out on the town with my wife. Generally, on date nights, my wife and I attend the movie theater and eat out at one of the many local restaurants. The rest of the weekend I, along with my wife, would likely spend time with my fellow classmates and their spouses enjoying the beach and the wonderful Virginia Beach weather.
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