Regent University Appoints S. Ernie Walton as Dean of Regent Law

November 13, 2025

Distinguished Regent Law Alumnus Will Lead His Alma Mater Into a New Era of Growth and Excellence

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Nov. 13, 2025) — S. Ernie Walton, J.D., a distinguished Regent University alumnus and longtime administrator and faculty member, has been named Dean of the Regent University School of Law. The announcement was made today by Gordon Robertson, Regent University’s Chancellor.

“Dean Walton has consistently demonstrated exceptional scholarship, integrity, and leadership,” said Robertson. “He embodies the thoughtful, principled leadership essential to equipping the next generation of legal professionals. Under his guidance, Regent Law will continue its remarkable growth in both quality and enrollment. His dedication to advancing Christ-centered legal education will strengthen our mission and impact for years to come.”

“I am profoundly honored and deeply humbled to be entrusted with the opportunity to serve as Dean of Regent University’s School of Law,” remarked Dean S. Ernie Walton. “God’s favor is on Regent Law, and we’ve never been stronger. I look forward to working with our amazing faculty and staff as we pursue our mission to be the premier Christian law school and step into all that God has prepared for Regent Law in this next season.”

Dean Walton has served as Interim Dean since July 2025, following his tenure as Senior Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Law. During his time on the faculty, he taught Sales, Business Structures & Agency, International Law, National Security Law, and International Business Transactions. In recognition of his contributions, he was named 2L/3L Professor of the Year in 2024 and received the Chancellor’s Award in 2023. He also directed Regent Law’s Center for Global Justice from 2013 to 2023.

Prior to joining the Regent faculty, Walton served as a law clerk to The Honorable D. Arthur Kelsey of the Supreme Court of Virginia. He subsequently practiced law in Southern California with Tyler & Bursch, LLP, focusing on civil litigation and business law, while concurrently serving as an associate attorney with Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a nonprofit legal organization dedicated to the defense of religious liberty. In that capacity, he represented churches in RLUIPA cases and defended pastors arrested for exercising their right to evangelize in public spaces.

A distinguished Regent Law alumnus, Dean Walton graduated first in his class in 2011, served as Notes and Comments Editor for the Regent University Law Review, and clerked for the American Center for Law and Justice.

This announcement comes on the heels of exceptional growth and achievement for Regent Law. According to U.S. News & World Report rankings, Regent Law is the fastest-rising law school in the nation from 2021 to 2025. In addition, preLaw Magazine named Regent Law the No. 1 law school in America for human rights, while The Princeton Review recently ranked the school No. 2 nationally for professor accessibility and No. 9 for teaching quality.

To learn more about Regent Law, visit www.regent.edu/law.

About Regent Law

Regent Law equips students to serve as purpose-driven, practice-ready attorneys grounded in timeless legal principles. More than 3,800 alumni practice in all 50 states and over 20 countries, including 38 currently serving as judges. In 2025, Regent ranked #94 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report — the fastest-rising law school in the nation from 2021 to 2025. Regent Law also achieved the highest first-time bar passage rate in Virginia on the 2024 exam and ranked 39th in the nation for first-time bar passage overall. Additional honors include a tie for 2nd in the nation for professor accessibility and 9th for teaching quality according to Princeton Review. It offers a Juris Doctor (J.D.) in three-year and part-time formats, an online M.A. in Law, an online M.A. in Financial Planning & Law, an on-campus and online LL.M. in Human Rights, an on-campus and online LL.M. in American Legal Studies, and an online B.A. in Law.

About Regent University

Founded in 1977, Regent University is America’s premier Christian university, with over 13,000 students studying on its 100-acre campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and online worldwide. The university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in more than 150 areas of study, including business, communication and the arts, counseling, cybersecurity, divinity, education, government, law, leadership, nursing, healthcare, and psychology. Regent University has been ranked the #1 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in Virginia for 13 years in a row (U.S. News & World Report, 2025) and the #1 Best Christian College in America (Bible College Online, 2025).

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