About

Securing Human Rights and Advancing the Rule of Law from a Christian Perspective

Welcome to the Center for Global Justice®

A Letter from CGJ Director, Meg Kelsey

CGJ Director, Meg Kelsey

At Regent Law, we believe the law is a powerful tool for restoration. We are using it to fight some of the world’s greatest injustices.

The Center for Global Justice was founded in 2010 in response to God’s call in Proverbs 31:8–9:

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves… defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Our mission is to equip Christian advocates who will promote the rule of law and seek justice for the world’s downtrodden: the poor, the oppressed, and the enslaved. We also serve and support those already engaged in this advocacy around the world.

Why We Exist

Research suggests there are more people enslaved today than ever before.

  • They need freedom.
  • They need hope.
  • They need justice.

At the Center for Global Justice, we equip students to use their voices, their faith, and their legal training to bring justice to those who need it most.

What We’ve Accomplished

Since 2010:

  • 265 interns have served in 28 countries and 17 U.S. states
  • Over 80,000 hours of pro bono legal aid donated, valued at 6.3 million dollars
  • 94 organizational partners collaborate with us in advocacy and casework

Through our Human Trafficking Clinic, O’livia, became the first survivor in Virginia to have her record cleared.
We also helped draft and pass Virginia’s 2025 and 2026 vacatur legislation, expanding legal relief for trafficking victims across the state.

This is more than training. It is transformation.

Our students are not only learning the law.
They are using it.
They are advocating in courts, drafting legislation, researching for global partners, and defending the rights of the oppressed.

Join Us

Whether you are a student, a legal partner, or someone who cares deeply about justice, we invite you to join this mission.

  • Use your voice.
  • Use your calling.
  • Use the law to change the world.

Get involved today.

Together, we can be a voice for the voiceless.
Together, we can pursue justice—both locally and globally.

With hope and conviction,
Margaret P. Kelsey
Director, Center for Global Justice®
Regent University School of Law

Areas of Focus

To fulfill its mission of equipping Christian advocates who promote the rule of law and seek justice for the world’s downtrodden and supporting those already engaged in such advocacy, the Center applies its vision to four key issues:

Advancing the Rule of Law

The rule of law is the principle that the law, and not men, govern. When the laws on the books are enforced, justice is possible. The Center for Global Justice® is committed to ensuring that basic rights, like the right to life, due process, liberty, and property are enforced through the rule of law.

Combating Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery and violates the most basic rights to life and liberty.

Protecting Children

Children, particularly the unborn, are some of the most vulnerable and abused people in the world. Whether children are abused, orphaned, sacrificed, aborted, or sexually exploited, we must protect them.

Securing Religious Freedom Abroad

Religious freedom is at the core of what it means to be human, yet, it is quickly becoming a forgotten right. But evidence shows that where religious freedom is threatened, other rights quickly disappear as well.

Leadership

Founding Director
Jeffrey A. Brauch

Professor Jeff Brauch joined the Regent Law faculty in 1994. From 2000 to 2015, he served as the law school’s dean. Brauch helped create Regent’s Center for Global Justice® and serves as the Center’s founding director. He has taught Foundations of Law, International Human Rights, International Religious Freedom, Torts, and other courses.

Prior to teaching, Jeff served as a law clerk for Justice William Callow of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and then worked as an associate with Milwaukee law firm Quarles & Brady, where he specialized in commercial litigation. Jeff earned his J.D., with honors, from University of Chicago Law School and his B.A., with distinction, from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Jeff and his wife Becky have four adult children and four grandchildren. They attend New Covenant Presbyterian Church, where he is an elder. He loves history, the music of Beethoven, and the Green Bay Packers – not necessarily in that order.

Director
Margaret “Meg” Kelsey

Meg graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania before earning her J.D. at the University of Miami. She has served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Norfolk, Virginia, where she prosecuted crimes like embezzlement, burglary, narcotics manufacturing, and violent offenses.

After joining the CGJ, Meg launched the Human Trafficking Clinic. In addition to overseeing CGJ research and clinic cases, she co-chairs the Virginia Criminal Record Relief legislative work group and speaks to and trains legal professionals across Virginia.

Legal Fellow,
Emily Batsides

Emily Kuhn Batsides graduated from Regent University School of Law in May 2026. Throughout law school, she gained experience in advocacy, prosecution, and public service through work supporting criminal prosecutions, researching constitutional and international legal issues, and advancing initiatives focused on human trafficking and child exploitation. Her experiences included working alongside prosecutors in both the United States and Uganda, contributing to efforts related to Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigations, and conducting research on issues of trafficking, gender-based violence, and access to justice through Regent’s Center for Global Justice.

Emily is passionate about protecting children and combating human trafficking, and she looks forward to continuing that work through her Fellowship with the CGJ.

Operations & Communications Coordinator,
Liane Olsen

Liane has a BA in Political Science from Valparaiso University and a certificate in Project Management from Georgetown University. She has a strong background in national security, anti-trafficking, and advocacy, and enjoys building and implementing systems that allow others to flourish. Liane loves spending time with her family, whipping up Ina Garten-approved recipes, and cheering on the St. Louis Blues during hockey season.