Teresa McCrimmon
Teresa McCrimmon (’88) entered law school with the hope of becoming a judge. In 2004, 16 years after receiving her degree from Regent Law School, McCrimmon achieved her goal when she was appointed judge in the Virginia Beach General District Court.
“My life is a life of public service,” McCrimmon said. “For me, being a judge is the highest calling in my profession.” She began her studies in 1986 at Regent as a second-year law student. McCrimmon, who also graduated from Harvard University (A. B. in Psychology and Social Relations), gives Regent Law high marks for providing her an outstanding legal foundation.
“I would put Regent up against the finest law schools. Regent provided me with a top-notch legal education,” she said. “Quality academic instruction is required of any law school, but Regent went a step further by providing faculty and staff who genuinely cared for and supported the students.” McCrimmon also appreciated Regent’s worldview. “It was the first time that I didn’t feel like I was on the defensive about my faith,” she recalled.
After graduating from Regent, McCrimmon accepted a position as a staff attorney with Tidewater Legal Aid where she represented older adults in estate and consumer cases. She then served as an associate and assistant city attorney for the City of Virginia Beach for 13 years where she handled civil litigation, misdemeanor appeals, and child abuse and adult protective services cases.
Now a judge, McCrimmon strives to show compassion, moral clarity and justice toward all who enter her courtroom. “I must know the law and apply the law to all facts and situations irrespective of my faith,” she noted. “I hope that because of my faith I’m more conscientious. I’m responsible not only to make decisions that impose the rule of law, but also to extend mercy in situations where it’s called for.”
In addition to the legal education she received at Regent, McCrimmon says the Regent Law School’s emphasis also prepared her for her role as a judge. “The whole concept of servant leadership is really about humility. I’m not here to lord it over anybody, but to serve.”
