Regent Law Welcomes Gregory F. Jacob and Hester M. Peirce to Faculty

May 19, 2026

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (May 19, 2026) — Regent University School of Law will welcome Gregory F. Jacob as Senior Associate Dean and Associate Professor and Hester M. Peirce as Associate Professor, adding two nationally respected legal leaders with rare experience at the highest levels of federal law, regulation, and public service to a faculty committed to mentoring and forming the next generation of Christian lawyers.

Jacob joins Regent Law in the upcoming fall semester after a distinguished career in public service and private practice. He served as Counsel to Vice President Mike Pence and Deputy Assistant to the President. He also held senior legal roles at the White House, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Labor, including as Solicitor of Labor, where he oversaw significant litigation under more than 180 federal labor and employment laws. In private practice, Jacob has represented clients in federal litigation involving ERISA, labor and employment matters, Department of Labor investigations, and regulatory issues. He earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and his bachelor’s degree from Amherst College. He clerked for Judge Jacques L. Wiener Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. His extensive pro bono work has included advocacy for children who have suffered abuse.

Peirce will join Regent Law in November 2026 after a distinguished career in financial regulation and public policy. She began serving as a commissioner on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2018. Before that, she conducted research on financial markets at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and served in several roles connected to federal securities law, including as Senior Counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Counsel to SEC Commissioner Paul S. Atkins; and Staff Attorney in the SEC’s Division of Investment Management. Her scholarship and public commentary have emphasized the need for regulatory humility, the importance of capital markets in the economy and society, the appropriate regulation of crypto assets, and the interaction between innovation and regulation. Peirce earned her J.D. from Yale Law School and her bachelor’s degree in economics from Case Western Reserve University. She clerked for Judge Roger B. Andewelt of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

Together, Jacob and Peirce expand Regent Law’s faculty strength in areas including federal litigation, labor and employment law, securities regulation, financial markets, administrative governance, public policy, digital assets, and professional formation. Their appointments also deepen the law school’s ability to prepare students for legal service in complex institutional settings at the convergence of public trust, economic life, and the rule of law.

“Greg Jacob and Hester Peirce have served at the highest levels of law, government, and public life,” said S. Ernie Walton, Dean of Regent University School of Law. “Their decision to join Regent Law full time is a remarkable blessing for our students and yet another example of the momentum God has granted this law school. It also reflects a conviction we share deeply: that skillful, principled, and courageous Christian leadership can truly change the world.”

About Regent Law

Regent Law equips students to serve as purpose-driven, practice-ready attorneys grounded in timeless legal principles. The fast-rising law school in U.S. News & World Report rankings, climbing 56 spots in five years, Regent ranked No. 91 in the nation in 2026. Regent Law also achieved the highest first-time bar passage rate in Virginia on the 2024 exam, ranking 39th nationally. Additional honors include second place in the nation for professor accessibility and ninth for teaching quality, according to the Princeton Review. Regent University offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in various fields of law. More than 3,800 alumni, including 38 judges, practice in 50 states and over 20 countries.

About Regent University

Founded in 1977, Regent University is America’s premier Christian university, with nearly 14,000 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 No. 1 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in Virginia for 14 years in a row (U.S. News & World Report, 2026) and the No. 2 Top Military Friendly^® School in the nation (Military Friendly^® Schools, 2024-2025).

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