Benjamin V. Madison III

Benjamin V. Madison III is a Professor and Director of the Center for Professional Formation at Regent University School of Law. He holds a J.D. from William & Mary Law School, an M.A. from William & Mary, and a B.A. from Randolph-Macon College. His work focuses on legal education reform, professional identity formation, and ethics in legal practice. Madison co-authored the influential Civil Procedure for All States casebook (2012) and pioneered mentorship programs linking law students with practicing attorneys/judges to explore ethical challenges. He has been recognized with multiple teaching awards, including First-Year Class Teacher of the Year (2005-06, 2006-07, 2010-11) and the ETL Fellowship for contributions to legal education innovation. His research critiques overreliance on Socratic methods in legal pedagogy and emphasizes competency-based assessment frameworks.

Madison’s affiliations include the Southeastern Association of Law Schools’ New Law Teachers’ Committee and the Holloran Center’s Competency Milestones project. He previously served as President of the Tidewater Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and led pro bono initiatives at Hunton & Williams. The Center for Professional Formation, co-founded with L.O. Natt Gantt, hosts CLE seminars and workshops addressing ethical professionalism’s impact on lawyer fulfillment. Recent scholarship (2018-2019) examines historical legal education models for modern identity formation strategies.

• Key Research Themes: Professional identity, ethics integration, assessment rubrics, legal pedagogy evolution
• Grants/Funding: Not explicitly detailed in text but implies institutional support for Center initiatives

Madison’s career bridges practical litigation experience (2,000+ pro bono hours) with academic leadership, emphasizing the interplay between ethical practice and professional satisfaction.