New outdoor meeting space dedicated in Dean Emerita Melissa Essary's honor
When the pandemic hit, Campbell Law School Dean J. Rich Leonard knew he needed to create more outdoor spaces for his students to gather. “I realized everything we could do to get our students outside was a benefit. The Class of 2019 made our popular orange rockers their class gift, and I began to eye a useless flower bed in the corner of our parking lot,” he told the crowd gathered on Oct. 22 for the formal dedication of law school’s new outdoor meeting space. “As much as we train lawyers to be advocates and we do it well, and ‘Preponderance’ metaphorically demonstrates that nicely, we also teach here that lawyers are peacemakers. So the theme of this space is ‘Blessed Are the Peacemakers’ and the six sculptures that grace it are not full of random symbols but rather are carefully chosen to reflect our theme.” Leonard told the crowd of about 50 that a place this significant needed a name. It is officially known as “Essary Place” in honor of Dean Emerita Melissa Essary, who is a beloved professor and consummate counselor of law as well as the trailblazing force behind moving the law school from Campbell University’s Buies Creek home to the state capital a dozen years ago. Watch the video of the big reveal at this link and read more at this link.
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Gailor Family Law Litigation Clinic officially dedicated with ribbon cutting
Campbell Law officially opened its newest pro bono clinic — the Gailor Family Law Litigation Clinic — on Oct. 28 with a formal ribbon cutting attended by Raleigh’s Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin and Campbell University Provost Mark Hammond, among other dignitaries. Dean J. Rich Leonard told the crowd gathered at the Horton-Beckham-Bretsch House, the home of the clinic, that in his nine years at the helm of the law school it has been his job to keep a balance between teaching future lawyers substantive law and offering them experiential learning opportunities. "Today we dedicate our sixth clinic,” he said. “Starting a new clinic is a serious matter. It requires designing an experience that is pedagogically sound for my students but also meets the unmet needs of the underserved populations in our city and region. We looked carefully at the Chief Justice’s Commission on Access to Justice study and what we heard over and over again is that the most pressing need for legal services among those who could not find a private lawyer or be served by Legal Aid is in the area of family law. So we responded.”The Gailor Family Law Litigation Clinic is made possible through the generous donation of $250,000 from family lawyer Carole Gailor, making her the first woman to have a clinic named after her at Campbell Law. Additional participating donors include law school alumna Shelby Duffy Benton ’85, the North Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and North State Bank. Watch a video of the ribbon cutting at this link and read more at this link.
'Judges of Campbell Law' exhibit unveiled
On Oct. 7, the law school unveiled its newest exhibit, “Judges of Campbell Law,” which honors alumni who have served on a variety of judicial benches. “I stand here today enormously proud of the huge influence this small and fairly young law school has had on our state and nation through our judges,” Dean J. Rich Leonard said. “Campbell Law School currently has more alumni on the North Carolina bench than any other law school. It’s fine to say it but I began to wonder how we show it.” More than 50 judges made the trip to Raleigh from across the state and beyond to attend the formal reception held in the law school’s Pope Foyer. Watch a video of the event at this link and read more about the event at this link.
April Giancola named Assistant Dean of Career Services and Professional Development
April Giancola began serving Campbell Law students and alumni as the new Assistant Dean of Career Services and Professional Development on Nov. 1. Giancola brings 21 years of legal and program management experience to her new role, including most recently serving as the Director of Public Interest Advising for the University of North Carolina School of Law’s Career Development Office. Prior to joining UNC Law, she was the Chief Legal Program Officer for Disability Rights N.C. and a civil attorney and post-conviction managing attorney for N.C. Prisoner Legal Services Inc. “I am excited to join the dynamic team at Campbell Law because I enjoy connecting with law students and having a direct impact on their future success as lawyer leaders,” she explained. “From one-on-one counseling and job application, resume and cover letter review to executing professional development programs and events, I will use my extensive network to help identify the most viable employment opportunities for Campbell Law students and alumni.” Read more at this link.
The newest Wallace Fellows have been tapped to work alongside Campbell Law School’s faculty and staff during the 2021-2022 academic year. McNair Moore and Summer Combs — both 2021 Campbell Law graduates — were selected by an internal panel of law school faculty and staff. Their official start date is Oct. 1. “These are two of my outstanding 2021 graduates who just passed the bar and are eager to jump in and move the law school forward,” Dean J. Rich Leonard said. Read more about the new Wallace Fellows at this link.
The Blanchard Community Law Clinic served more than 60 residents of Onslow County at a free Expunction Clinic on Oct. 22, said Clinic Director Ashley Campbell. Campbell Law students and their supervising attorneys traveled from Raleigh to the Onslow County Courthouse in Jacksonville to work with clients to expunge charges from their criminal records to give them a second chance. The work the Blanchard Clinic is doing is made possible by the Bob and Pat Barker Second Chance Initiative. It was the fifth remote clinic held this year in Wake, Pitt and Robeson counties. Pro bono criminal record expunction efforts have been a mainstay of the clinic, which has helped more than 700 individuals since it began. “These seemingly small changes can have a truly profound impact in creating housing and employment opportunities,” Campbell explained. "So proud of our amazing students and so grateful for Bob Barker’s support.” Read more at this link.
3rd Annual Bike Ride raises $2,000 for pro bono clinics
More than 50 riders raised more than $2,000 for Campbell Law’s six legal pro bono clinics on Oct. 2! A huge thanks to our riders, volunteers and sponsors including TREK Bikes and Crabtree Mall! Mark your calendars for the 4th Annual Bike Ride planned for Oct. 22, 2022! Find more photos of the ride at this link.