2022: A Year In Review
Campbell Law withdraws from U.S. News best law schools ranking
Campbell Law School will no longer participate in the U.S. News and World Report’s Best Law Schools ranking. Dean J. Rich Leonard announced the decision to faculty, staff and students on Dec. 12 in an email. Leonard’s statement cited concerns with both the ranking’s purpose and methodologies, among others. The statement follows, “The Campbell Law School faculty has decided not to participate this year in the U.S. News and World Report’s Best Law Schools rankings. We are not opposed to objective rankings, but the reputational aspect of the U.S. News rankings has always undervalued strong regional law schools. Additionally, the rankings do not sufficiently consider factors most critical to prospective students, such as bar passage and employment outcomes. We believe objective evaluations that value factors like these better serve prospective students. “As an example of the difference between objective and subjective rankings, in 2015 a North Carolina law professor at another school provided an alternative ranking based simply on student employment outcomes, LSAT scores and citations received by the Law Review. As reported in the lead story by Bloomberg Business, that analysis identified Campbell Law as the most underrated law school in the country. “The U.S. News methodology is substantially flawed, and we are no longer willing to spend the significant administrative time necessary to comply with requests for data irrelevant to the needs of prospective students.” Learn more at this link.
Rick Glazier named Blanchard Community Law Clinic director
Adjunct Professor Rick Glazier, former state legislator and executive director of the N.C. Justice Center, will become the director of Campbell Law’s Blanchard Community Law Clinic (BCLC) effective Jan. 1, 2023, Dean J. Rich Leonard announced today. The clinic’s mission is to help individuals being served by local nonprofits remove legal barriers to housing and employment. Since the clinic opened in fall 2017, law students staffing the clinic have served more than 700 low-income clients while also gaining important client counseling and trial skills. “His leadership at the N.C. Justice Center coupled with the fact he has been teaching at the law school for nearly three decades makes Rick the absolute perfect person to continue leading our students in this venture,” Leonard said. “His passion for helping those in need is unquestioned. His willingness to serve in this role will have an immense impact on our students as well as members of the community who find themselves in dire straits.” Learn more at this link.
North Carolina voters helped Campbell Law alumni increase their dominance of the North Carolina Court of Appeals during the Nov. 8 mid-terms. With the election of Michael Stading ‘06, a Mecklenburg County District Court judge, and the re-election of Chief Judge Donna Stroud ’88 and Judge John M. Tyson ’79, Campbell Law will soon have six alumni – or 40 percent – serving on the N.C. Court of Appeals, more than any other law school in the state. Rounding out Campbell Law alumni serving on the Court of Appeals bench are Judge Allegra Collins ‘06 and Judge Tobias (Toby) Hampson ’02, who were elected in 2018, and Judge Jeffery K. Carpenter ’03, who was elected in November 2020. “It is an enormous tribute to the school that 40 percent of the Court of Appeals are our graduates,” said Dean J. Rich Leonard, who commissioned a wall celebrating the number of alumni judges who graduated from Campbell Law, which also boasts having produced the most judges of any other N.C. law school. Learn more at this link.
Restorative Justice Clinic Update
The Restorative Justice Clinic has been quietly working on a number of projects that have life-changing impacts for clients as well as the law students who work with them. Watch this video below to learn more.
Alumni Association names new leaders, board members
The Campbell Law Alumni Association Board of Directors held its last meeting of 2022 earlier this month. Charlie Rawls '82, who has been on the board since its inception in 2015, was honored as he stepped down. Bo Walker '06 stepped down as board chair but will remain on the board as a member. Kristen Beightol '01 and Keith Boyette '19 were voted in unanimously as the chair and vice chair for 2023. "A huge thank you to our Alumni Association Board of Directors for their hard work for our law alumni," said Assistant Dean of External Relations Megan West Sherron '10. Find the list of 2023 Alumni Association Board of Directors at this link.
Audrey Normandin ’23 earns international privacy certification
Audrey Normandin ’23 recently earned her Certified International Privacy Professional (CIPP) Certification. The CIPP is a “sought-after global training and certification program for privacy and data protection,” and Normandin says she is a strong advocate for this certification for any student interested in gaining an edge over their competitors. The certification is one of a number that are available through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), and it is available in a number of jurisdictions, including the United States, Europe and Asia. Learn more at this link.
Volunteer judges needed for National Trial Competition (NTC) Region V on Feb. 17-19
Earn CLE, win an iPad
Campbell Law will serve as the Region V host of the National Trial Competition (NTC)’s annual tournament from Feb. 17-19, 2023. Trial teams from virtually every law school in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia will attend the competition, which will be hosted at the Wake County Courthouse. “We need your help in making this event a success,” explained Tatiana Terry, director of the law school’s Competitive Advocacy Program. “As such, we invite you to serve as a presiding and/or scoring judge for the regional competition by registering online at the link here. The information with specific dates/times can be found in the link as well. As we approach January 2023, we will reach out regarding assigned rounds and roles to those of you who opt to volunteer.” To sign-up to volunteer or learn more, visit this link.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Campbell Law!
Spring 2023 On-Campus Interview and Resume Collect
In Spring 2023, Campbell Law's Career and Professional Development Center will host on-campus interviews (OCIs) with employers and collect resumes based on the following schedule. To participate, visit this link. If you want to learn more about these recruiting opportunities or have any questions as to how to connect with the talent of Campbell Law, please email lawcareercenter@campbell.edu.
Spring 2023 On-Campus Interview and Resume Collect
SAVE THE DATE
- FLEX JD In-Person Information Session January 10, 2023
- Alumni Association Three-Hour CLE (VIRTUAL) February 8
- National Trial Competition (NTC) Region V Annual Tournament February 17-19
- Annual Campbell Law Scholarship Luncheon (invitation only) March 2
- Alumni Reunions Classes of 1983, 1998, 2013 and 2018 April 15
Are you a Campbell Law judge?
If you or anyone you know is a Campbell Law alumna/nus and also a current or past judge, we are expanding our "Judges of Campbell Law" wall we unveiled in October! The exhibit honors alumni who have served on a variety of judicial benches. Read more at this link. Please contact Coordinator of External Relations Sharon Sparks at ssparks@campbell.edu or call 919-865-4652 for more information.