Campbell Law welcomes members of the Class of 2027
The first-year law students entering the 2024 academic year at Campbell Law School represent a significant milestone, according to Dean J. Rich Leonard. “This is the most highly credentialed class to ever enter Campbell Law,” he said during Orientation on Friday, Aug. 9. These 191 1L students come from 71 different undergraduate institutions and 19 different states, including Hawaii, California, New York and Florida. It’s also one of the most diverse classes to enter the law school with nearly 24 percent of its members identifying as students of color. In his welcome remarks, Leonard talked about the law school’s award-winning trial advocacy program, its extensive externship and internship opportunities, its growing pro bono clinics and student-led projects, dual degrees and international opportunities. “All those things make this a special place,” he told the law school’s newest students. “I see my job as dean as keeping a balance between our rigorous curriculum and very vibrant external opportunities.” On Aug. 16, the students took the Professionalism Oath delivered by North Carolina Special Superior Court Judge Hoyt Tessener ‘88 in the morning followed by the Dean’s annual afternoon Campbell Law Court Crawl — a tour of all of the local, state and federal courts in downtown Raleigh. Learn more at this link.
Grace Roede named director of Career and Professional Development
Grace Roede has returned to Campbell Law as the director of the Career and Professional Development Center effective Aug. 19, 2024. With nearly 20 years in the legal services sector, Roede’s background includes leading recruitment and hiring across the Carolinas for global business law firm K&L Gates, where she implemented firm wide mentoring and professional development initiatives and provided management with strategic advisory and HR support. In addition to her recruiting role at K&L Gates and other Am Law 100 firms, Roede has also served as the Director of Membership at the North Carolina Bar Association and most recently, as the Student Career Manager in the University of North Carolina School of Law’s Career Development Office. “I am thrilled to welcome Grace back to Campbell Law,” said Mallory Underwood, assistant dean of Career and Professional Development. “Her experience in legal recruitment and hiring coupled with her experience working with law students make her the perfect addition to our team.” Roede added, “Throughout my career, I have always been impressed with the caliber of Campbell Law students with whom I interacted. It is a great honor to once again be part of the team committed to helping them achieve their professional goals and empowering them for professional success.” Learn more at this link.
Campbell Law will host three Admissions Information Sessions during the Fall 2024 semester, Assistant Dean of Admissions Miguel Hernandez has announced. Prospective students can sign up for one of the following sessions at the following links:
Saturday, Sept. 21, 11 a.m. to Noon – IN PERSON* Register at this link.
Saturday, Nov. 9, from 11 a.m. to Noon – IN PERSON* Register at this link.
Tuesday, Dec. 3, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. (EST) – VIRTUAL Register at this link.
Campbell Law student earns WCBA Foundation Memorial Scholarship
One of the annual Wake County Bar Association (WCBA) Foundation Memorial Scholarships has been granted to rising third-year Campbell Law student Jennifer Woy ’25 for this academic year. Woy, who has lived in Wake County since 2013, received $4,000, the WCBA announced in its recent newsletter. A native of Southern California, Woy relocated to North Carolina after earning an associate of arts degree from Golden West Community College in Huntington Beach. In 2006, she earned a bachelor’s degree, with distinction, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2013, she completed the paralegal program at Duke University. Prior to attending law school, Woy worked for more than nine years as a North Carolina State Certified Paralegal in Trust & Estates. This summer, Woy served in Young Moore’s Summer Law Clerk Program and last summer, she worked as a summer associate at Wyrick Robbins. Learn more at this link.
Sarah Cansler to teach legal writing, research at Campbell Law
Campbell Law welcomes Sarah Cansler to teach Legal Writing and Research this fall, Dean J. Rich Leonard has announced. “We have worked hard to create one of the top legal writing faculties in the nation and Sarah will be a wonderful addition,” Leonard said. Cansler also serves as Senior Privacy Counsel for Blackbaud, where she provides data privacy advice to all aspects of a cloud software company with a global presence offering products in the fundraising and social good sphere. She has taught an introductory course on data privacy with an emphasis on U.S. state privacy laws and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation as an adjunct professor at Campbell Law. Prior to joining Blackbaud, Candler worked as an associate at Womble Bond Dickinson in the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group and Alston & Bird in the firm’s Litigation and Trial Practice Group, both in Raleigh. She also served as a law clerk to The Honorable Gregory P. McGuire in the North Carolina Business Court in Raleigh. Learn more at this link.
Campbell Law students help two clients get eviction cases dismissed
Campbell Law students enrolled in the school’s pro bono Blanchard Community Law Clinic (BCLC) this summer worked together to help a single mother of three living in Raleigh from becoming homeless by going to court and getting her eviction case dismissed. Madison Parker ‘25 and Katie Renn Williams ‘26 were enrolled in the Summer 2024 section of the BCLC’s Civil Track taught by Assistant Clinical Professor Laura Clark. The client sought out the help of the clinic after she was scheduled to have a sheriff lockout, Clark explained. The client, who was deaf, said due to her disability, she didn’t fully understand the eviction court process and her rights and obligations, Clark continued. Parker was able to reach out to the opposing lawyer and agreed on canceling the scheduled lockout and giving the family until July 5 to move out, in exchange for a dismissal of the eviction action. Parker had a contact who knows American Sign Language (ASL), who was able to provide on the spot ASL translation via FaceTime for the client. The day before they helped Clarke, Parker and Williams won a trial in small claims court on behalf of a domestic violence victim who was facing eviction as a result of an assault by the client’s abuser. The judge found there was no basis for the eviction. Learn more at this link.
Carlie Spencer ‘20 joins Campbell Law’s Gailor Family Law Litigation Clinic
Carlie Spencer ‘20 joined Campbell Law’s Gailor Family Law Litigation Clinic as a supervising attorney on Aug. 12, 2024, Dean J. Rich Leonard has announced. Spencer serves as supervising attorney in the Gailor Family Law Litigation Clinic, where she works with Clinic Director Richard Waugaman ‘12. Spencer most recently served as a family law attorney in the Strive Law Firm, which she founded in Raleigh. She has also practiced family law in Raleigh as an associate with Kurtz & Blum PLLC and Breeden Law Office. “I channel my passion into advocating for my family law clients, showcasing expertise in various areas including divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, domestic violence and more,” Spencer wrote on her firm’s website. “Recognizing the emotional challenges of family law matters, I am dedicated to helping clients navigate the legal system and achieve the best outcomes for their families.” Learn more at this link.
Campbell Law’s award-winning Competitive Advocacy Program has announced the members of its 2024-2025 Mock Trial Team. “This semester, nearly 60 students from the second- and third-year classes participated in tryouts,” said Director of Competitive Advocacy Mary Ann Matney ’17. “I want to thank everyone who participated in tryouts. Also, this year nearly 15 different evaluators were brought in to judge the candidates – including professors, coaches, local attorneys and former Campbell Law advocates. The process was very competitive. Our evaluators were impressed by the strong and capable advocacy skills displayed by each student.” Learn more at this link.
John Latteri named interim vice president for university advancement
John Latteri, the director of development for Campbell Law since 2021, has been named the interim vice president for university advancement at Campbell University, President J. Bradley Creed announced this week. Latteri will officially succeed Dr. Britt Davis — who has been in the role since 2011 and has been with Campbell University since 2007 — on Aug. 30. “John has a proven track record of fundraising and external relationship management for the School of Law, where he’s worked closely with Dean J. Rich Leonard,” Creed said. “They have raised millions in support of the school and our students, and I am confident of John’s abilities to lead our dynamic development and alumni team toward continued success and growth.” Latteri was previously director of major gifts for the Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was part of a team that raised more than $20 million in commitments for four straight years. Since Latteri joined the Campbell Law team in 2021, nearly $7.5 million has been secured for law school programming, student scholarships and special projects to advance the mission of the School. Latteri said he is honored to serve as interim vice president and honored to succeed Davis, whom he considers “a true mentor and friend.” Learn more at this link.
Assistant Professor Nicole Ligon to serve on Fulbright Specialist Roster
Campbell Law Assistant Professor Nicole Ligon has been recommended by the U.S. Department of State to serve on the Fulbright Specialist Roster. The Fulbright Specialist Program sends U.S. faculty and professionals, who are approved by a peer review panel, to serve as expert consultants on curriculum, faculty development, institutional planning and related subjects at academic institutions abroad for up to six weeks. Ligon’s tenure on the roster will last three years, ending on Aug. 16, 2027. Fulbright Specialists are designated as experts in specific fields, in her case, law. “I am honored to have been recommended by the U.S. Department of State to represent our country and law school in this capacity. I look forward to engaging in mutually beneficial cultural exchanges and making a positive impact wherever I go.” Ligon joins Dean J. Rich Leonard, who most recently served in the Fulbright Specialist Program in 2023, and Professor Scott Pryor, who served as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in India in 2019 and in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, in 2009. Leonard said, “Congratulations to Professor Ligon on this accomplishment. It was this designation that let me spend a fabulous six weeks in Bhutan last fall. It is an excellent program.” Learn more at this link.
Campbell Law Alumni Association to host annual CLE on Oct. 25
The Campbell Law School Alumni Association will host its annual Continuing Legal Education (CLE) from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25, at the law school. This event, which will be available in-person, offers participants the opportunity to earn up to six hours of CLE credit from the North Carolina State Bar. The CLE is free for Alumni Association members and $125 for non-members or $75 for a half-day. Lunch will be provided. Registration is available at this link.
Looking for a few good employers
Campbell Law's annual Career Night is scheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at Union Hall in Raleigh's Union Station in downtown Raleigh. If you (or a representative from your firm or organization) would like to participate in this signature networking opportunity with our students, please email us at lawcareercenter@campbell.edu and we will be glad to add you to our invitation list. Space for this event is limited, so please let us know right away if you would like to join us.
SAVE THE DATE
- Wilmington Alumni Event: First Friday from 8 to 10 a.m. at Drift, 3501 Oleander Dr. September 6
- Campbell Law's 6th Annual Bike Ride October 19
- Alumni Association Annual CLE October 25
- Annual Career Night November 6
- Campbell Giving Day November 13
- Alumni Association U.S. Supreme Court Swearing-In Trip February 24, 2025
Get your Campbell Law swag
Our Campbell Law brand shop is ready and open for business! All orders are made on demand and ship in approximately 15 days. We have T-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, sweaters, jackets, hats, scarves, tumblers, coasters and more! Click here to shop.
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 2021! 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.