Campbell Law Alumni Reunion raises nearly $300,000
The Campbell Law School Alumni Association raised nearly $300,000 thanks to this year’s Alumni Reunion, which was held April 11 as part of the law school’s yearlong 50th anniversary celebration. Assistant Dean of External Relations Megan Sherron ‘10 said members of the graduating classes of 1981, 1986, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2016 and 2021 rallied their classmates to make donations to the law school so they could present Dean J. Rich Leonard with a check for $292,670. “The Campbell Law Alumni Association was so excited to see members of the respective reunion classes attend and reconnect at our reunion events,” Sherron said. “We are thankful for the generosity of the members of each class and for those who joined us for a day of visiting with old friends as well as celebrating the bonds all Campbell Law alumni share.” Learn more at this link.
Campbell Law graduates earn 100 percent on February 2026 bar exam
Campbell Law graduates earned a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the most recent North Carolina Bar Examination. Campbell Law was the only school to earn a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the February 2026 exam, the results of which were released April 1 by the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners. But these results were no April Fools. Campbell Law graduates’ results far exceeded the statewide first-time passage rate of 74.78 percent. And of the 10 Campbell Law repeat takers, seven or 70 percent passed. The statewide repeater rate was 25.36 percent. Learn more at this link.
Campbell Law again named among best for practical training
Campbell Law has once again been named among the top law schools in the country for practical training by The National Jurist in its Spring 2026 issue. Campbell Law consistently ranks among the top law schools in the nation for practical training by the magazine and its sister publication, preLaw magazine. “I am thrilled that the word is getting out about the outstanding hands-on learning possibilities that are afforded to our students,” said Dean J. Rich Leonard. “Our curriculum and programming, including the recent addition of two new pro bono clinics, allow our students to learn by doing, and we are confident that it goes a long way in helping them to become successful professionals once they graduate and pass the bar.” Learn more at this link.
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis to speak at Campbell Law hooding, graduation ceremony on May 8
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) will offer the commencement address at Campbell Law's 8th annual hooding and graduation ceremony on Friday, May 8, 2026, Dean J. Rich Leonard has announced. “I am proud to announce that Senator Tillis will serve as our hooding and graduation speaker as we celebrate 50 years as a law school,” Leonard said. “He is an important voice in our national discourse.” The celebration is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Memorial Auditorium in the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh. Learn more at this link.
Inaugural Campbell Law Dean’s Rural Initiative Summer Fellowship recipients announced
The three inaugural recipients of the Campbell Law Dean‘s Rural Initiative Summer Fellowship have been chosen for 2026, Assistant Dean of Career and Professional Development Mallory Underwood has announced. The purpose of the Dean’s Rural Initiative Summer Fellowship is to support students who hope to live and work in rural, underserved counties in North Carolina by funding their summer experience. There were three $10,000 summer fellowships available. Learn more at this link.
Two Campbell Law students receive Justice John Paul Stevens Fellowships
Campbell Law is once again hosting two Justice John Paul Stevens Fellows for the third year during the summer of 2026. Campbell Law is only the second law school in North Carolina to host the public interest fellowship. The school will administer two $5,000 stipends to second-year student Jordan Gilchrist ‘27 and first-year student Madeline Evans ‘28 during the summer of 2026 with the generous support of Campbell Law alumnus Charlie Rawls ’82 and his wife, Deanne Maynard, along with a matching grant from the law school. Learn more at this link.
Campbell Law alumni named among TBJ’s inaugural Triangle Law Awards
Three Campbell Law alumni – Shannon C. Poore ‘05, Emily G. Massey ‘17 and Richard A. Waugaman III ‘09, ‘12 – have been named among the 20 winners of the Triangle Business Journal’s inaugural Triangle Law Awards, honoring outstanding attorneys in the Greater Triangle area. Massey of Ward and Smith PA is being recognized for her work in the practice area of labor and employment, according to the TBJ. Poore, who is one of the founding partners of Batch Poore & Williams PC, is being recognized for her work in the practice area of family law. Waugaman is being recognized for his work in the practice area of family law. Learn more at this link.
Campbell Law alumni honored among ‘Excellence in Law’ recipients
Six Campbell Law alumni have been selected among the North Carolina Lawyer’s Weekly 2026 “Excellence in Law” recipients. They were honored at an event, which recognizes excellence in all areas of the local legal community, on April 23 at the Friday Conference Center in Chapel Hill. “Leaders in the Law” is an annual award that honors legal professionals licensed and practicing law in the state of North Carolina, who have gone above and beyond in their profession and their community. These honorees represent the most influential individuals within our state’s legal community. Learn who won the awards at this link.
Campbell Law advocates bring home championship from Estrella Trial Advocacy Competition
Campbell Law School advocates beat out teams from 13 other law schools to become the 2026 champions at the 12th Estrella Mock Trial Competition (ETAC) held April 11-12 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This year’s team was made up of Robert Massey ‘26, Jessica Griffin ‘26, Hunter Walker ‘27 and Whitney Peck ‘27. The team was proudly coached by alumni Jernigan Newell ‘23 and Christian Lunghi ‘23. The competition, which is co-hosted by the Law Firm Estrella LLC and The George Washington University Law, is a prestigious intercollegiate event focused on civil litigation, featuring top law schools from the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Learn more at this link.
Campbell Law advocates advance to quarter finals, win outstanding advocate at South Texas Mock Trial Challenge
Campbell Law School advocates advanced to the quarter finals at the 15th Annual South Texas Mock Trial Challenge, which was held April 9-12 at the Harris County Courthouse in Houston, Texas. The team of Paige Klink '26, Hailey LaRock '26, Thomas Lotito '26 and Keriann Rodriguez '27 was proudly coached by alumna Sydney Kraft '24. Rodriguez also earned an Outstanding Advocate Award, said Director of Competitive Advocacy Rene Shekmer. Learn more at this link.
Professor Timothy Zinnecker receives 2026 Law Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award
Professor Timothy R. Zinnecker is the Campbell Law recipient of the Dean’s Excellence Award for 2026, Dean J. Rich Leonard has announced. A tenured professor at Campbell Law since 2011 and former Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from January 2012 through June 2017, Zinnecker has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to teaching core commercial law subjects – most notably in Secured Transactions, which he teaches every semester, often in multiple sections. Learn more at this link.
Professor Johnny Chriscoe '90 to retire in May
Campbell Law School Professor Johnny Chriscoe ‘90 will retire after 26 years of service in May, Dean J. Rich Leonard has announced. Chriscoe, who began his career at Campbell Law in 2000 and was granted tenure in 2017, has brought his students the expertise he developed as a practicing attorney in the areas of torts, insurance law and civil litigation, among others. An admired professor, Chriscoe is known for “bringing charm and intellect into the classroom,” Leonard explained. “Professor Chriscoe has made an indelible mark on Campbell University School of Law and the lives of its graduates. He has educated first-year students on complex legal doctrine for more than two decades using a mixture of life experiences, humor and passion. He has trained a generation of upper-level students in the professional skills necessary to be successful in practice — from original complaint to the courtroom. Professor Chriscoe has a true gift as an educator capable of making complex legal theories accessible to every student in his tutelage.” Learn more at this link.
Assistant Professor Nicole Ligon publishes article in Penn State Law Review
Assistant Professor Nicole Ligon has published a new article, “Due Process and Press Credentialing,” in the Penn State Law Review, offering a timely examination of the constitutional questions surrounding government-issued press credentials. The article is available at this link. The article addresses a bipartisan issue that has surfaced across multiple presidential administrations: whether journalists have constitutionally protected interests in accessing government press briefings and other newsworthy events. Ligon notes that across the past four presidential administrations and at the state and local level government officials have, at times, restricted journalists’ access to press briefings and other newsworthy events. Despite these recurring disputes, the law remains unsettled as to whether due process is required before that access is denied or revoked. Learn more at this link.
LSAS ‘Walk in Their Shoes’ event raises $4,309 for InteraAct
Members of Campbell Law’s student group Law Students Advocating for Survivors (LSAS) hosted a “Walk in Their Shoes” event on April 11 at Thomas G. Crowder Woodland Center at Lake Johnson to raise awareness and funds for InterAct, a Wake County nonprofit. There was no charge to attend the event or to participate in the walk/run. Instead, participants were encouraged to make donations to InterAct, an agency that services and supports survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence and their families. Between donations and the Silent Auction, $4,309 was raised to donate to InterAct, organizers said. Learn more at this link.
Women In Law celebrates 50 years of Campbell Law alumnae achievements with panel, reception
In honor of Campbell Law's 50th anniversary, members of the student-led Women in Law group hosted a panel commemorating 50 years of Campbell Law — specifically 50 years of women at the law school on March 26. The event, which was attended by more than 100 alumni, current students, faculty and staff, brought together a distinguished panel that included the Honorable Judge Jane Gray ’79, the Honorable N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall ’81, Vice Dean Raven Byrne ’06 and Raleigh attorney Amy Clay ’16. The discussion was moderated by Professor Emerita Margaret Currin ’79, a member of the first graduating class. The panelists shared their professional journeys and reflected on how their time at Campbell Law helped shape their paths in the legal field. A networking reception sponsored by Ellis Winters and Lexis Nexis followed in the Pope Foyer and members of Women in Law created a commemorative event booklet highlighting women from the Campbell Law community. "The event was a meaningful reflection on the past and a celebration of the future, honoring the women who have helped define Campbell Law for the last half-century while inspiring the next generation of legal professionals," says WIL President Katelyn Gallimore '26. Find more photos at this link.
Campbell Law students prepare to travel to Africa for judicial fellowships
Eight Campbell Law students are headed to Africa in May to work as judicial clerks in the high courts of three nations. In February, Dean J. Rich Leonard, who has traveled to Africa some 80 times, met with chief justices in Ghana, Namibia and Rwanda to set up an inaugural student-oriented program funded by the Joseph E. Zaytoun International Judicial Clerkship Fellowship initiative. Two students – Jarrick Hawkins ‘28 and Emma Rogers ‘28 – are headed to Ghana, while three – Angelena Antenuci ‘27, Tracy Harris ‘27 and Ryan Hogan '28 – are headed to Namibia. Another three – Lukas Ireland ‘28, Eric Kinyon ‘28 and Brittany Wilson ‘28 – will work in Rwanda. Learn more at this link.
Registration now open for 2026 On-Campus Recruiting and Resume Collect
Registration is now open for employers who would like to join Campbell Law’s 2026 On-Campus Recruiting and Resume Collect program. Email lawcareercenter@campbell.edu for a schedule or a link to register. "Whether you are recruiting for a summer intern or a post graduate, entry-level position, we would be delighted to introduce you to our talented students," said Assistant Dean of Career and Professional Development Mallory Underwood. Campbell Law prides itself on training students to be great lawyers. Whether you are recruiting students for summer 2027 internships or postgraduate opportunities, we invite you to join us for our 2026 On-Campus Interview and Resume Collect recruiting program. We now offer even more flexible recruiting options throughout the year to best accommodate your hiring needs. We look forward to introducing you to our talented students! Registration is now OPEN for Sessions 6-10. Learn more at this link.
Alumni News and Class Notes now available online
Did you get married, have a baby, get a promotion, get elected, retire or experience any other exciting life change? We want to hear about it! Submit your alumni note for inclusion in our newly published online Alumni News and Class Notes at this link. Send your updates to Coordinator of External Events Sharon Sparks at ssparks@campbell.edu or Director of Communications and Marketing Lisa Snedeker at lsnedeker@campbell.edu.
SAVE THE DATE
- Graduation Rehearsal and Celebration May 7
- Graduation and Hooding Ceremony May 8
- Orientation August 7
- Campbell Law's 50th Anniversary Gala September 17
Campbell Law swag available
Looking for Campbell Law apparel? Our Campbell Law Brand Shop is 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.