Bryanna Farmer '25 named 'Law Student of the Year' by The National Jurist
Campbell Law School's Bryanna Farmer ’25 has been named 2025 “Law Student of the Year” by the National Jurist Magazine. It is the first time a Campbell Law student has been recognized for this honor by the magazine. Farmer is the only North Carolina law student recognized this year as well. The National Jurist editors choose which future legal leaders to highlight and included Farmer among “the next generation of lawyers making a difference in policy, advocacy and legal innovation." Learn more at this link.
Campbell Law recognizes academic achievements, contributions at 48th annual awards banquet
Campbell Law School awarded and recognized distinguished members of the law school community for their academic achievements and contributions at the 48th Annual Family Day Law Awards banquet, which was organized by the Student Bar Association (SBA) and held March 29, 2025, at the Sheraton City Center. Professor Marcus Gadson was named “Professor of the Year” and “1L Professor of the Year” following a vote of the student body. Finalists for the Professor of the Year award included Johnny Chriscoe and finalists for the 1L Professor of the Year award included Matt Sawchak. Learn more at this link.
Meet the 2025 Competitive Scholarship Recipients
Campbell Law Dean J. Rich Leonard has announced Ginger Evans ’28, Lauren Resor ’28, Aaron Walls ’28 and Gusty Vouk ’28 as the 2025 recipients of the law school’s four highly prestigious, full-tuition competitive scholarships. Learn more at this link.
Campbell Law School to launch Hutchens Business Law Clinic
Campbell Law will launch the Hutchens Business Law Clinic in this fall, Dean J. Rich Leonard has announced. “Thanks to a very generous donation from the Hutchens Law Firm in Fayetteville, Campbell Law will revive its Business Law Clinic this fall semester under the direction of Benji Jones, who ran the previous iteration of the clinic,” Leonard explained. “Raleigh remains one of top innovation hubs in the country and this expansion of our school’s experiential learning program is intended to give back and foster the vibrant North Carolina entrepreneurial community.” Learn more at this link.
Matthew Alexander joins Career Center as new director of externships
Campbell Law welcomes Matthew J. Alexander, who joined the Office of Career and Professional Development as Director of Externships on April 7, Dean J. Rich Leonard has announced. In his new role, Alexander will oversee the teaching and administration of the law school’s comprehensive externship program throughout the year – fall, spring and summer. Campbell Law’s Externship Program is well developed, with more than 150 sites. Learn more at this link.
Professor Robert Montgomery to retire in May
Campbell Law Professor Robert Montgomery, who has been serving as the director of the Upper-Level Legal Research and Writing Program since July 1, 2020, will retire after this semester, Dean J. Rich Leonard has announced. “It was a difficult decision to make, but I am looking forward to whatever is next – whether that is being fully retired or something else,” Montgomery wrote on a LinkedIn post announcing his retirement. Montgomery, who has been a full-time professor of Legal Research & Writing at Campbell Law for seven years, previously served as an adjunct faculty member since 2010. In addition to teaching at Campbell Law, Montgomery was an adjunct instructor at the University of North Carolina School of Law from 1992 to 2006. Learn more at this link.
Dean J. Rich Leonard among academics who say Montana bankruptcy fight needs high court review
Campbell Law Dean J. Rich Leonard is among a group of academics who have filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court urging the high court to take up an appeal challenging a state’s right to assert immunity from litigation when it initiates an involuntary bankruptcy case against a third party. An article published on April 3 by Bloomberg Law, states that high court attention is needed to address a 2024 decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on state sovereign immunity waivers that could “pose problems inside and outside of bankruptcy,” Leonard, a former North Carolina bankruptcy judge, and several other law professors said in a friend-of-the-court filing Wednesday. A number of other news outlets have covered the case including Law 360. The brief supports a petition lodged by former billionaire entrepreneur Timothy Blixseth, who is trying to sue the Montana Department of Revenue for pursuing an “improper” involuntary bankruptcy case against him to collect on an unpaid tax, the article states. Learn more at this link.
NCBA/NCBF choose two Campbell Law students as 2025 Open Door Fellows
Two first-year Campbell Law students – Suzy Brito Lagunas and Josh Peacock – have been chosen as the 2025 Open Door Fellows for the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) and North Carolina Bar Foundation (NCBF). The NCBA Open Door Fellowship is a unique, competitive opportunity for first-year North Carolina law students. Open Door Fellows gain valuable, hands-on legal experience while widening their professional networks to “open doors” and prepare them for the next steps in their legal careers. Lagunas and Peacock are the first Open Door Fellows chosen from Campbell Law since the program’s inception in 2023. Learn more at this link.
Campbell Law to again host two Justice John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellows
Campbell Law is once again hosting two Justice John Paul Stevens Fellows this summer. Campbell Law is only the second law school in North Carolina to host the public interest fellowship. Thanks to the generous support of Campbell Law alumnus Charlie Rawls ’82 and his wife, Deanne Maynard, with a matching grant from Campbell Law School, the law school will be administering two $5,000 stipends to first-year students to first-year students Mackenzie Leger ‘27 and Abigail Sholes ‘27 during the summer of 2025, said Assistant Dean of Career and Professional Development Mallory Underwood. Learn more at this link.
Campbell Law’s Blanchard Community Law Clinic (BCLC) Spring Fundraiser
Campbell Law advocates earn several awards at 14th annual South Texas Mock Trial Challenge
Campbell Law advocates brought home hardware in the form of several awards March 27-29, 2025, from the 14th Annual South Texas Mock Trial Challenge held at the Harris County Courthouse in Houston, Texas. The team of third-year law students Annaliese Spielman, Grant Draughn, Jessica McClellan and Christian Ray marched through the first three preliminary rounds, and the later advanced rounds, finishing as National Quarterfinalists and earning an Outstanding Brief Award. In addition to their team success, Draughn was awarded a coveted trophy for being an Outstanding Advocate in the competition out of more than 200 student trial lawyers. Learn more at this link.
Campbell Law Alumni Association offers a two-hour CLE in-person or virtual on May 29
In honor of the Campbell Law Alumni Association’s 10th anniversary, the Alumni Association is offering up to 10 hours of additional CLE opportunities in 2025. The first additional "Connecting with Campbell Law-Raleigh/Virtual" CLE opportunity is on Wednesday, May 29, and there is the option to join in-person or online for a two-hour CLE. The in-person option will be held at Campbell Law School from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m in Room 313. This presentation will offer one-hour general and one-hour technology CLE credits, which have been approved by the North Carolina State Bar. From 9-10 a.m. Kara Goray, Ashley Urquijo, Rosa Corriveau of Ogletree Deakins will present "Basics of Business Immigration & Current Hot Topics" (general credit) and from 10-11 a.m. Zack Anstett of Parker Poe will present "AI, ChatGPT, and the Legal Profession" (technology credit). The Alumni Association thanks Chaplin and Associates Inc. for sponsoring this event. To register, click HERE
Campbell Law Spotlight
Campbell Law’s Hannah Brown ’25 received High Merits and finished first out of all Campbell University graduate school oral presentations at the recent 15th Annual Wiggins Memorial Library Academic Symposium. Her project, “When the Judiciary Teaches the Legislature a Lesson: Leandro v. State,” was one of many impactful projects shared by Campbell students at the symposium. Brown’s presentation delves into the constitutional, legal and political dimensions of the landmark “Leandro v. State” case, which has had a lasting influence on education policy in North Carolina. The abstract for Brown’s presentation states: “The Leandro litigation has revealed the tension between judicial enforcement of constitutional rights and the persistent inaction of the legislative branch. Despite the North Carolina Supreme Court affirming a constitutional right to a sound basic education in 1997, violations of this right continue to persist, especially in underserved communities like Hoke County.” 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 External Relations and Events Coordinator Sharon Sparks at ssparks@campbell.edu or Director of Communications and Marketing Lisa Snedeker at lsnedeker@campbell.edu.
SAVE THE DATE
- Alumni Association Reunion for Classes of 1980, 1985, 1995, 2000, 2015 and 2020 May 3
- Campbell Law Hooding and Commencement May 9
- "Connecting with Campbell Law-Raleigh/Virtual" CLE May 29
- Campbell Advantage/Orientation August 8
- Alumni Association Annual CLE October 24
Check out new Campbell Law swag
Looking for Campbell Law apparel? 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.