RALEIGH — It is no secret that exercise is important to Campbell Law School Dean J. Rich Leonard. He regularly emphasizes the value of physical fitness to his students and the broader Campbell Law community. Those who know the Dean are familiar with his daily routine of swimming laps each morning to stay in shape — a practice that has grown into an informal swim club where students often join him for his morning swim.
Kevin Goodman ’27 is a former competitive swimmer in high school. He said swimming with Leonard allows him to remain physically active while also providing a mental safe haven amid the demands of law school. Beyond the swims themselves, he especially values the post-swim coffee conversations with the Dean and fellow students. Leonard’s insights into the legal field and personal anecdotes have helped Goodman thrive during his law school career, contributing to opportunities such as a summer internship in Rwanda in 2025 and his current externship with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
In furtherance of his commitment to promoting wellnes, Leonard entered into an agreement last fall to partner with the Poyner YMCA, located at 227 Fayetteville St., just a few blocks from the law school, to allow anyone associated with the law school — students, full-time faculty, adjuncts and staff — to work out at the downtown YMCA free of charge. He renewed the agreement in January 2026 for an additional semester, continuing access to fitness opportunities for the Campbell Law community.
Participants simply register during their first visit and present a valid Campbell Law ID at the front desk for subsequent visits.
Leonard said the partnership with the YMCA is made possible through the generosity of alumnus and Law Board of Visitors member Gary Shipman ’80 of Shipman & Wright LLP in Wilmington.
ABOUT CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL
Since its founding in 1976, Campbell Law has developed lawyers who possess moral conviction, social compassion, and professional competence, and who view the law as a calling to serve others. Among its accolades, the school has been recognized by the American Bar Association (ABA) as having the nation’s top Professionalism Program and by the American Academy of Trial Lawyers for having the nation’s best Trial Advocacy Program. Campbell Law boasts more than 5,000 alumni, who make their home in nearly all 50 states and beyond. In 2026, Campbell Law is celebrating 50 years of graduating legal leaders and 17 years of being located in a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of North Carolina’s Capital City.