RALEIGH – Two state trial judges will head to Nottingham Law School to pursue an LL.M. degree in International Legal Studies over Campbell Law School’s spring break thanks to the generosity of a law school alumna, Dean J. Rich Leonard has announced.
Judge Terry Rose of District Court 12 and Chief District Court Judge Amanda Wilson of the 21st Judicial District have been chosen by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to participate in the program as the inaugural recipients of the Gray Fellowships of $12,500 each. The fellowships are made possible by former Wake County District Court Judge Jane Powell Gray ‘79 and her husband, Frank Gray.
Rose, who graduated from North Carolina Central University School of Law, was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar in 1992. She maintained a general law practice representing clients in both state and federal district courts and before the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit until 2021. In January 2021, Rose was sworn in as a judge in District Court 12, where she continues to serve three counties – Johnston, Harnett and Lee.
Her thesis proposal follows: “Despite decades of proposed theories and legislative statutes, no unified theory of alimony has emerged to guide courts in determining eligibility or award amounts, resulting in persistent unpredictability and inconsistency in spousal support decisions. This lack of theoretical foundation is particularly problematic given the contradictions between no-fault divorce statutes and fault-based alimony provisions, leaving courts without clear guidance on fundamental questions of why and how alimony should be awarded. This work proposes to develop a coherent theory of alimony grounded in contemporary cultural understandings of marriage and to establish a framework for its practical implementation.”
Wilson has served as the chief district court judge for the 21st Judicial District, which includes Anson, Richmond and Scotland counties, since 2018. She has been on the bench since her first election in 2008. She is the vice president/president-elect of the North Carolina Association of District Court Judges. She also serves on the Chief Justice’s Family Court Advisory Committee for the state and as a commissioner for the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission as the District Court Judges’ designee. Wilson is married and has one son, two stepchildren and four granddaughters. She earned her JD from North Carolina Central University in 1999.
Her proposed thesis topic is entitled, “Legal Deserts: Finding Solutions to the Pervasive Problem of a Lack of Legal Representation in Rural Areas.” The focus of her thesis is the balancing act of protecting citizens’ rights while ensuring the availability of lawyers, specifically in North Carolina. Through her research, Wilson hopes to find creative solutions to the escalating problem of lack of attorneys in rural areas.
The fellowships for the Campbell Law program that partners with Nottingham Law School in the United Kingdom to offer an LL.M. degree come on the heels of state budget pressures affecting the AOC, Leonard said.
“For almost a decade, state trial judges have joined my students as participants in this program,” he explained. “More than two dozen have earned their LL.M. degrees. The AOC has generously supported the judges in this endeavor until this year. Sadly, budgetary constraints have eliminated this support for this year.”
The Campbell Law/Nottingham partnership allows Campbell Law students, attorneys and judges to earn an LL.M., which involves online coursework and an in-person component at Nottingham Trent University’s law school.
“Our students take an onboarding course here, then travel to Nottingham to present their thesis topic and be assigned a distinguished faculty member to oversee their writing process,” Leonard added. “The relationship between law students and judges has been a hallmark of this program we want to continue. They will join my law students in class this spring, and participate in our spring break trip to Nottingham to enroll in the LL.M. program there.”
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Since its founding in 1976, Campbell Law School 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.