RALEIGH — Campbell Law School Dean J. Rich Leonard is featured in a recent National Jurist magazine article entitled, “Paying for law school is changing: Here’s how to make it work,”
The article focuses on the loss of Grad PLUS loans for new borrowers coupled with federal loans being capped, prospective law students now need to scrutinize scholarships, compare total costs and plan for potential financing gaps before choosing a school.
“For aspiring lawyers, choosing a school now means determining both whether they can get in and whether they can afford to finish,” states the article, which was published on Oct. 8, 2026.
“For new borrowers beginning law school on or after July 1, 2026, federal Grad PLUS loans are no longer available. Law students can borrow up to $50,000 a year in federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, with a $200,000 aggregate limit for professional study. A $257,500 lifetime cap across federal student loans also makes prior undergraduate debt an important consideration.
“Those numbers may sound large, but tuition and living expenses at some schools can exceed the annual cap. Students who face a gap may need scholarships, savings, family help, earnings or private loans.”
Leonard told the magazine he reviewed borrowing by 553 of his students and found that 41% had borrowed more than $50,000 in one year.
“About half of that group borrowed between $50,000 and $65,000, and the rest borrowed more than $65,000,” he told the National Jurist. “The findings showed how many students could face a financing gap under the new cap.”
The magazine stated Leonard worked with a local bank on a supplemental loan for eligible Campbell Law students. The loan can consider 12 consecutive on-time utility payments as evidence of creditworthiness, which may help students with limited credit histories.
Former Campbell Law Assistant Dean of Admissions Morgan Cutright is also quoted extensively throughout the article. Her advice to law students? “Create a realistic budget for living like a student, not like a lawyer,” Cutright told the magazine.
Read the original article at this link.
Leonard is the fifth longest-serving law school dean in the nation. On July 15, Leonard began his 14th year of leading the law school. When he took on the role in 2013, Leonard was last in seniority among law deans nationally. Now he is fifth out of 198, and remains the longest tenured among North Carolina law school deans.
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.