RALEIGH — Campbell Law School’s Blanchard Community Law Clinic (BCLC) recently served some 170 clients at Driver’s License Restoration Clinics held at both the Carteret and New Hanover correctional centers.
“Our clinic was able to assist more than 60 clients who requested assistance at Carteret Correctional, and 110 clients at New Hanover Correctional,” said BCLC Staff Attorney Kris Parks. “The Blanchard Community Law Clinic would like to thank Warden Morton and Assistant Warden Brandon, as well as Deputy Secretary George Pettigrew for their assistance in planning the clinics.”
The clinic organized at Carteret Correctional Center was held during the Fall 2024 semester, while the New Hanover Correctional Center clinic was held in January, according to Parks. The January clinic included Parks, 13 Campbell Law students, volunteer attorneys and social workers, a social work intern, and BCLC Clinic Director Rick Glazier.
Over the course of a semester, the participating BCLC students learn about the collateral consequences of their convictions, which can include losing driver’s license privileges due to failure to pay court files and fees, Parks explained. They also learn the steps necessary to reinstate driver’s license privileges so that their incarcerated clients can legally drive when they are released from prison.
“Adequate and safe transportation is essential to re-entry, which is why each student was assigned a caseload of people whose license privileges had been suspended or revoked,” she added. “Prior to the clinic, the students reviewed the driving records for each client, identified the reason for the suspension or revocation and created a plan for restoration. During the clinic, students sat down with their clients one-on-one to discuss their plans for re-entry and the necessary steps that would need to be taken to regain driving privileges. Clients had the opportunity to ask questions about their situation and gain clarity on any uncertainties they may have had.”
The BCLC has been a crucial resource in the community for those facing legal obstacles since being founded in 2016. The clinic has provided free legal assistance and resources to low-income individuals through partnerships with the City of Raleigh, Raleigh Rescue Mission, Justice Served, StepUp Ministry, Alliance Medical Ministry and others.
The BCLC’s Driver’s License Restoration Initiative and other pro bono initiatives are made possible in part by the Bob and Pat Barker Second Chance Initiative. This helps individuals move forward from their involvement in the criminal justice system. Since its founding, the clinic has provided service to more than 1,600 people with legal issues ranging from landlord-tenant disputes to driver’s license restoration.
The BCLC is located in Raleigh’s Warehouse District and carries on its namesake, Charles Fuller Blanchard, who was a legal advocate dedicated to expanding access to justice.
ABOUT CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL
Since its founding in 1986, 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 nearly 5,000 alumni, who make their home in nearly all 50 states and beyond. In 2024, Campbell Law celebrated 45 years of graduating legal leaders and 15 years of being located in a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of North Carolina’s Capital City.