RALEIGH — Campbell Law School held its annual swearing-in ceremony for 35 recent graduates at the law school on Friday, Oct. 10, hosted by the Campbell Law Alumni Association.
The Honorable Damion McCullers ‘03, a Wake County District Court judge, and the Honorable Hoyt Tessener ‘88, a Special Superior Court Judge in North Carolina’s Third Judicial Division, administered the oath of office and led the swearing-in of Campbell Law alumni who passed the July 2025 North Carolina Bar Examination.
With more than 200 family and friends attending the event, it was the largest celebration of its kind the law school has sponsored, according to Assistant Dean of External Relations Megan Sherron ‘10.
McCullers told the group gathered in Room 105, “This day is the culmination of all your hard work and everything that you have done … You are going to be a Campbell lawyer. What that means is there is something different about a Campbell lawyer. And don’t ever have anyone question your integrity, your reputation or your standing.”
Tessner concluded his remarks in the Britt Courtroom saying, “What an honor and exciting day for all of you. What a wonderfully diverse group of people from all over the country, incredible lawyers introducing you on a personal and professional level and doing all types of different work … I think it is always interesting to watch the attorneys introducing you into the practice of law. One of the great things about it is you get to learn for the rest of your life. I hold a lot of hope for this country that we’ll get back to where we can talk to each other and it will be led by people like you. You will be the leaders of this community, in your profession and for the country. And on behalf of the judicial branch, the court and especially from me, being a Campbell lawyer, welcome to the legal profession.”
Vice Dean Raven Byrne, a 2006 Campbell Law graduate, and George Burnette, a 2013 Campbell Law graduate, both representing the Campbell Law Alumni Association, gave the welcome and opening remarks to their respective groups.
“We are excited and honored to have each one of you here this afternoon,” she said. “Today’s swearing-in ceremony marks the culmination of years of hard work … I do want to congratulate this class on their outstanding performance on the bar exam. We had a 166 exam takers with more than a 94 percent passage rate. That’s the highest rate we have had in more than a decade. But today is not a landing pad but a launching pad … may you always remember what it means to be a Campbell Lawyer, who see their legal career as a calling to create a more just society.”
Burnette added the Alumni Association is there to support “you all as you transition into your careers and we encourage you to be a part of it because your first year is free. It has been a great way for me to stay connected with the school and the community as a whole.”
Also addressing the newly minted attorneys were Kimberly Miller ‘07, current president of the Wake County Bar Association, and Jake Epstein, current president of the 10th Judicial District Bar, representing the Wake County Bar Association (WCBA) and Tiqeece Brown ‘23 and Rob DiDomenico representing the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA).
Burnette is a current member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors serving as Membership Coordinator, while Miller is a former chair of the board.
Miller said, “It is an honor to be with you today as someone that remembers what it felt like to cross that threshold from a new law school graduate to a new practicing attorney so let me first of all congratulate you on a job well done! You’ve done it! I am here with my Wake County Bar Association president hat on. It is our centennial year, so that means I am the 100th president. We are the largest volunteer bar in the state with over 3,000 attorneys and judges. I would welcome any of you who stay in Wake County to join us.”
Bo Walker ‘06, who sponsored Emily Morris ‘24, was among a number of Campbell Law alumni who sponsored the new bar admittees. In his recommendation, Walker told the judge, “Emily will be practicing at my firm Ragsdale Liggett PLLC in Raleigh in the real estate division. She joined the FLEX program while working as a full-time paralegal for us since 2021 and she had a baby while in law school. Needless to say she has the work ethic to be a fantastic lawyer.”
View the event photo gallery on the Campbell Law School Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/campbelllawschool.
The ceremony offered graduates the opportunity to be sworn in as attorneys with the North Carolina State Bar at their alma mater with their family, friends, professors, staff, classmates and peers encouraging them and sharing the occasion. Each graduate took the oath of office as an attorney at law to support the Constitution of the United States.
“The annual swearing-in ceremony is one of our favorite events because it’s the final destination on a long and challenging educational and professional journey,” Sherron explained. “It’s also the beginning of a new career in the legal profession, and it means a great deal to the administration, faculty and staff that every year so many of our alumni return home to share this special occasion with us.”
A reception was held in the Pope Foyer following the ceremony.
To learn more about participating in the annual swearing-in ceremony, please contact Dean Sherron at sherron@campbell.edu.
ABOUT CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL
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 will celebrate 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.