RALEIGH — Campbell Law School Dean J. Rich Leonard is featured in the latest “All Things Judicial” podcast episode.
In the episode, Leonard shares stories from his early life, career and time spent assisting several African nations improve their systems of justice. Leonard wrote about these stories in his recent book entitled “From Welcome to Windhoek: A Judge’s Journey.”
The interview was conducted by Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism Executive Director Mel Wright whose insightful questions prompted Leonard to expound on lessons-learned, both personally and professionally, Chris Mears wrote in a press release about the podcast states.
“The message I’m trying to convey is not any greatness in me for goodness sakes,” said Leonard on the podcast. “It’s just that you persevere, you work as hard as you can, you treat people kindly, you treat people fairly, you outwork everyone, and it often works out.”
Leonard has been described as a pioneering judge, a groundbreaking court administrator, a restorer of historic courthouses and at age 29 the youngest U.S. District Court Clerk in the country. He worked as a special consultant to the U.S. Department of State, where for 20 years he helped developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa create workable court systems. His recent book describes him as a marathon runner, mountain climber, forger of cross-continental friendships and someone who embraced life in all its majesty and messiness.
“All Things Judicial” is a podcast about the important role of the North Carolina Judicial Branch in state government. The podcast follows a bi-monthly release schedule with each new episode available for download every other Wednesday and can be found on all podcast apps and on NCcourts.gov.
The N.C. Judicial Branch is an equal and distinctively separate branch and core function of government. More than 7,000 Judicial Branch employees statewide administer justice in courthouses in North Carolina’s 100 counties. The North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) is the administrative agency for the North Carolina Judicial Branch, providing administrative services to help the North Carolina court system operate more efficiently and effectively, taking into account each courthouse’s diverse needs, caseloads, and available resources.
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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 4,700 alumni, who make their home in nearly all 50 states and beyond. In 2024, Campbell Law is celebrating 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