RALEIGH — Campbell Law School will host U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Hoyt, author of ‘‘A Legal Lynching…From Which the Legacies of Three Black Houston Lawyers Blossomed,’’ at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 16, in Room 313 to talk about his book and his career.
The event, which is co-sponsored by the Black Law Student Association (BLSA) and the faculty Community, Diversity and Student Life Committee (CDSL), is free and open to the public. Lunch will be provided but only for those who sign up at this link no later than Monday, Oct. 14.
“Judge Hoyt’s remarkable career includes military reserve service, private practice city attorney, state court judge, federal court judge and adjunct professor,” explained Professor Lucas Osborn, who clerked for Judge Hoyt after law school. “He has relentlessly served communities and pursued justice. Campbell Law is fortunate to host this remarkable person, who will share about his career and his recent book.”
Judge Hoyt’s visit, which was postponed from March due to inclement weather, “is made possible by the generous support of friends and alumni of Campbell Law,” said Professor Suzanna Geiser, who chairs the CDSL Committee.
After his talk, Judge Hoyt plans to be available to sign books for anyone who wants to purchase a copy of his book for $20 or brings their own copy, Osborn said.
The book, which was published in May 2023, is not about the major battles African Americans have fought over 400 years, but a thrilling action-packed account that takes place in the criminal justice system, according to the following Amazon review by Distinguished Professor of Law James M. Douglas of Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
“African Americans have suffered many losses in the criminal justice battle. This is a true story of one of those losses chronicled by Judge Kenneth Hoyt. The story is told by Judge Hoyt through the voices of the actual participants. Beginning with his in chambers meeting with former state court Judge Matthew W. Plummer, Judge Hoyt weaves a thrilling yet truthful story of a total disregard for the constitutional rights of two young undereducated African American men. This is not a recount of a system guided by mistakes, but instead a true reflection of the intentional display of systemic racism and how it destroyed the lives of two citizens of this country.
“With this discourse, Judge Matthew W. Plummer and Judge Kenneth Hoyt give the reader a clear and true view of the constitutional violations in the criminal system suffered by African Americans in this country. It is a story that many whites in America would desire not to be told. Judge Hoyt has not only created a ravishing thriller about criminal justice gone wrong, but he has also chronicled a horrendous recount of a legal constitutional abuse.”
On Tuesday, Oct. 15, in Room 307, members of the Christian Legal Society (CLS) and the CDSL are co-sponsoring an event at which Judge Hoyt will speak about Christianity and the law. Dinner will be served at 5:45 p.m. with the discussion beginning at 6 p.m. To enjoy dinner, attendees must RSVP at this link by noon on Monday, Oct. 14.
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 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.