RALEIGH, N.C. – The Campbell Law School Pro Bono Council has added four new projects to its repertoire over the course of the 2013-14 academic year. The Reentry Project, Child Permanency Appeals Project, Navigator Healthcare Project and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Project are all new additions that successfully complement Campbell Law’s longest-running pro bono project, the Domestic Violence Advocacy Project.
“Campbell Law has historically viewed the practice of law as a calling to serve,” said Campbell Law Dean J. Rich Leonard. “It’s no surprise then that our Pro Bono Council continues to grow and reach unprecedented new heights.
“As future leaders in our business, civic and legal communities, it is imperative that our students understand their professional and moral obligations to assist our neighbors in need. Through the good work of the Pro Bono Council we are able to create partnerships among our students, organizations working to aid the local community and those among us that need help the most.”
The Reentry Project is a mobile initiative that interviews North Carolina citizens who may qualify for relief from the collateral consequences of having a criminal record. The project is a collaboration with Legal Aid of North Carolina and the North Carolina Justice Center.
The Child Permanency Appeals Project provides Campbell Law students with an opportunity to write appellate briefs that respond to child placement appeals from the Juvenile Abuse, Neglect and Dependency Court. In turn, Wake County attorneys provide feedback and analysis to improve student writing. Student aid in these appeals accelerates the process through which permanency in child placement is finally achieved. The project is a joint venture with the Wake County Attorney’s Office and Wake County Human Services.
The Navigator Healthcare Project is a collaboration with Legal Aid of North Carolina to provide assistance to individuals and families with enrollment in a health insurance program. Students completed the required web-based training earlier this year to become certified Navigators.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Project is a partnership with the Internal Revenue Service to assist individuals who meet certain income qualifications to prepare and file tax returns. The program certifies Campbell Law students through an online certification course and exam in addition to hands-on training.
“The task was to align our pro bono offerings with Campbell Law’s dedication to service,” said third-year student and Campbell Law Pro Bono Council Director Anitra Brown. “The vision was already there and everything came together perfectly with the help of our administration and talented student group.”
The Campbell Law Pro Bono Council was established by a pair of students in 2009 and became a formalized student organization in 2010. Now 10 students strong, the Council works to create a lifelong commitment to pro bono work and volunteerism among our students by taking an active role in the community, developing alliances with local organizations and assisting lawyers who provide high-quality, low-cost legal services to our neighbors in need.
ABOUT CAMPBELL LAW:
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. 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 3,500 alumni, including more than 2,400 who reside and work in North Carolina. In September 2009, Campbell Law relocated to a state-of-the-art building in downtown Raleigh. For more information, visit http://law.campbell.edu.
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK:
http://www.facebook.com/campbelllawschool
###