RALEIGH — Campbell Law School has received a check for $25,000 from AccessLex Institute’s Law Student Emergency Relief Fund to help law students who are struggling financially, Dean J. Rich Leonard announced today.
“I was the first law school dean to request the grant and I am happy to report we already have a check,” he said. “This grant will give us the ability to help some of our students in real financial trouble due to COVID-19.”
Law students in need of immediate financial help should contact Assistant Director of Financial Aid Lisa Clark at clarkl@campbell.edu.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has sparked fear, disruption and uncertainty across the country, and law students have not been spared. In response, AccessLex Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping aspiring lawyers find their path to professional success, has created a $5 million Law Student Emergency Relief Fund to provide direct resources to law students during this unique time, according to a PRNewswire release.
Beyond the concerns around adapting to online learning, completion of hands-on legal clinics and the potential for delays in the bar exam, this crisis has exacerbated financial pressures on law students — in many cases, to a level that can jeopardize the continuation of their studies, the release stated.
Through this $5 million fund, AccessLex will make $25,000 available to every nonprofit and state-affiliated ABA-approved law school in the nation, with monies going directly to each school’s designated student emergency fund. Law schools will then administer the funds in a manner consistent with the established criteria for emergency relief on their campuses, according to the release.
“It is imperative that we act on our mission to positively impact the lives of law students in a tangible way when they need the support most,” said AccessLex Institute President and Chief Executive Officer Christopher P. Chapman in the release. “The establishment of the Emergency Relief Fund is simply the right thing for AccessLex to do during this unprecedented time. It represents a targeted response in our effort to be there for those we serve everyday — the next generation of lawyers.”
About AccessLex Institute
AccessLex Institute is a nonprofit organization committed to helping talented, purpose-driven students find their path from aspiring lawyer to fulfilled professional. In partnership with its nearly 200 Member law schools, improving access and positively influencing legal education have been at the heart of the Company’s mission since 1983. AccessLex Institute has offices in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., with a team of accredited financial education counselors based throughout the United States. Learn more at AccessLex.org.
ABOUT CAMPBELL LAW
Since its founding in 1976, 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 more than 4,200 alumni, who make their home in nearly all 50 states and beyond. In 2019, Campbell Law celebrated 40 years of graduating legal leaders and 10 years of being located in a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of North Carolina’s Capital City.