RALEIGH – Campbell Law School students enrolled in the school’s pro bono Blanchard Community Law Clinic (BCLC) this summer worked together to help a single mother of three living in Raleigh from becoming homeless by going to court and getting her eviction case dismissed.
Madison Parker ‘25 and Katie Renn Williams ‘26 were enrolled in the Summer 2024 section of the BCLC’s Civil Track taught by Assistant Clinical Professor Laura Clark.
The client sought out the help of the clinic after she was scheduled to have a sheriff lockout, Clark explained.
The client, who was deaf, said due to her disability, she didn’t fully understand the eviction court process and her rights and obligations, Clark continued.
Parker was able to reach out to the opposing lawyer and agreed on canceling the scheduled lockout and giving the family until July 5 to move out, in exchange for a dismissal of the eviction action. Parker had a contact who knows American Sign Language (ASL), who was able to provide on the spot ASL translation via FaceTime for the client.
“Ms. Christina Clarke spoke with us seeking assistance,” Parker wrote in an email. “Ms. Clarke received a letter from the Sheriff stating they received the Writ of Possession and notifying her of eviction on Monday, June 24. She has the money to pay the rent bond and potentially the rent in arrears, but cannot get access to it until Tuesday. Christina is deaf, and did not have any representation when filing the appeal. She misunderstood the rent bond was due each month to the clerk and instead believed she had to bring the amount to court on July 9, the hearing date.”
The day before they helped Clarke, Parker and Williams won a trial in small claims court on behalf of a domestic violence victim who was facing eviction as a result of an assault by the client’s abuser. The judge found there was no basis for the eviction.
“My name is Noelle (who did not want to provide her last name),” she said in an email. “I was helped by Campbell Law student attorneys (under the supervision of Clark). I was in a position of getting evicted. The attorneys saved me with their hard work and preparation for trial. I was very impressed and comfortable with the trial because of their help. It meant so much to me what they were able to do to help me. I would recommend them to anyone. I am grateful they helped me. I hope they can continue to help others.”
The Civil Track of the Blanchard Community Law Clinic is open to rising second-year and third-year law students and is offered in the fall, spring and summer, Clark added.
ABOUT CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL
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 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.