RALEIGH — Campbell Law School welcomed 178 incoming students to its weeklong Campbell Advantage orientation, which wrapped up on Friday, Aug. 14, with a keynote speech by N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Donna S. Stroud ’88, who led the students’ Oath of Conduct swearing-in, and the Dean’s Annual Court Crawl.
The entering Class of 2023 is full of firsts, according to Dean J. Rich Leonard. In addition to its members having the highest top-quartile undergraduate grade-point average ( UGPA) of any incoming class, 19 of the new students earned an LSAT score of 160 or higher.
The incoming class is not only smart, it is unique with more students of color and FLEX program participants than any other incoming class in the school’s 44-year history.
- 166 full-time students
- 12 Campbell FLEX students
- 30 students of color
- 7 active duty military/veterans
The Campbell Law FLEX program was established in 2014 and allows students to earn a Juris Doctor degree at their own pace by taking less hours per semester than in the full-time program. “Our FLEX program has turned out to be hugely successful,” Dean Leonard said. “Some of our most impressive graduates have been FLEX students.”
Campbell Law also welcomed its first students in two of its nine dual degree programs — the Juris Doctor & Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Program (JD/DO) in conjunction with the Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine and the Juris Doctor & Master of Social Work Program (JD/MSW) in conjunction with North Carolina State University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Additionally, the Class of 2023 includes the first student from the law school’s 3+3 Program with Meredith College, a collaborative degree program established in 2018. Meredith College Provost Matthew Poslusny said the new partnership with Campbell Law underscores Meredith’s commitment to the professional preparation of its students. “The 3+3 program partnership will allow our students to complete their law degree as seamlessly as possible,” said Poslusny. “Being able to attend a strong law school that is so near to where they have been obtaining their undergraduate degree seems like a perfect fit.”
In addition to the Meredith partnership, Campbell Law also has a 3+3 program in place for Campbell University undergraduates as well as students attending Salem College and Peace and Methodist universities. “I think the 3+3 programs provide great value for our students,” Dean Leonard said.
Unlike last year’s entering class that was made up of more than twice as many women as men, this year’s entering class has seen the pendulum shift back more toward the middle when it comes to gender. “This year there are only 10 more women than men in the entering class,” Dean Leonard added.
For more photos of Campbell Law’s Orientation Week, visit our Facebook page at this link.
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 is celebrating 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.