RALEIGH – Campbell Law School student Bryanna Farmer ’25 has been named among the 2025 “Law Students of the Year” by National Jurist Magazine. It is the first time a Campbell Law student has been recognized for this honor by the magazine. Farmer is the only North Carolina law student recognized this year as well.
The National Jurist editors choose which future legal leaders to highlight and included Farmer among “the next generation of lawyers making a difference in policy, advocacy and legal innovation.
“From developing AI tools that automate expungements to drafting policies that protect juvenile offenders, law students are driving meaningful change. They’re enhancing campus safety, expanding pro bono opportunities, advocating for human rights and promoting mental wellness.
“To recognize these efforts, we invited each law school to nominate one student for possible selection as a ‘Law Student of the Year.’ This year’s nominees exhibited diverse achievements, while all sharing a commitment to the law.
“After careful review, National Jurist editors selected five standout students, along with five honorable mentions.
“Their work spans criminal justice reform, access to justice and equitable legal representation. Some have built tech solutions for the legal field, while others have led legislative initiatives, grassroots advocacy or global human rights efforts. Many have also championed mentorship and inclusivity within the legal community. By seeing a need to be filled within their law schools, these students are enhancing legal education for those who follow after them and adding to the scope of legal expertise in the industry.
“Congratulations to these future leaders who are already helping to shape the legal profession.”
Bryanna Farmer
3L, Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
“Farmer is a first-generation college and law student. As an undergrad, she interned in a public defender’s office in Gastonia, North Carolina.
“At Campbell Law, she has maintained an unwavering commitment to advocating for children.
“A third-year law student, Farmer has developed initiatives on restorative justice, juvenile justice and educational equity. They included creating a novel pro bono service for children with undiagnosed disabilities who find themselves entangled in the juvenile justice system; helping to restart a long-dormant student organization, the Education Law & Policy Society; and running a book drive to collect age-appropriate books for a local youth detention center.
“Farmer earned an opportunity to serve as an advanced standing clinician engaging in independent clinical service work. She also enrolled in Campbell Law’s Restorative Justice Clinic, working in juvenile and adult facilities. She had the adult offenders write letters to the juvenile offenders offering love, support and hope and encouraging them to change paths.
“She participated in the law school’s Education Equity Clinic, where she was the lead student counsel on behalf of a child in a detention facility. She advocated to protect her client’s educational rights and clarify the educational rights of all young people in juvenile detention facilities in North Carolina.
“Farmer had the honor of presenting a Continuing Legal Education presentation for lawyers at the North Carolina Office of Juvenile Defender’s annual Youth Defender Forum, which is a rare experience for a law student. In her quest to combat systemic injustices, Farmer’s calling is to uplift and protect the legal rights of youth.”
Farmer is in good company. The other “Law Students of the Year” are Benjamin Leider, a 3L at the Universtiy of Hawaii at Manoa – William S. Richardson School of Law; Emma Jane Hopper a 3L at theUniversity of Texas School of Law, Jacob Blott a 3L at the University of Georgia School of Law and Omar Hajajra a 3L at Suffolk University Law School. Honorable Mentions went to Aditya Krishnaswamy, 3L, Georgia State University College of Law; August Golden, 3L, Fordham University School of Law; Isaiah Gonzales, 3L, Vermont Law and Graduate School; Bianca Taipe 3L, Temple University – James E. Beasley School of Law; and Randi Alt 3L, Jacksonville University College of Law.
This article appeared in the 2025 Spring issue of The National Jurist.