RALEIGH — Professor Bobbi Jo Boyd is Campbell Law School’s recipient of the Dean’s Excellence Award for 2023, Dean J. Rich Leonard has announced.
Professor Boyd joined the Campbell Law faculty as a tenure-track professor in 2009 and was granted full tenure in 2018. She teaches Criminal Law to first-year students and Professional Responsibility & Ethics to upper-level students – core doctrinal classes that every student who earns a Campbell Law degree must master. Professor Boyd also lends her personal and scholarly interests to critical upper-level electives, regularly teaching seminar courses on current topics in legal ethics and jurisprudence classes on theories of crime and punishment.
Professor Boyd is renowned among students for fostering a classroom environment that is welcoming, compassionate and engaging, Leonard explained.
“She has a special skill for teaching deeply complex legal concepts to incoming students who are encountering the law for the first time by employing a variety of pedagogical tools to promote student success,” he said. Professor Boyd is a leader on the faculty for her teaching methodologies, having been an early adopter of innovative techniques designed to reach students with varying learning styles. She augments her teaching methodologies with one-on-one engagement to foster student success in her courses. Professor Boyd’s commitment to students, gentle demeanor, and genuine care for all people are vital qualities that make her a worthy recipient of the Dean’s Excellence Award.”
Professor Boyd’s supportive, engaging teaching style is best described by the students under her tutelage, Leonard added. “Her course evaluations for knowledge of the subject matter, effective teaching methods, and commitment to students are stellar,” he said.
Professor Boyd’s reputation as a teacher dedicated to reaching every single student is best expressed by the following student reflections reprinted from recent evaluations:
-
“Professor Boyd is energetic and full of life, she’s passionate and she teaches in a way that is both sensical and engaging.”
-
“Professor Boyd creates a kind and supportive learning environment that makes it very comfortable to ask questions and learn by trying.”
-
“Professor Boyd is a charismatic lecturer, and you can tell she cares about the subject matter and her students, which makes the class enjoyable and engaging.”
-
“I would recommend Professor Boyd to every student and will take her again if possible. She really cares about her students and is very knowledgeable in the area of law she teaches. When someone asks her a question, I trust her response every time.”
-
“Professor Boyd’s attitude and friendly demeanor is the type that makes a student want to impress her.”
-
“Professor Boyd’s knowledge base is extensive and incredible. The strongest feature of this course is her lived experiences with navigating these issues…”
-
“More than any other professor I’ve had, Professor Boyd works very hard to make herself available after class if you need help. It reflects that she really cares.”
-
“A truly enlightened person; a kind professor.”
-
“Professor Boyd is awesome. It’s that simple.”
Beyond her classroom pedagogy, Professor Boyd is a deeply respected, recognized scholar and community leader whose research focuses on bureaucratic transparency and oversight within the legal profession. Her publications include: “Mapping Inter-Organizational Boundary and the Need for Oversight,” 65 Sw. L. Rev. 631 (2016), “Do It in the Sunshine: A Comparative Analysis of Rulemaking Procedures and Transparency Practices of Lawyer-Licensing Entities,” 70 Ark. L. Rev. 609 (2017), and “Embracing Our Public Purpose: A Value-Based Lawyer-Licensing Model,” 48 U of Mem. L. Rev. 351 (2017).
In addition to her scholarly works, Professor Boyd is an influential leader within the legal community. She has served on the Ethics Committee at the North Carolina State Bar and is a member of the ABA’s Center for Professional Responsibility. As a renowned expert in legal ethics, Professor Boyd was selected as a fellow for the National Institute for Teaching Ethics and Professionalism in 2011.
Professor Boyd has served Campbell Law in a host of ways in addition to her heavy teaching responsibilities. She serves on a multitude of committees, including as chairperson of the Pro Bono Publico, Technology and Building Security committees and a member of the Mentorship Externship, Academic Standards & Support and Academic Scheduling committees. Professor Boyd also serves as a key member of the University Committee on Faculty Evaluation.
Professor Boyd graduated magna cum laude from Western Carolina University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. She then earned her juris doctorate from the University of North Carolina School of Law where she graduated in the top 7% of her class and was inducted into the Order of the Coif.
Professor Boyd began her legal career committed to defending the rights of those caught up in the criminal justice system. She served as an attorney in the Office of the Appellate Defendant in Durham, N.C., for two years before transiting into academia as a clinical associate professor of law and deputy director of the writing and learning resources center at UNC School of Law.
“Campbell Law is fortunate to have such an exceptional professor, colleague, and friend who is committed to the lives and careers of its students,” Leonard said. “We take enormous pride in recognizing Professor Boyd for her excellence in the classroom and contributions as a servant-scholar.”
ABOUT CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL
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. 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 4,700 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.