RALEIGH — Professor Chris Cox has joined the Campbell Law School faculty as the Director of Trial Advocacy effective June 15, 2023, Dean J. Rich Leonard has announced.
“I am delighted to announce that Professor Cox has joined our faculty to lead our curricular trial advocacy program,” Leonard said. “We are one of the few law schools in the country with a required, four-credit trial advocacy class that is both substantive and experiential. It takes enormous skill to design the curriculum and coordinate multiple practice sections, and I have no doubt that Professor Cox is up to the task.”
Cox brings with him an impressive background of professional and academic accomplishments and contributions to the legal field. Prior to joining Campbell Law, Cox served as a Navy cryptologist from 2000-2005, at which time he deployed twice at sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He later served as a Legal Aid and Defense Attorney at the Naval Legal Service Office Pacific, Detachment Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, from 2009-2013. He further demonstrated his commitment to service by deploying to the South China Sea in 2011 and Afghanistan in 2012. From 2013 to 2016, Cox held the role of Branch Head (Lead Defense Counsel) at Defense Service Office North, Branch Office Great Lakes. Subsequently, he served as the Senior Prosecutor in the District of Columbia and Illinois from 2016 to 2021. Cox’s expertise is further exemplified by his recent adjunct teaching positions at the Naval War College and the Naval Justice School, as well as his service as a Trial Judge for the Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary in Virginia.
Cox’s educational background is equally impressive. He completed his undergraduate studies at Fort Hays State University in 2006, earning a B.G.S. in Organizational Leadership. Cox then pursued his J.D. degree at Northern Illinois University, which he obtained in 2009. In 2013, he furthered his academic pursuits by obtaining a Master’s degree in Legal Studies from the University of Illinois Springfield. Cox’s commitment to scholarly achievement culminated in the completion of his Ph.D. in Criminology, Law, and Justice from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2021. Additionally, in 2022, he earned his Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) Phase 1 from the Naval War College.
Throughout his distinguished career, Cox has been the recipient of numerous prestigious accolades. Most notably, he was awarded the Specialist II designation, Military Justice Litigation Career Track, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (five awards), Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (two awards), NATO ISAF Medal, Marksmanship Rifle Ribbon, Expert Pistol Medal, Defense Counsel of the Year Award, DSO North, American Bar Association LAMP Distinguished Service Award, and Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist.
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 4,800 alumni, who make their home in nearly all 50 states and beyond. In 2023, Campbell Law is celebrating 45 years of graduating legal leaders and 14 years of being located in a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of North Carolina’s Capital City.