Campbell Law earns 2026 Insight Into Academia Magazine’s Excellence in Innovation Award

National distinction honoring innovation in legal education

RALEIGH - Campbell Law School has received the 2026 Excellence in Innovation Award: Law Schools from Insight Into Academia magazine, the nation's longest-running publication advancing best practices in higher education, Dean J. Rich Leonard has announced.

This new honor celebrates law schools redefining the future of legal education. Through transformative programs and initiatives, these schools are reimagining curriculum, experiential learning, technology and AI integration, access to legal education, professional pathways and more to better serve the evolving needs of students and meet the changing demands of today's workforce.

Insight Into Academia magazine selected Campbell Law for its new Joseph E. Zaytoun International Judicial Clerkship Initiative. Eight Campbell Law students are currently working as judicial clerks in the high courts in three African nations.

In February, Leonard, who has traveled to Africa some 80 times, met with chief justices in Ghana, Namibia and Rwanda to set up the inaugural student-oriented program. The eight-week initiative is a reflection of Leonard's 30-year-long passion for judicial reform in African nations. Two students - Jarrick Hawkins '28 and Emma Rogers '28 - are working in Ghana, while three - Angelena Antenuci '27, Tracy Harris '27 and Ryan Hogan '28 - are working in Namibia. Another three - Lukas Ireland '28, Eric Kinyon '28 and Brittany Wilson '28 - are working in Rwanda.

"Watching arguments in the Supreme Court of Namibia, I was proud to see our three Zaytoun Fellows working as full judicial clerks for their Justices, adorned in the regalia required for court officers," said Leonard, who recently visited all three African courts where Campbell Law students are working this summer. Leonard believes this program is unique nationally.

Harris recently posted the following on her LinkedIn page:

"Four weeks ago I walked into this building not entirely sure what to expect. What I found was one of the most formative experiences of my legal education so far. Writing bench memos. Drafting judgments. Researching on NamibLII. All for the Deputy Chief Justice nonetheless. Sitting in silence during oral arguments, watching the Justices and counsel go back and forth - and realizing how much depth there is to this craft. And learning to cite it all correctly - because in southern African legal practice, the Juta Style Guide is the standard. Think of it as our equivalent of the Bluebook … There is something profoundly humbling about standing in that courtroom knowing that the work happening inside those walls matters. That it affects real people, real lives, real futures. The law is not just a career. It is a responsibility. Four weeks down. Four more to go. I am soaking up every single moment - and I cannot wait to see what comes next. If you're a law student wondering whether a clerkship is worth it - it is. Full stop."

Campbell Law will be featured in the July/August 2026 issue of Insight Into Academia magazine.

The Insight Into Academia Excellence in Innovation Award: Law Schools is a prestigious national honor recognizing law schools driving innovation in legal education, according to Holly Mendelson, co-owner and publisher of Insight Into Academia magazine.

"This selective recognition celebrates programs defined by forward-thinking design and measurable impact-initiatives that raise the standard and advance the field," Mendelson said.

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 more than 5,000 alumni, who make their home in nearly all 50 states and beyond. In 2026, Campbell Law is celebrating 50 years of graduating legal leaders and 17 years of being located in a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of North Carolina's Capital City.

ABOUT INSIGHT INTO ACADEMIA

For more than 50 years, Insight Into Academia has empowered higher education leaders by defining and advancing the best practices shaping the future of the academy. Across its magazine, podcast, webinars, awards and digital platforms, Insight spotlights the institutions, initiatives, and ideas driving progress across higher education. Through thought-provoking articles, expert advice, valuable resources and in-depth profiles of top programs, Insight helps higher education understand what's working and what comes next. Recognition by Insight Into Academia reflects leadership, innovation and a commitment to evidence-based excellence. To learn more visit www.Insightintoacademia.com

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