30 years of Campbell law

     Over the past three decades, Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law has set outstanding records in moot court and trial competitions and passage of the state bar exam, but other records are not as tangible. Mel Wright, executive director of the Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism, described what being a Campbell lawyer really means at the opening convocation celebrating the law school’s 30th anniversary recently.
     “Dr. Norman Wiggins and founding dean Leary Davis did not want Campbell to be the type of law school that is only interested in the rule of law,” said Wright. “They wanted to emphasize justice and morality and to stress the importance of such Christian principles as the Ten Commandments. They felt these higher standards should be instilled in the students and that tradition has continued under Deans Patrick Hetrick and Willis Whichard. Campbell lawyers have established a well-respected legacy in the last 30 years.”
     Campbell lawyers are known throughout North Carolina’s legal system as competent and honest, Wright added. “Character can encompass many attributes,” he said, “honesty, integrity, punctuality and truthfulness to name a few. As Abraham Lincoln said, ‘Always tell the truth, then, you don’t have to remember anything.’ Campbell lawyers are men and women of outstanding character.’”
     The law school welcomed 117 new students this semester and reported a total enrollment of 336. The Honorable John C. Martin, chief judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, D. Clark Smith, Jr., president-elect of the North Carolina Bar Association, and Robert F. Siler, president of the North Carolina State Bar, were also on hand for the event.

Law School History

     In the early 1970s, Chancellor Norman Wiggins, then president of Campbell College, began to discuss the possibility of establishing a law school. A feasibility study was commissioned and it showed a pressing need for a unique and different private law school. Wiggins met with substantial opposition when news of his plans became public. Some fellow college presidents and several major daily newspapers in the state, as well as some members of the legal profession openly criticized the idea. However, Wiggins continued to present the need for the new law school, raise funds and answer questions about the specific mission and proposed role of the new school. The Campbell College School of Law was established in 1976 by action of the Board of Trustees. The school was named in honor of Dr. Norman Adrian Wiggins in 1987.
     Graduates of the school have frequently led in passage of the North Carolina Bar Exam, including a 100 percent passage rate in 1994, the first time all members of a graduating class accomplished that feat in North Carolina history. The school has continually ranked first or second on bar exam passage 14 out of the last 15 years.


Photo Copy: Dean Willis Whichard, speaker Mel Wright, executive director of the Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism, and President Jerry Wallace celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University.