Campbell Law Alumni Sworn in to U.S. Supreme Court

October 2, 2006, Washington, DC - Nine graduates of Campbell University's School of Law and new Dean Melissa Essary were sworn in to the US Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Roberts presiding, on the first day of the term Monday.

Campbell was one of only two law schools to have members sworn in before the Court. Participants included alumni from the classes of 1984-2002, Dean Essary, faculty members and several members of local law firms. North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge John Tyson, also a Campbell Law graduate, presented the group in a motion before the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Roberts then officially swore in each admittee. The ceremony is a prerequisite for any attorney to orally argue a case before the Supreme Court.

"It was a solemn moment to be sworn in," said Dean Essary. "I think it reaffirms the obligation that we have as attorneys to be officers of the court. We are part of a system that is the best legal system ever devised in human history."

During a reception following the ceremony, the Campbell group was honored with a visit from Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy and Clerk of Court William Suter in the Supreme Court's West Conference Room. Justice Kennedy, a member of the US Supreme Court since 1988, shared his experiences as a trial attorney, law professor and as Supreme Court Justice.

He said the relationship between attorneys and judges is an important part of the American legal system. He said that in the majority of countries around the world, judges are not trained as attorneys, and attorneys receive only undergraduate educations. As result, there often is no common understanding between the two groups of one another's jobs.

For those who were sworn in, Justice Kennedy offered some helpful advice when facing the highest court in the land.

"He told us the hallmarks of a good oral advocate are first, attorneys need to be themselves. Use your own gifts when arguing a case before the Supreme Court," said Essary. "Secondly, attack the hard issues first. The easy ones are not why the Court has granted review of the case."

The attorneys who were admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court were: Victor "Andy" Anderson of Anderson, Jones and Gengo; Bryan Boyd of the Campbell Law School Faculty, Ken Burgess of Poyner and Spruill; John Calvin Chandler; Josh Durham of Poyner and Spruill; Campbell Law School Associate Dean Keith Faulkner; Sara Harrington of the Harrington Law Firm; Todd Jones of Anderson, Jones and Gengo, Andrew Jackson; Campbell Law School Dean Melissa Essary; Walter Schmidt of Anderson, Jones, Gengo; Kimberly Brackett-Jones of Womble Carlyle; and Kevin Whiteheart, Lumberton City Attorney. The group included spouses and guests as well as Paul Raisig, a Campbell Law School graduate who was previously sworn in, but joined the group for support.

Organized by the Alumni Relations Office, the opportunity to go before the Supreme Court was offered to all alumni of Campbell University's School of Law.

Shonagh McQuade, Assistant Director for Alumni Relations, says she hopes to make the trip an annual or bi-annual event.

"We're enjoying reconnecting with our alumni. We want to let them know we are out there willing to help them," she said.

Founded in 1976, Campbell University School of Law has gained state and national recognition for its commitment to excellence in legal training.

This year, the Law School scored a 97% passage rate on the North Carolina Bar Exam, topping all other law schools in the state.

"It's wonderful that 20 years after graduating, Campbell Law School is still contributing to our legal knowledge," said Ken Burgess of Poyner and Spruill. All of the participants agree with alumnus John Calvin Chandler's assessment, "it was a once in a lifetime experience."

Campbell University School of Law is a highly demanding, purposely small, intensely personal community of faculty and students whose aim, guided by transcendent values, is to develop lawyers who possess moral conviction, social compassion, and professional competence and who view the practice of law as a calling to serve others and to create a more just society. For more information, please call 1800-334-4111 or log on to its website at www.law.campbell.edu.