Raleigh’s First Law School To Open In September
In two months’ time, administrators of Campbell University’s Law School will be very excited when 400 students and 50 faculty members will be moving into their renovated home for the first time.
The opening of the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in Raleigh has been years in the making.
University administrators officially announced the decision to move the law school from the small town of Buies Creek in rural Harnett County to the heart of downtown Raleigh in October of 2007, but began scouting real estate in Raleigh as early as 2005. Campbell purchased the 107,000-square-foot office space on Hillsborough for $17.5 million from Variety Realty and its owner, Art Pope, a strong supporter of the university and a well-known conservative philanthropist.
Following an estimated $15 million of renovation work, the four-story building formerly known as Hillsborough Place is slated to open Aug. 1, with classes starting on the new campus Sept. 14.
Campbell will be the first law school to open its doors in Raleigh and is the latest in a series of projects to revitalize downtown.
“This is a new chapter in downtown Raleigh and it’s definitely a big milestone for us,” said Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker.
“It’s a win-win move for the city of Raleigh and for Campbell University,” Essary said. “Raleigh is by far the largest state capital in the country without a law school. What better place to learn than where the law is made, interpreted and applied?”
Administrators said they hope the new location, a stone’s throw from the Capitol, the state Supreme Court, numerous government agencies and private firms, will provide students with richer learning and career opportunities than what was available in Buies Creek.
“The opportunities that we’re going to be afforded are not necessarily ones that we were missing out on in Buies Creek, but the proximity to the state legislature, the businesses, the nonprofits and all the rest puts us closer to the action,” said Whitfield Gibson, who will be spending his final year of law school in Raleigh and is president of the Student Bar Association at Campbell.
“When we found out that we were on schedule to start classes in September 2009, most people in my class were ecstatic.”
State-of-the-art facility
The updated building will also feature the bells and whistles of a 21st century law school, administrators said, housing a 175-seat auditorium, three courtrooms and a 27,000- square-foot, state-of-the-art law library spread over two floors.
Courtesy of www.NorthRaleighNews.com
What a great resource! Not only will this bring new business to downtown Raleigh businesses, but the Campbell University Law School Library, which contains literally thousands of volumes on up to date legal analysis will be a tremendously useful tool for all practicing lawyers in the area.
C:P
I’m glad that North Carolina is finally getting a law school based near the heart of the state’s center of government. Having the school will bring prestige to Raleigh and provide additional resources for the local network of attorneys, judges, and government agencies.
I am very excited about the law school is in town! It took a long time for the school to get here but it is certainly a welcomed resource in the community. Everytime I drive by (nearly everyday) I get inspired. The school will be a ladder for so many to excel!