Inaugural Campbell Law Dean’s Rural Initiative Summer Fellowship recipients announced
By Editorial Team
The Campbell Law School has announced the three inaugural recipients of the Dean’s Rural Initiative Summer Fellowship for 2026. The Assistant Dean of Career and Professional Development, Mallory Underwood, revealed the names of the recipients.
The purpose of the Dean’s Rural Initiative Summer Fellowship is to provide support to students interested in living and working in rural, underserved counties in North Carolina by funding their summer experiences. This year, there were three $10,000 summer fellowships available.
Brian Horvick ’27: Brian will be working for the Office of the Public Defender in the Second Judicial District. Having worked there last summer and being from that area, Brian intends to return to that community in some capacity after graduation. He will be working with alumna Laura Gibson ’10, who is the chief public defender in that legal desert.
Lillian Jackson ’28: Lillian, a Duplin County native, will be working as an unpaid intern in the Fifth Prosecutorial District in Duplin County, which is also a legal desert. She has always aimed to return to her community, and this opportunity aligns with her goal.
Grahson Williams ’28: Grahson, from Nash County, will be working in Judicial District 8, which serves Nash, Edgecombe, and Wilson counties. She will spend five weeks this summer with alumna Judge Caroline F. Quinn ’94 and five weeks with Judge Tim Wilson. Grahson hopes to build her legal career in this area.
Assistant Dean Mallory Underwood expressed excitement about offering these fellowships to students, noting the strong applicant pool as an indication of the students’ desire to work in these underserved areas. Dean J. Rich Leonard, originally from a rural community in North Carolina, personally appreciates the unique needs of small towns for legal services. This fellowship underscores Campbell Law’s commitment to access to justice and supporting students in exploring opportunities in communities with significant legal service needs.
About Campbell Law School: Established in 1986, Campbell Law School aims to develop lawyers with moral conviction, social compassion, and professional competence, viewing the law as a calling to serve others. The school has received recognition from the American Bar Association for its top Professionalism Program and from the American Academy of Trial Lawyers for its Trial Advocacy Program. With over 5,000 alumni across nearly all 50 states, Campbell Law is celebrating 50 years of graduating legal leaders and 17 years of being located in a state-of-the-art facility in Raleigh, North Carolina.
