Legal Aid of North Carolina Leadership Transition, Anniversary Commemorated

It has been a long time since Legal Aid of North Carolina generated this much buzz at the NCBA Annual Meeting – 20 years to be exact.

In 2002 the big news was the transition of Legal Services of North Carolina, which was established by the North Carolina Bar Association in 1976, into Legal Aid of North Carolina. The NCBA showed its appreciation by distributing boxes of Atomic Fire Balls to LANC offices across the state emblazoned with the message “You’re Red Hot!”

The distinctive smell of cinnamon was not so prevalent this time around. Instead, outgoing Executive Director George Hausen received a fitting farewell as the featured attraction of Thursday’s welcome reception, and Ashley Campbell was recognized as his successor.

Executive Director Virginia Knowlton Marcus of Disability Rights NC presents a resolution to George Hausen on behalf of the Equal Justice Alliance, which she chairs. Virginia stands to the left holding the framed resolution. Virginia has short brown hair, and she is wearing a blue, yellow, green, and peach flowered dress, gold necklace and gold hoops. George is also holding the resolution and looking at it. George has grey hair, and he is wearing a white button down shirt, black pinstripe suit, dark blue tie with yellow dots.

Executive Director Virginia Knowlton Marcus of Disability Rights NC presents a resolution to George Hausen on behalf of the Equal Justice Alliance, which she chairs.

The NCBA also recognized LANC for 20 years of service to the citizens of North Carolina during the reception, which included comments from outgoing President Jon Heyl and President-elect Clayton Morgan, who previously chaired the LANC Board of Directors.

The 20-year anniversary and recognition of Hausen’s exemplary service were also prominently featured in May in conjunction with the grand opening reception for Legal Aid of North Carolina’s new Charlotte office at 5525 Albemarle Road. See photos from the celebration here.

Hausen announced his plans to retire last December and was featured in the February edition of North Carolina Lawyer. Read more here. He was just stepping into his role as executive director in 2002 after serving in that capacity on an interim basis as LANC officially adopted its new name and formally established a new 501(c)(3) entity.

Shortly thereafter, Campbell began her legal career in 2003 as a staff attorney for Legal Aid of North Carolina in Gaston, Cleveland and Lincoln counties. She recalled those early experiences in a brief video statement that accompanied the announcement of her appointment.

“I am excited, honored and humbled to be the next executive director of Legal Aid of North Carolina,” Campbell said. “I will begin my work in July when our founding leader, George Hausen, retires. I look forward to working with our staff, pro bono volunteers, donors and legal services partners to do everything that we can to increase access to justice for all North Carolinians.

“As I think about this next chapter, I am inspired by my former client in Gaston County who I represented in three separate civil legal matters. She told me that I was the only person in her life who had ever helped her. Every legal services lawyer has a similar story. We do this work because we are passionately committed to the idea that all people are entitled to access to justice in our courts.”

Ashley Campbell is a white woman with shoulder-length brown hair. She is

Ashley Campbell

Campbell came to Raleigh in January 2005 to work in the General Assembly as a nonpartisan staff attorney in the Bill Drafting Division and as committee counsel to the House Finance Committee. She joined Ragsdale Liggett PLLC later that year and served as a partner and of counsel with the firm until July, at which time she also completed her tenure as assistant clinical professor and director of the Blanchard Community Law Clinic at Campbell Law School. Campbell joined the law school in a full-time capacity in 2016 as the founding director of the clinic.

Gonzalo Frias, who serves as chair of the LANC Board of Directors, provided the following comments in a press release announcing Campbell’s appointment:

“Ashley has been a champion for those impacted by poverty not only through the Blanchard Community Law Clinic, where she trains lawyers to work with low-income individuals and in legal services, but also as Board Chair for StepUp Ministry in Raleigh, where she was instrumental in helping that organization remove barriers to employment and expand its funding. It’s this unique perspective, passion for our mission, and unrelenting willingness to serve that will guide Legal Aid NC into its next season of excellence.”

LANC provides additional information regarding Campbell’s appointment in an article accessible here. Her official starting date was July 18.

Campbell is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC School of Law. She is a longtime member of the NCBA, which recognized her in 2016 at a recipient of the Citizen Lawyer Award, and in 2019, she received the Gwyneth B. Davis Public Service Award from the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys.

The Legal Aid of North Carolina Transition and Search Committee was chaired by Cal Adams and Nikki Feliciano.

Russell Rawlings is director of external affairs and communications for the North Carolina Bar Association.

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