Campbell Law Students Comprise Third Pair of Open Door Fellows
Campbell Law School is swelling with pride over the announcement of this year’s third pair of Open Door Fellows, and rightfully so.
Josh Peacock and Suzy Brito Lagunas recently completed their first year of law school and are thrilled to represent Campbell Law as its first two participants in the North Carolina Bar Foundation’s Open Door Fellowship program.
“I am delighted that this award has come to Josh and Suzy,” said Campbell Dean Rich Leonard. “They are both exceptional individuals, and representative of my fine students who give me supreme confidence in the next generation of lawyers.”
2025 Open Door Fellows Suzy Brito Lagunas and Josh Peacock
Peacock is a graduate of Liberty University who resides in Pittsboro with his wife and their two children. He will participate in the summer internship program with the RDU Airport Authority under the supervision of NCBA member Erin Locklear.
Brito Lagunas is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a first-generation U.S. citizen from Sanford. She will participate in the summer internship program with IQVIA under the supervision of NCBA member Jane Paksoy.
Upon completion of their internships, which include participation in the 2025 NCBA Annual Meeting, Peacock and Brito Lagunas will join the growing ranks of Open Door alumni that includes 2024 Fellows April Franklin (Elon) and Darius Alexander (UNC) and 2023 Fellows and Tavaria Smith (NCCU) and Zi Zhou (UNC).
Learn more about the Open Door Fellowship on the NCBF website. To hear more from this year’s Open Door Fellows, please continue reading the following Q&A interview conducted recently at Campbell Law School.
Beginning with you, Josh, please describe what it means to you to be selected as an Open Door Fellow, and tell us a little about what you will be doing this summer?
For me, personally, it’s an honor and also an opportunity to enter the world of the legal field that I wouldn’t have had access to. It gives me that chance to show what I have to offer to the legal community and, based on past experiences and everything else, it allows me to bring my own insight into the profession and apply it accordingly.
This summer, I’ll be working at the RDU Airport Authority with Erin Locklear, which I’m super excited about, doing in-house counsel work. I am still in the process of figuring out what I want to do; initially, I thought I wanted to go into criminal law and that’s still quite possible. It’s really up in the air. I’m going to do my summer internships and externships and figure out where I feel I can do the best work.
Outstanding! Suzy, how will this honor impact your law school experience, and what do you hope to gain from your summer internship?
This honor is both humbling and empowering. As a first-generation student, navigating higher education has always been unfamiliar territory. I didn’t always know what the path looked like – especially when it came to law school. Growing up, I watched my parents – immigrants working manufacturing jobs – come home and talk about the corporate folks who visited their workplaces. They wore fancy suits, carried themselves with authority, and seemed to have real impact. That image stuck with me.
At first, I pursued business. Like my parents, I associated those suits with power, respect, and financial stability. But over time, I realized something was missing. I wanted more than success – I wanted purpose. That’s when I began to see law as a way to transform that image of the “fancy suit” into something that meant giving back, creating change, and making a difference in communities like the one I grew up in here in North Carolina.
This honor gives me a chance to fully step into that vision. It affirms that I belong in this space and encourages me to keep pushing forward – not just for myself, but for others who might be watching, just like I once was.
This summer, I’ll be working in-house with Jane Paksoy at IQVIA. With my business background, I’m excited to explore how law operates in a corporate setting, especially in a mission-driven, health-based industry like IQVIA. I hope to gain a deeper understanding of how legal strategy supports innovation and public impact. More importantly, I want to explore how law and business together can be tools not just for growth, but for good – especially here in my home state of North Carolina.
So, Suzy, carrying those thoughts one step further, the Open Door Fellowship represents far more than a summer internship for you?
For me, the Open Door Fellowship is so much more than just a summer internship. Yes, it’s an opportunity to work in-house and gain hands-on legal experience – but what makes it truly special is the community it offers. You’re not just stepping into a workplace; you’re stepping into a network of people who are deeply invested in North Carolina’s future.
The Fellowship creates space for connection – with mentors, peers, and leaders who are all committed to making a real impact in this state. That kind of environment is incredibly powerful, especially for someone like me who wants to use their legal education to give back to the place that raised them. I applied for the Open Door Fellowship because I want to be one of those people – someone who not only works in North Carolina, but works for North Carolina, in ways that matter.
And what about you, Josh? What do you hope to learn this summer?
What I saw in the Open Door Fellowship and what it stands for, as a rural country boy, is that it gives you access to learn how to be a legal professional while working with some of the best people in North Carolina. I also care deeply about this state and the community that I live in and the community that I am from. Being a great lawyer and advocate comes from being around people who do those things well. When I read about the Open Door Fellowship, that’s exactly what it meant to me – that I will have access to learn from the best.
As we are surrounded by your fellow law students and classmates, what does it mean to you to be the first Open Door Fellows from Campbell? Let’s start with you, Josh.
It’s a huge source of pride, and I’m also honored and happy to have another Campbell law student with me to experience all this. To bring all this recognition to the law school together is amazing.
Your turn, Suzy:
When Josh and I found out we were both selected, it was actually through an email thread – I saw his name and thought, Wait, Josh is doing this too? We’re in the same section, so we already knew each other, which made it even more special.
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It’s incredibly exciting to share this opportunity with someone I truly admire and respect. But more than that, being the first Open Door Fellows from Campbell is an honor that carries real meaning. I’m just hoping to represent our school well. Every person I’ve gotten to know at Campbell is so talented and smart, and I’m proud to be part of this community.
Of course, if we’re talking about a summer program, that means that both of you are almost through with your first year of law school. What has that experience been like for you, Suzy?
Coming into law school, I quickly realized that it’s not just about legal principles or how to argue a case – it’s about learning to think in a completely different way. Everyone here brings such diverse passions and perspectives, and I’ve found that to be one of the most enriching parts of my experience. It’s not just the professors who challenge me, but my classmates as well. The way they approach legal concepts often makes me stop and reconsider my own viewpoint. It’s a constant reminder that law is not about having the “right” answer – it’s about understanding and engaging with the multiple layers of perspectives that make up the law.
What’s fascinating is how this diversity of thought has shaped me. Law school doesn’t just challenge what I know; it challenges how I think. It’s not just about being open-minded in the traditional sense, but learning to hold multiple ideas and arguments at once and seeing how they intersect. It’s about digging deeper into my own reasoning and letting it evolve. Law school has expanded my sense of self, and I’m excited about how it’s reshaping how I see not just the law, but the world itself.
What has surprised you, Josh?
I think the biggest surprise for me is that you come into law school with this idea of lawyers. It’s an adversarial job, and you hear about cutthroat lawyers and stuff like that. But I was deeply surprised and happy to find that the community here at Campbell is deeply supportive of each other.
Every student that I know and I talk to daily, and it’s a wide variety of people, everybody is always happy for you and supportive of whatever you’re trying to do. That’s the most surprising thing for me – it’s just like a family here, and that was a real nice surprise for me.
In other words, Josh, you’re glad you decided to go to law school?
I’m absolutely happy with where I’m at and where things are going. I’ve experienced a lot of positive affirmation along the way that makes me feel secure in the decisions that I’m making and so, going forward, I’m just going to soak in every bit of knowledge and every example that I can to continue along that path.
Honestly, coming into this profession, I was so unsure of where or how it would all go, because you just don’t know. Throughout this last year, from all the support around me and through programs like this, it’s only projecting me forward to where I feel confident in where I am going. And no matter where I end up legal-wise, I know that because of all this great support that I am going to be the right kind of person in the right spot eventually.
Are you also pleased with your decision to enter law school, Suzy?
When I first entered law school, I was nervous because I understood the immense responsibility that comes with practicing law – the responsibility to defend and represent others. Law is not just theory; it’s about real people, real problems, and real consequences. Through my work in one of the clinics, I’ve seen firsthand how the law impacts individuals, and this experience has deepened my commitment to this path.
A year ago, I wasn’t entirely sure if law was the right career for me. But now, after reflecting on the cases I’ve studied and the stories I’ve heard, I’m confident that this is where I’m meant to be. Law is not just about statutes or courtroom arguments; it’s about upholding justice, ensuring that everyone has a voice. This is my purpose – providing real, tangible solutions and advocating for what is right.
One of the most significant factors in my growing confidence has been the strong support system I’ve found at Campbell. As a woman of faith, being at a school that shares Christian values has allowed me to connect my beliefs with my studies in a meaningful way. The encouragement from the faculty and the community here has reinforced my belief that law can be a powerful tool for good in the world. It’s humbling to be on this journey, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to align my faith and passion for the law in a way that honors both.
All of this will probably make more sense after you attend the NCBA Annual Meeting and experience the “power of association” that is a benchmark of the NCBA. But what does it mean to you to accept this opportunity knowing that it was made possible through the generosity of the North Carolina Bar Association and Foundation?
(Josh) I’m deeply appreciative. When I talk to people who are already lawyers, who have completed law school and passed the bar, I have not run across anybody who wasn’t willing to engage and talk. And I think that’s the idea of this fellowship. While you’re supporting young, future lawyers, it’s just more to the point that this is a profession that lifts each other up and wants to give people opportunities if they’re willing to work for it. It’s a beautiful thing.
(Suzy) It’s very humbling to accept this opportunity, knowing it was made possible through the generosity of the North Carolina Bar Association and Foundation. The fact that there are attorneys in North Carolina who have come together to support individuals like me, who are navigating the challenges of law school, speaks volumes about the community and values within the profession. It’s reassuring to know that there are people who genuinely want to invest in the next generation of lawyers, and it’s an honor to be a recipient of that support.
What stands out to me is that the attorneys involved in this initiative are serving in North Carolina and are committed to ensuring that future lawyers continue to serve the state. Their willingness to give back by providing mentorship and resources is incredibly inspiring. This opportunity not only helps me grow but also reinforces the importance of giving back to the profession and the community. Once I’m a practicing attorney, I aspire to pay it forward, just as the NCBA and its members have done for me and contribute to the continued strength of our legal community.
Russell Rawlings is director of external affairs and communications for the North Carolina Bar Association.