The Blanchard Community Law Clinic partners with non-profit agencies in the community — Alliance Medical Ministry, StepUp Ministry, the Raleigh Rescue Mission, and Urban Ministries — to provide solutions to legal problems encountered by clients of those agencies.
The clinic, which was launched in September 2016, has made a tremendous impact in the Raleigh community within a short period. Legal services are provided by Campbell Law students, under the supervision of Clinic Director Rick Glazier. Students handle cases with a high level of independence and conduct client interviews, prepare motions, oversee case management, and make court appearances.
Through this experience, students gain important practical legal skills and an appreciation for the challenges faces by citizens living in poverty. This program prepares students to be resourceful and practice-ready upon their entrance into the profession.
The clinic is located off-site downtown’s Warehouse District at 311-200 Martin St., the beautiful and historic former home of Clearscapes, artist Thomas Sayre’s famed architectural firm.
On Feb. 7, 2018, Campbell Law renamed the clinic in honor of legal pioneer and servant leader Charles Fuller Blanchard. Born in Hamlet, N.C., in 1923, Blanchard and his family moved to Raleigh when he was three years old and the city has remained his home. He served his country as a Lieutenant J.G. in the U.S. Navy in World War II, and then returned home to graduate from Duke Law School. He opened his own law practice in 1949 in Raleigh and Fuquay-Varina. Blanchard was the senior partner at Blanchard, Miller & Lewis, P.A. until becoming of counsel in 2000.
“If you dig deep enough, almost every important legal initiative in this community traces back to Charlie Blanchard,” said Dean J. Rich Leonard. “There is no one who has done more for this city, and no one whose name is more appropriate to mark our clinic.”
Blanchard is a founding member of the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers. He has been a lecturer at the North Carolina Conference on Superior Court Judges, the UNC Medical School, the Duke University School of Engineering, and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Extremely active in the bar, he has served as chairman of the Litigation Section of the North Carolina Bar Association, president of the Wake County Bar Association and the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, governor of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America for two terms, and a member of the Duke University Law School Council. He is a recent past-president of the International Society of Barristers and the Braxton Craven Inn of Court, which is now hosted at Campbell Law. He is also a fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He is a past recipient of the Chief Justice Walker Clark Award given by the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers and of the Joseph Branch Professionalism Award given by the Wake County Bar Association.
Outside of the legal profession, Blanchard is a past president of the North Carolina Episcopal Foundation. He has twice served as senior warden of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church and currently serves on several non-profit organizations in the area. His tireless professionalism, dedication to his community, and love for his family has made him a pillar of the North Carolina legal community.
Location
311-200 Martin Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
Contact
Rick Glazier
Clinical Director
(919) 865-4471
What they’re saying about the Blanchard Community Law Clinic
Linda Nunnallee, executive director, StepUp Ministry
“Each year 500 adults and children come to StepUp because they want to work and build a safe and stable life. Most of these people face incredible barriers to employment, housing and transportation. All are living in poverty with dreams to build a better life. Many would realize success with legal expertise. Often times the complexity and cost to address simple legal matters are overwhelming. They can be the insurmountable obstacles that keep individuals unemployed and unable to provide a safe place for their family to live. Access to advice from an attorney with training and expertise could mean the difference in a family’s ability to build a stable existence. On behalf of families we serve, we look forward to building a relationship with the Campbell Law Community Clinic.”
Dr. Peter J. Morris, executive director, Urban Ministries of Wake County
“Our clients set out to change their life course but have previously passed bad checks, or missed rent or credit card payments and worst, have a felony charge or conviction. They are excluded from housing and even consideration for employment. Legal counsel can be life changing for these folks, restoring their credibility and helping them to create a new future.”