Campbell University Law student launches initiative to advocate for under-represented clients

She’s rallied nearly 200 students and university leaders to support initiatives that will push for fairness inside the courtroom.

The death of George Floyd and many others motivated some people to protest and march in the streets. Those deaths inspired this Campbell University Law student to fight for change locally in social justice reform.

Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Breyonna Taylor and George Floyd are just some of the people that fuel her passion for social justice.

“Enough is enough,"said Lexus Sanders Njie, a third year law student at Campbell University Law School.

"This is why I came here, and my focus just became reaffirmed," she said.

She's helped organize nearly 200 other students online to use their legal skills with a focus on advocating for those in need.

“Year after year, something else is happening. And people like myself who wanted to come to law school to deal with this – we need to be trained. We need these skills to be nurtured," she said.

With support from University leaders, she’s launching two initiatives to make systemic change happen: A Social Justice Clinic and a Social Justice Pro Bono Project.

“So, they could be actually advocating for the client in court. It could be the client intake process of calling the client, getting the information needed and doing research about their case," said Evin Grant, the Asst. Dean of Student Life and Pro Bono Opportunities.

This allows students to participate in real community cases and advocate for under-represented clients to help advance equity in the legal system.

“People who are struggling in the justice system to be heard, or just to be able to drive down the street and not be in fear. That is the target here," said Njie.

“It gives them a sense of understanding and pride that there is a possibility for equity and there’s a possibility for change," said Grant.

All that is needed now is an individual lawyer, local firm or organization to partner with the university and help jump start these efforts.

"This is something that we all want to do. We all care about the justice system. We all care about everyone’s lives and everyone feeling safe in our community," said Njie.

The goal is to begin the social justice work and have the clinic up and running by January 2021.