Women of Campbell Law: Dominque Frederick ’26

Law school is demanding for anyone. Add in parenthood, and the challenge becomes even more daunting. Add leadership to the mix, and the task can feel nearly impossible.

Yet for Dominique Frederick ’26, transitioning from student to student-parent-leader has been more than demanding – it has been transformative. It has not only revealed her strengths and deeper purpose  but also provided clarity and opened doors to opportunities she might otherwise have missed along the way. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Upstate New York, Frederick is a first-generation law student, set to graduate in December 2026. Frederick made her way to Campbell Law School through Charlotte, where she worked immediately after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in engineering and management from Clarkson University in 2016.

Frederick chose to attend law school because it “aligns with my core purpose of championing for justice and using my abilities in service of a cause larger than myself.”

This core purpose was evidenced early on when, as a fifth grader, she organized a protest and when, as Miss Teen New York, she advocated for environmental and social issues. When it came time to apply to law school, there was only one law school to which Frederick would apply – Campbell Law. The choice was easy for her, she says, “because of Campbell’s commitment to their students…and their commitment to the community…as well as their focus on creating practice-ready lawyers. Lawyers that are zealous advocates.”

In addition, she says that Campbell Law “has a great focus through their Christian mission of creating lawyers with a moral compass that serve the community,” which resonated with her “as someone that tries to live life giving back to my community and spreading light and love as much as I possibly can.” Her favorite experience in law school so far has been participating in two study abroad programs during the summer between her first and second years of her legal studies.

The first part of her summer was spent traveling to Ghana, Africa, where for three weeks as part of a group led by law school Dean, J. Rich Leonard, she participated in a comparative study of Ghanaian law and U.S. law. The second part of her summer study abroad experience was spending five weeks at Cambridge University in England, where she again took part in a comparative study of law, this time of UK, EU and U.S. laws; studying international environmental law; and taking a master class in Shakespearean trial advocacy.

Frederick spent her summer between her second and third year of law school on maternity leave to welcome her daughter. The transition from student to student-parent has not been easy. Frederick credits her at-home support system, which includes her partner and her stepdaughter, for helping care for their now 10-month-old daughter, allowing her the time and space needed to attend classes and focus on her studies. She also credits Campbell Law for allowing her flexibility within her studies and offering a lactation room on campus. Taking maternity leave and attending only part-time for a semester has allowed Frederick to have an unusual third-year summer to pursue additional internships. This has opened the door to an internship opportunity that ties her undergraduate engineering and management degree to her interests in law and advocacy. Frederick said the pause in her studies ultimately created a path she might otherwise not have discovered.

Frederick has always been a leader and considers her leadership style very community oriented – she avoids micro-managing her team, allowing them to have full ownership of their positions. She is currently president of the law school’s Black Law Student Association (BLSA). She feels that her role as president is important because “there aren’t many black lawyers in the field and there aren’t many black law students,” so it’s important to her to shed light on the black experience and to inspire people of color to join the legal community. Since taking over as president, Frederick said she has worked to increase participation in the annual BLSA networking event. BLSA’s recent event was attended by more than 100 law students from various law concentrations and campuses across North Carolina and she brought in two of Raleigh’s major law firms as sponsors.

Frederick also hosted a Pro Bono Domestic Violence Protection Order Week in partnership with local agencies including Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) to secure legal representation for clients in need.

Being a student-parent-leader is, as Frederick puts it, a lot of “eggs in one basket.” Time management is key. She says to focus on the “brightest fire every time and decide, ‘What is today’s priority? What do I have to accomplish today?’” and figure out how to get it done. She advises tapping into  your support system. Lastly, Frederick also recommends trusting in yourself. Her advice to first-year law students is to  remember that admittance into Campbell Law is very competitive. “(You) got here for a reason, and you’re meant to be here!”