Campbell Law 45th Anniversary Alumni Spotlight: Yolanda Davis Brisco ’19
Nominator: Nichad Davis, Class of 2019
Nichad Davis is a 2019 graduate from Campbell Law School. He is an attorney at Ward Black Law in Greensboro, N.C., practicing in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death and workers compensation.
Nominee: Yolanda Davis Brisco, Class of 2019
Yolanda Davis Brisco is a December 2018 graduate of Campbell University School of Law. She is part of Nexsen Pruet’s economic development team, where she helps clients navigate state and local economic incentive programs and supports corporate clients in transactional matters including entity structure and formation, corporate governance, commercial contracts and general corporate law with an emphasis on small businesses and nonprofit and exempt organizations. Prior to joining Nexsen Pruet, Brisco spent more than a decade in the accounting and nonprofit industries as a consultant and the real estate industry as a Realtor®/Broker licensed in North and South Carolina. As a nonprofit and accounting consultant, she advised a diverse group of nonprofits and small businesses in 501(c)(3) nonprofit administration and management; and business financial management. Prior to attending Campbell Law, Brisco earned a B.S. degree, magna cum laude, in Biology and minor in Chemistry from Winston-Salem State University and an M.S. degree in Accountancy from the Wayne Calloway School of Business and Accountancy at Wake Forest University. After obtaining her masters, she worked for a “Big 4” public accounting firm as a Fortune 500 Business Assurance and Advisory Services professional. Thereafter, she obtained a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Q: Prior to practicing law you spent more than a decade in the accounting and nonprofit industries and as a realtor. What inspired you to go to law school?
A: As a nonprofit and accounting consultant, I advised a diverse group of nonprofits and small businesses in 501(c)(3) nonprofit administration and management, and business financial management. The accounting and legal fields have many areas of overlap. Because of the interrelationship between law and accounting, having an understanding of the law became a more critical component to better serving my clients. It would allow me to become a more well-rounded professional, giving me far greater insight and perspective than your average lawyer or accountant.
Q: How did Campbell Law prepare you for your career?
A: On one of my first visits to Campbell Law, I took a picture of a quote on the wall in the foyer that read, “He has showed you, o man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To do justice and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8” From the professors and staff to clinical programs like the Restorative Justice Clinic, Campbell Law taught me how to pursue justice and love mercy. It instilled in me “moral conviction, social compassion, professional competence, and a view of using the practice of law as a calling to serve others,” all of which prepared me to perform at my best in the practice of law while leading with purpose.
Q: You are a co-founder and board chair of Davis Academy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting equity in public schools with focus on restorative practices and community schools. What was it like starting a non-profit?
A: Starting Davis Academy has taken blood, sweat, and tears from my co-founders and I, along with our founding board to accomplish what we have so far, with so much more to accomplish. When things get tough we have to remind ourselves of our “why.” We remind ourselves of the students we’re advocating for – the students of color and students who are economically disadvantaged who disproportionately perform lower on assessments and are disproportionately suspended at alarmingly higher rates; those who are at the greatest academic disadvantage as compared to their peers. Our “why” keeps us fighting to provide families within marginalized communities a high-quality and equitable educational experience. The Davis Academy family believes that all children have the capacity to learn and their success is contingent upon our ability to create the proper conditions for learning grounded in an equitable system of support for both students and families.
Q: Share a memory or experience that has had a lasting impact on your career.
A: My time in the Restorative Justice Clinic at Campbell Law had a lasting impact on my career and how I choose to lead with purpose. It made me take a more holistic approach to pursuing justice, or in the case of students – equity!
Q: What does Campbell University’s motto “leading with purpose” mean to you?
A: Campbell University’s motto “leading with purpose” means leading a life of purpose. It’s walking in excellence in pursuit of my calling and leading by example with compassion in hopes of inspiring others to walk in their purpose bringing their unique gifts to the world.
Want to nominate a Campbell Law Alumna/Alumnus to be featured in a 45th anniversary spotlight?
If you would like to nominate a fellow alumnus/na who is living the university’s motto “leading with purpose,” please contact Lisa Snedeker at lsnedeker@campbell.edu for more information.
