Women of Campbell Law: Emma Baynard ’26

Next, you are required to host scholar hours in the afternoon for contract students, all of whom have questions to ask. As night falls, you realize your body hasn’t even gotten sufficient exercise, so you attend a workout class. Afterward, you head home to make dinner and study for hours in preparation for class the next day. If you have time, you pencil in a meeting with a fellow executive member of the Pro Bono Council before heading to bed.

While days like this sound impossible to manage, they are considered the norm for Emma Baynard ’26. Baynard serves as the Executive Director of Campbell Law’s Pro Bono Council. She is also currently a Contracts I Teaching Scholar, engaging with first-year students while helping them navigate foundational legal concepts, as well as serving as the lead representative for a bar preparation course.

Baynard’s work on the Pro Bono Council is anything but superficial. Her own personal values of selflessness, compassion and a drive to help others fuels her work in pro bono services. As Executive Director, Baynard supports project management, making sure Council project leaders and members have the structure, resources and institutional support they need to lead pro bono initiatives. She coordinates volunteers, maintains community partnerships and is always thinking strategically about how to maximize overall impact.

“My goal is to empower each project team to serve our community as effectively and sustainably as possible,” Baynard said. “They do all of the hard work, I just help them along the way.” 

Many projects of the Pro Bono Council focus on accessibility to legal services and change-making. For example, Baynard mentions Teen Court, a diversion program that allows juveniles to avoid having a criminal offense on their record. Rather than going through a traditional court process, participants are judged by peers and given constructive penalties focused on accountability and reconstruction. This program provides youthful offenders the opportunity to own their mistakes and make amends while avoiding long-term consequences.

The Immigration Project is another pro bono initiative that Baynard worked heavily on, assisting Ukrainian citizens in obtaining work visas. This project helped individuals navigate complex immigration processes during an urgent and uncertain time, ensuring lawful employment and stability for them. Lastly, Baynard discusses the Education Project, where she assisted organizing and facilitating mock trials for elementary school students. The goal of this project was to introduce young students to the legal system in an engaging and accessible manner, promoting civic education and confidence in public speaking. Baynard emphasizes how she came to law school to use her education for the public good, sharing that pro bono projects like these allow her to fulfill this goal.

“Each of these experiences reinforced for me how accessible legal service can make a tangible difference in people’s lives,”

Emma Baynard credits Mr. Rogers for instilling values of compassion and empathy in her when she was young. The idea of being a “good neighbor” is a principle that always stuck with Baynard, encouraging her to use her education to serve the public through a legal lens.

“…Being a good neighbor means showing up, listening carefully, and using whatever skills you have to help others feel supported and protected. My legal training has given me tools that can make a real difference in people’s lives, and I feel a responsibility to use those tools thoughtfully and compassionately.” Baynard states.

The study of law drew Baynard in during her undergrad years at North Carolina State University. Baynard recounts how her reading and critical thinking skills were a natural match for the attorney profession. Baynard began studying for the LSAT as early as her undergraduate sophomore year. This time in her life was marked by stress, where Baynard believed every little mistake would define the rest of her life. Nowadays, Baynard knows that the opposite is true. Personal mistakes only made her stronger and more resilient for the future.

Coming from the small town of Trinity, North Carolina, Baynard recognizes the importance of legal education and resources in rural communities. She lightheartedly notes how she did not know any attorneys in her town growing up. While Baynard enjoys pursuing her education in the city of Raleigh, she has a personal mission to provide legal assistance in neglected rural areas like the one she was raised in. This goal directly aligns with the values of Campbell Law School, and is a primary reason why Baynard knew the institution was a great fit for her.

“I picked a law school that would push me to not only be a better advocate, but a better person and friend. Through the culture of Campbell Law, and the mentors, that has been my experience.”

During her summers at Campbell Law, Baynard served various positions at different companies and offices. She served as a Legal Extern for the N.C. State Office of Research Commercialization after her first year, and was a Legal Extern for the Raleigh City Attorney’s Office after her second year. More recently, Baynard was a Summer Associate for the law firm of McAngus Goudelock & Courie. Baynard recounts on these experiences as challenging, but extremely helpful. They served as a great tool in helping her discover what niches she did and didn’t like to work on specifically. Good or bad, these positions shaped Baynard into the student she is today, teaching not only valuable skills, but also traits about herself.

When giving advice for future law school students, Baynard places great emphasis on keeping an open mind. Many passions often go undiscovered, and Baynard would have never discovered her love for pro bono work if she had remained closed off. Active listening was also an important lesson for Baynard. In class, you cannot only be thinking about your turn to speak; you must be taking in information at all times in order to be effective in practice.

At the end of a busy day during exam times, Baynard will head to the library to study for an upcoming test with her friends. She doesn’t feel lost or overwhelmed with responsibility, but rather a vital sense of duty to keep going. Baynard is fueled by her compassion for others and the purpose to help those in need through law. She is inspired by her own projects in pro bono work, and wants to continue paying it forward. Baynard hopes to remain actively involved by serving rural communities at the local government level, installing educational initiatives.

“Access to legal resources can be especially limited in rural areas, and I’m passionate about helping close that gap. Whether through public service, community partnerships or volunteer initiatives, I hope to remain actively involved in work that expands access to justice and strengthens local institutions.”