RALEIGH - Campbell University announced today that its law school has received a $1 million grant from the A.J. Fletcher Foundation to establish a legal clinic at its new downtown Raleigh location.

The clinic will be dedicated to providing low-income residents and other underserved people with pro bono legal services.

Today's announcement was made in the courtyard of the Hillsborough Place brick building located at 225 Hillsborough Street. A year ago, Campbell announced that it was moving its Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law from rural Harnett County to the 107,000-square-foot Hillsborough Place building.

The move is expected to be completed by September 2009 after the university finishes about $13 million in renovations to the Hillsborough Place building.

The A.J. Fletcher Foundation's grant is a "challenge grant," meaning the law school will receive the $1 million when it raises an equal amount. The $2 million will go towards building offices for the clinic and funding its operations.

The nonprofit A.J Fletcher Foundation supports a wide range of groups that focus on helping those who "have no voice." The foundation is led by Barbara and Jim Goodmon. Jim Goodmon is president and CEO of Capitol Broadcasting Co., which owns WRAL-TV and the Durham Bulls minor league baseball club.

Today's press conference was attended by the Goodmons, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker and Melissa Essary, the dean of Campbell's law school.

Essary said the law school hopes to operate the legal clinic in partnership with other organizations, such as Legal Aid of North Carolina and the North Carolina Justice and Community Development Center.

Essary said the law school expects to have space for legal clinics on the third floor of Hillsborough Place where its students can interact with clients.

Barbara Goodmon said the $1 million grant to Campbell fit perfectly with the A.J. Fletcher Foundation's mission. She said the hope is that downtown Raleigh will become home to a host of nonprofits that work together to provide assistance to the needy and work to change public policy.

"My hope, our hope, is that this is the beginning of a new day in North Carolina that will start right here in Raleigh," Barbara Goodmon said.

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