Canadian Lawyer 4Students

C A N A D I A N L a w y e r 4 s t u d e n t s F a l l 2 0 1 4 23 just off the coast of P.E.I. "Fourteen of which were spent living off plants and animals that I found," he says. But to call Campbell a modern-day Tarzan with a touch of quirk who keeps to himself would be incomplete. Deeply contemplative, he balances strict discipline with community mindedness. Both qualities have been fostered and tested by law school. During last September's orientation, Campbell was surprisingly impressed by his peers. "I thought people would be jerks or pretentious because this is law school," he says. "Instead, they were bright, personable, and welcoming." To keep up with his classmates, Campbell tried various techniques to succeed; some worked, others failed. One approach he implemented and followed to the letter was a commitment not to attend law school social events. "I made a conscious choice to have a singular focus on becoming a skilled lawyer," he says in justifi cation of the rule. Bright, articulate, and handsome, Campbell received many invitations and was encouraged by classmates to attend. He didn't, but never fabricated an excuse for not going. Committed to his pact, fellow students were o en le gobsmacked when their invitation was resolutely rejected. "It was really easy to say no. I just said 'I don't do that. I don't go out.'" Refl ective and committed to self- improvement, Campbell is reconsidering his "just say no to parties" hardline. "Looking back, I think it was a mistake and I undervalued the importance of social networks," he says. "You can't do it all on your own." But assuming Campbell's empty social calendar made him a video-gaming loner or social outcast would be inaccurate. e man is busy. Campbell volunteers with the Mi'kmaq Confederacy of P.E.I., performing legal research on treaty rights in the Maritimes. With his partner, he is also the residence manager of Atkin House, UNB's all-male residence. Various study methods came through trial-and-error including a study group that fi zzled out. Eventually, Campbell found his stride. He began note taking in lectures by populating a case brief template to prioritize information and capture the professor's key points. Each week, Campbell tapped into his teaching methods to understand the law. "If you can teach a subject, you know it," he says. So on Fridays, Campbell fi lmed himself lecturing that week's classes and replayed the lectures later in preparation for tests and exams. He also summarized and outlined key principles — instructor-style — on fl ip charts. "During exam time, my apartment was wall-to-wall, fl oor-to- ceiling fl ip charts," he says laughing. "It sort of resembled an art exhibit." And while Campbell was busily writing an exam, his wife Meghan would remove the charts and replace them with fresh paper. at's dedication from a wife, even if it is an unconventional marriage. e couple marries every day. Wary of lifelong commitment given divorce and separation rates, Campbell proposes to Meghan daily and thus far she has always accepted — for the day. "It works for us," he says, admitting some days he does forget to propose. e pursuit of top of the class in a ranking system where his position comes at the expense of another's success is unfamiliar. "My instinct is to co- operate with as many people as possible so we can all succeed but the competition in law school seems unavoidable and I don't like it. It makes me uncomfortable." And yet moving beyond his comfort zone does not scare Campbell. While climbing 1L's steep learning curve, he kicked a 14-year-smoking-habit. "It was just time. I was ready," he says. "However, that's not something I would recommend, to take on that level of change during school." ough unsuccessful in fi nding a law-related job for the summer, Campbell had no signs of self-pity. He waited tables outside Charlottetown and busily planned a trip to Bolivia for research. e recipient of a $10,000 UNB environmental leadership scholarship, Campbell will be travelling to the South American country to examine the impact of a novel legal principle. rough Bolivia's "Law of the Rights of Mother Earth" the environment now has rights. Mother Earth is defi ned as "the dynamic living system formed by the indivisible community of all life systems and living creatures, interrelated, interdependent and complemented, and sharing a common destiny." ese laws give Bolivia's interdependent life system the right to, among other things, persist and regenerate vital cycles with diversity of life, clean air, and water. Granting rights to non-human entities is relatively unprecedented and Campbell will measure their impact by interviewing industry leaders, legislators, lawyers, and advocates. e upcoming trip to Bolivia will not be Campbell's fi rst trip afar. Since high school, he has followed his passion to explore the world leading groups through wilderness tours and development work. He has travelled across Canada and spent time in Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Belize. And yet, upon graduation from law school, Campbell plans to return home. "I want to help Prince Edward Island become the most prosperous place in the world," he says. Coming from someone without his proven discipline and passion, the pledge would be empty, but coming from Campbell, P.E.I.'s prospects just surged. ■ During exam time, my apartment was wall-to-wall, oor-to-ceiling ip charts. It sort of resembled an art exhibit.

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