in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she focuses on family law and immigration. In the profile, Seymour reflects on the challenges and rewards of changing careers later in life and encourages others not to let age stand in the way of pursuing meaningful work.

“The most obvious thing that anybody could ever say, but it had not occurred to me that I could actually be different or just change. It shifted for me,” Seymour told People.

Seymour has remained closely connected to Elon Law since graduating in 2017. , she regularly mentors students, supports experiential learning opportunities and has partnered with the law school on pro bono initiatives that expand access to legal services while providing students with valuable hands-on experience.

Last year, Seymour supervised students participating in a power of attorney clinic in partnership with FaithAction International, a project that earned the North Carolina Bar Association’s 2026 Law School Pro Bono Project of the Year Award. She wrote the letter of recommendation to the bar association that led to the students’ recognition.

to learn more about Seymour’s inspiring career journey and the lessons she hopes others will take from it.

As they helped parents prepare legal documents designed to ensure their children would continue receiving care and education if the unexpected happened, students found themselves doing something equally important: listening to families navigating uncertainty and providing greater peace of mind.

Organized by Elon Law’s Pro Bono Board in partnership with — an agency that advocates for and serves immigrants in the Triad — the May 2025 clinic responded to concerns from families who wanted to prepare for the possibility of sudden family separation. Under the supervision of licensed attorneys — including an Elon Law alumna and a faculty member — students assisted parents in completing powers of attorney that would allow trusted caregivers to make educational and medical decisions for their children if needed.

“It was something concrete we could actually do,” recalled Molly Hohler L’26, who helped organize the clinic through the Pro Bono Board.

Families spoke candidly about their fears as they contemplated possible detention or deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Working alongside fellow board leaders Frank Edwards L’25, Adnan Omer L’25, Saniya Pangare L’25 and Cameron Riordan L’25, Hohler organized the clinic with FaithAction International, Professor of Law Andy Haile and attorney Abigail Seymour L’17. Together, they identified a way to use their legal training to meet a community need and serve real clients.

More than a year later, that student-led effort earned statewide recognition. during the association’s Annual Meeting this summer, recognizing an “outstanding law student group whose pro bono project advanced access to justice in North Carolina.

“You have that script of what you want to say, and then all of that goes out the window because you recognize the emotions your client is experiencing. It taught us that you have to approach clients with empathy, not just legal answers.”
— Adnan Omer L’25

The idea grew from conversations with FaithAction International, which identified an urgent community need and contacted the Pro Bono Board. Immigration legal advice was beyond the scope of what students could provide, but powers of attorney offered a meaningful way to serve clients under attorney supervision.

For Adnan Omer L’25 and others, the clinic quickly became much more than a legal exercise.

“People come to you on one of the hardest days of their lives,” said Omer, now an associate attorney with Vrapi Weeks Immigration Attorneys in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “You have that script of what you want to say, and then all of that goes out the window because you recognize the emotions your client is experiencing. It taught us that you have to approach clients with empathy, not just legal answers.”

Seymour L’17, who founded Greensboro-based Camino Law in 2019, was the supervising attorney for the clinic. As a former Pro Bono Board member herself, she understood the value of the experience for students. Throughout the day, she observed, interpreted and worked alongside them during client meetings in the one-day clinic.

“The main purpose of this clinic was to give people a sense of control and preparation,” Seymour said. “Peace of mind to know that if the worst were to happen, they would have a plan.” Elon Law students “were wonderful and jumped right in. They didn’t hang back.”

“The most important lesson is learning to work with clients who are facing significant challenges that we as lawyers may never experience ourselves. In class, we can debate and discuss these abstract issues of law and policy, but when you see how they affect real people, that makes it a different lesson.”
— Professor of Law Andy Haile

In recommending the clinic for the statewide award, Seymour praised the students’ “extraordinary professionalism, leadership and compassion,” writing to the NCBA that they approached the work “not as an academic exercise, but as a professional responsibility.” The project exemplified “the highest ideals of pro bono service in North Carolina,” she wrote.

Haile, who also supervised students during the clinic, said the experience demonstrated why experiential learning is critical for legal preparation. Some skills can’t be learned in a classroom.

“The most important lesson is learning to work with clients who are facing significant challenges that we as lawyers may never experience ourselves,” Haile said. “In class, we can debate and discuss these abstract issues of law and policy, but when you see how they affect real people, that makes it a different lesson.”

For Pangare, whose family immigrated to the United States, the project carried special meaning.

“It was an opportunity to help people feel more secure in their homes, their surroundings and their communities,” said Pangare — now an associate attorney at Hall Booth Smith P.C. in Asheville, North Carolina. “We wanted to help a community we knew felt vulnerable and let them know we were there to support them.”

“We have unique skills as soon-to-be lawyers. The more we can use those skills to help people, the better lawyers we become in the process.”
— Molly Hohler L’26

She joined Hohler and Shannon Ward L’26, current Pro Bono Board co-director, in accepting the award on behalf of Elon Law during the NCBA Annual Meeting on June 26.

Hohler said that public service has been a throughline in both her personal and professional life. Serving on the Pro Bono Board gives her an opportunity to channel that instinct alongside classmates who share a commitment to service.

“I love working with clients. It gives me new energy,” Hohler said. “We have unique skills as soon-to-be lawyers. The more we can use those skills to help people, the better lawyers we become in the process.”

Professor of Law Enrique Armijo and Assistant Professor of Journalism Israel Balderas joined the coalition supporting the filing. organized the effort and submitted the reply comments to the FCC.

Although the proceeding involves ABC’s “The View,” the filing argues the broader issue is whether the federal government should determine what qualifies as a news interview program and second-guess broadcasters’ editorial decisions — a form of government interference with the independence of news organizations that the signers of the filing say the First Amendment is intended to prevent.

The proceeding stems from a public notice issued by the FCC’s Media Bureau, the office responsible for broadcast policy and licensing, seeking comment on ABC’s request that “The View” retain its status as a bona fide news interview program. Under the federal equal time provision, broadcast stations generally must provide comparable airtime to opposing political candidates when one candidate appears on a program. News interview programs that qualify for the FCC’s longstanding exemption don’t have to adhere to that requirement.

Balderas — a professor in the School of Communications whose professional experience includes work as an Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist, First Amendment attorney and former media adviser at the FCC — said the coalition’s concerns extend beyond a single television program.

“The Constitution puts that decision off-limits to government. Once any administration, of any party, gets the power to decide what qualifies as news, it will use that power against whoever criticizes it,” Balderas said. “The First Amendment doesn’t protect the press because journalists are perfect. It protects the press because a free people need information their government doesn’t control.”

Armijo — a professor in the School of Law whose scholarship examines the intersection of new technologies, free speech and First Amendment doctrine — said the filing addresses both the immediate FCC proceeding and broader concerns about government regulation of speech.

“While the TechFreedom comments are about the current proceeding at the FCC as to whether “The View” and similar programs should continue to be exempted from the agency’s equal time requirements, they also speak to something larger: the current administration’s continuing attempts to use its regulatory authority as a pretext to punish points of view with which it disagrees,” Armijo said.

The reply comments become part of the public record the FCC will consider as it reviews ABC’s petition.

At Elon Law, Armijo teaches constitutional law, the First Amendment, media and internet law, torts and international freedom of expression.

In the School of Communications, Balderas teaches courses in media law and ethics, TV reporting and leads programs that bridge political communication with civic engagement.

The multimedia article explores how descendants across the country reflect on America’s past, present and future 250 years since the United States of America’s founding. Flechsig was interviewed and photographed for the project at Elon Law’s downtown Greensboro campus.

Flechsig is the 10th great-granddaughter of Declaration signer John Morton. A native of Whispering Pines, North Carolina, she earned a bachelor’s degree in English from �þ���.

Although her family’s connection to Morton was never a major focus growing up, Flechsig said participating in the CNN project prompted her to reflect more deeply on her family’s place in American history and her own aspirations for the future.

“I find it incredibly meaningful that I am able to have the opportunities I do with this part of our country’s history attached to me,” Flechsig said. “I know that my ancestor believed that things could be different and better, so he did the ‘dangerous’ thing of signing the Declaration and severing our ties with Britain. I know that our country can be different and better, so I am prepared to do what I can to accomplish that.”

CNN’s profile explores Flechsig’s thoughtful and sometimes conflicted relationship with America’s founding. She recognizes the enduring ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence while also acknowledging the inequalities that existed and persisted since the nation’s founding, perspectives that have shaped her interest in law, immigration and public service.

Now considering a career in immigration law, Flechsig hopes to use her legal education to advocate for others and strengthen the communities she serves. As she told CNN, “I always want to have a job that is making the space around me better … helping where I feel like I can, and using my voice to speak for the people who can’t speak right now.”

Before enrolling at Elon Law, and after graduating from Elon, Flechsig taught for more than two years at Henderson Collegiate, a public charter school in Henderson, North Carolina. As an �þ���, Flechsig was an Honors Fellow. Her thesis advisor and research mentor, Associate Professor of English Kevin Bourque, wrote a letter of recommendation for a scholarship through the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence (DSDI) and connected CNN reporters with her.

This summer, Flechsig is engaged in global study at The Hague, Netherlands, through Elon Law’s partnership with Stetson University College of Law.

In the The article examines how federal housing policies contributed to racial disparities in homeownership and wealth accumulation and argues that Housing Choice Vouchers should be viewed not only as rental assistance, but also as a vehicle for sustainable homeownership. Drawing on historical analysis of federal housing programs and lending practices, Newman argues that government housing policies have played a significant role in shaping economic opportunity and wealth-building across generations. Newman proposes reforms that would enable more recipients of federal housing subsidies to leverage that assistance as a pathway to homeownership, helping expand access to intergenerational wealth-building opportunities.

Newman also published a In the essay, Newman examines University of Richmond School of Law Professor Carol Brown’s article “A Civil Rights Defense of Gentrification,” that challenges the conventional assumption that neighborhood reinvestment and gentrification inevitably displace existing residents. Newman highlights Brown’s argument that legal tools such as inclusionary zoning and affordability protections can allow redevelopment to occur in a way that promotes both opportunity and inclusion, and without widespread displacement.

Together, the two publications reflect Newman’s broader research agenda, which examines how property law and housing policy shape wealth creation, neighborhood development, and racial inequality, with a particular focus on the legal institutions that govern access to homeownership and economic mobility.

Newman joined the Elon Law faculty in 2022 and teaches Property, Wills and Trusts, and Real Estate Transactions. Her �þ��� and scholarship focus on property, real estate and housing law, with particular interests in housing and economic development. She earned her B.A. from the University of Chicago and a dual J.D./M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Iowa.

Before entering academia, Newman worked in the commercial real estate development field for firms in Miami, Florida, and Charlotte, North Carolina, specializing in structuring multilayered financing for mixed-income, multifamily housing developments. That professional experience continues to inform her research and �þ���. She later served as a Louis Westerfield Fellow at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.

Newman chairs the Legal Education Committee of the Uniform Laws Group of the American Bar Association’s Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section (RPTE), serves as a contributing editor for JOTWELL’s Property section, and is a member of the Trusts Drafting Committee of the North Carolina General Statutes Commission. She also serves on the Executive Council for the Florida Bar’s Out-of-State Division and as a member of the Mecklenburg County Citizens Revaluation Commission.

His chapter appears in “The Elgar Companion to Freedom of Speech and Expression,” edited by Ashutosh Bhagwat and Alan K. Chen and published by Edward Elgar Publishing.

Armijo’s chapter, “Online Must-Carry in Comparative Perspective,” draws on an international freedom of expression course he taught in The Hague through �þ��� School of Law’s global study partnership with Stetson University College of Law. In it, he examines how different countries balance the rights of online platforms to moderate content with growing recognition of those platforms as primary forums for public discourse.

Using recent efforts by Texas and Florida to limit social media companies’ ability to remove content or users, Armijo explores how those laws align with or diverge from international human rights laws protecting the right to receive information. He also compares other countries’ efforts to balance the expressive rights of platforms and their users

The volume examines contemporary debates surrounding free speech, including online expression, higher education, the press and related rights. The editors solicited contributions from leading free speech scholars in the United States and around the world, including Armijo.

At Elon Law, Armijo’s scholarship and �þ��� cover broad areas of the law, including the First Amendment, constitutional law, torts, administrative law, media and internet law, online disinformation, and international freedom of expression. He is also a Fellow at the Yale Law School Information Society Project and the UNC-Chapel Hill Center for Information, Technology and Public Life, and a Faculty Fellow with the George Washington University Institute for Data, Democracy, and Politics.

The discussion took place during “Immigration Matters: A Conversation on Policy and Law,” held June 11 at the in downtown Greensboro. The event was moderated by Omar H. Ali, professor of history and former dean of the Lloyd International Honors College at UNC Greensboro. Reynolds joined fellow panelists Heather Scavone, former associate counsel with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Abdul Omer, immigration staff attorney at the Center for New North Carolinians; and Kathy Hinshaw, chair of the Latino Community Coalition of Guilford.

Reynolds focused her remarks on recent federal guidance affecting the naturalization process, particularly the “good moral character” requirement for immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship. She explained that while the requirement has long been part of the naturalization process, new guidance encourages immigration officers to take a more “holistic” approach when evaluating applicants.

“It’s already a murky situation to explain to students and try to educate people on what is ‘good moral character’ because of this lack of a finite definition,” Reynolds said.

Historically, factors such as criminal history, community involvement, family responsibilities, employment history and tax compliance have been subject to assessment. She questioned how federal officials would interpret new guidance and potentially increase scrutiny across a broader range of factors, such as minor traffic violations.

Reynolds directs Elon Law’s Humanitarian Immigration Law Clinic, which provides legal services to refugees and asylum seekers in North Carolina. The clinic assists clients in applying for political asylum, permanent residency, citizenship, and employment authorization, as well as reunifying families separated by war and conflict, while giving Elon Law students hands-on experience representing clients under attorney supervision.

A total of 347 alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends made gifts to Elon Law during the 2025-26 academic year, a 23% increase over the previous year and the highest donor total in school history.

The law school also recorded a school-record Elon Society-level donors — pledging $1,500 or more annually — reflecting growing investment in Elon Law’s students, programs and future.

Highlights from the year include:

• The highest annual fundraising total in seven years and a 20% increase year over year.
• 11% alumni participation, a school record.
• 24% growth in Elon Day fundraising.
• 67% growth in the 3L class gift campaign.
• A new endowed scholarship established to support student bar examination preparation.

“This kind of support doesn’t happen by accident,” Elon Law Dean Zak Kramer said. “There’s excitement about where Elon Law is going. We’ve seen record bar exam results, record applications and approval to expand our full-time program to Charlotte. Big things are happening at Elon Law, and our alumni and friends are making them possible.”

The results continue a multi-year trend of increasing engagement among Elon Law alumni and supporters, who contribute to scholarships, student programming, professional development opportunities and other initiatives that strengthen the law school’s mission.

Assistant Dean for Development and Alumni Relations Scott Leighty said the record-setting year reflects the growing community of alumni and friends who believe in Elon Law’s students and mission.

“We like to say that big things are happening at Elon Law. Indeed, they are,” Leighty said. “Philanthropy reflects our community’s shared belief in our students.”

Among the year’s accomplishments was the establishment of a new endowed scholarship dedicated to helping students prepare for the bar examination, expanding support for graduates as they take the final step toward entering the legal profession. That growing support paid dividends this year, as the Class of 2025 set school records for state and national bar passage.

The latest fundraising and engagement results build on continued momentum across Elon Law as the law school expands its impact in Greensboro, Charlotte and throughout North Carolina.

The record surpassed the previous high of 82.7%, set by Elon Law’s charter class in 2009. In all, 132 of 136 December graduates sat for a bar examination in winter and spring 2026.

“We are incredibly proud of the Class of 2025,” Dean Zak Kramer said. “Our graduates put in the work and supported each other along the way. Together, they raised the bar for all future Elon Law graduates.”

The nationwide result comes two months after Elon Law announced a record 91.96% first-time pass rate on the February 2026 North Carolina Bar Exam. The newly compiled data provides a broader measure of graduate success, showing that 90.9% of the law school’s 132 graduates who sat for a bar examination passed on their first attempt, regardless of jurisdiction.

The results also reflect the advantages of Elon Law’s accelerated 2.5-year J.D. curriculum in Greensboro and — beginning in Fall 2027 — Charlotte. �þ��� graduate in December, sit for the February bar exam and, upon passing, can begin practicing law months earlier than graduates of traditional law programs. The accelerated timeline allows graduates to enter the profession and begin earning sooner.

The energy in the building around the bar exam has changed. They feel it. We all feel it. We’re looking forward to continuing this trajectory.

– Assistant Dean for Academic Success Jenny Lane

This year’s record-setting performance reflects a culture shift at Elon Law and growing momentum around the law school’s programs and outcomes. Elon Law adopted a “One and Done” motto and mindset around the bar exam, with faculty and staff expanding academic support initiatives. In particular, the Office of Academic Success provided additional coaching, workshops, practice examinations and individualized support to reinforce that message throughout students’ legal education and bar preparation.

“What is special about this class is that they truly embodied Elon Law’s ‘One and Done’ mission,” said Jenny Lane, assistant dean for academic success. “They understood the power of coming together as a community and conquering the bar exam.

“It matters when we invest in students and believe in them. The energy in the building around the bar exam has changed. They feel it. We all feel it. We’re looking forward to continuing this trajectory.”

Twenty graduates sat for bar examinations in 11 states outside North Carolina. Seventeen passed on their first attempt, including every graduate who sat in nine of those jurisdictions.

For graduates, passing the bar exam marks the culmination of years of legal study and the beginning of professional practice. For Elon Law, the Class of 2025’s record-setting results reflect the success of a model of legal education built around experiential learning, practical training, and preparing students to enter the legal profession ready to serve clients and communities from day one.

“The value proposition of this law school is incredible,” Kramer said. “A skills-based education, in 2.5 years, with incredible outcomes like this. Big things are happening at Elon Law and we’re just getting started.”

Joining the board this spring are Holland Hawkins Lamikanra, vice president and assistant general counsel at Truist; Marla Crawford, general counsel at Cimplifi; and Jack Hicks, partner at Womble Bond Dickinson LLP and former adjunct professor at Elon Law.

Elon Law’s advisory board is comprised of 21 members including legal, business and community leaders from across the country. It counsels the law school’s leadership in its strategic vision and mission of preparing practice-ready lawyers through experiential and engaged legal education.

The board is chaired by Ellen Gregg, a retired partner with Womble Bond Dickinson LLP and veteran trial attorney, recognized for her leadership in complex litigation, legal technology and professional development. She previously served on the N.C. Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism.

New Elon Law Advisory Board Members:

Marla Crawford

Tuckahoe, New York

General Counsel of Cimplifi

Marla Crawford serves as general counsel of Cimplifi, a leading integrated legal services provider, which combines cutting-edge technology with deep expertise to simplify eDiscovery and contract analytics for corporate legal teams and law firms. She is a graduate of Duke University and Boston University School of Law. Crawford brings more than 35 years of experience in the legal industry, including more than two decades at Jones Day, where she focused on discovery in complex litigation matters. She also served as associate general counsel for Goldman Sachs where she built and led the firm’s global eDiscovery practice and focused on complex commercial and securities litigation and regulatory investigations. Marla sits on various advisory boards focused on legal technology. She and her husband, James, live in Westchester County, New York.

Jack Hicks

Greensboro, North Carolina

Partner at Womble Bond Dickinson LLP

Jack Hicks is a partner at Womble Bond Dickinson, where he advises clients with legal strategies to protect their intellectual property in the global marketplace. He helps lead the firm’s manufacturing industry sector, representing a range of industries, including manufacturing, food and beverage and apparel. He was a founding member of the firm’s innovation board and is among the AI Champions at the firm. Hicks holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia and earned his J.D. from University of Texas School of Law. He previously served as an adjunct professor at Elon Law and delivered the commencement address for the Class of 2023. Active in the Greensboro community, Hicks has served on the board of directors of the National Conference for Community and Justice of the Piedmont Triad and has been recognized in “North Carolina Super Lawyer” and other publications. He and his wife, Sharon, live in Greensboro and have two adult children.

Holland Hawkins Lamikanra

Charlotte, North Carolina

Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at Truist

Holland Hawkins Lamikanra is a vice president and assistant general counsel at Truist Bank, where she advises on legal matters related to the lending activities of the commercial community bank. She earned her degrees from the University of Louisville and Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Prior to joining Truist, she held in-house counsel roles at Fidelity National Financial, focusing on real estate transactions and secured lending, and practiced law at Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Frost Brown Todd LLC. Holland lives in Charlotte with her husband, Olufemi “Femi” Lamikanra ’12 G’15, and their 9-month-old son, Lennox.