Dean’s Award | School of Law
Award for Excellence in Teaching
Zachary C. Bolitho
Associate Professor Zachary Bolitho is the law school’s recipient of the Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award for 2020.
Professor Bolitho joined Campbell faculty in 2013 after an outstanding career in private practice and later as an Assistant United States Attorney. He teaches courses such as Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Federal Courts, Federal Crimes and Trial Advocacy. With the exception of Federal Courts and Federal Crimes, all of these courses are required for our students.
He is uniquely positioned to provide excellent instruction in these complex areas due to his experiences prior to joining the faculty.
In the classroom, Bolitho has been described by his colleagues as effective, clear, organized and motivating; these are all the qualities of a recipient for the Excellence in Teaching Award. Class instruction combines traditional legal education methods, such as the Socratic method, with practical, skills-based learning, through formal course work.
Course evaluations from Bolitho’s students are almost uniform. He is simply an engaging and energetic professor that prompts deep consideration of the material and a new passion in his students. The evaluations speak for themselves:
- “His teaching method is amazing.”
- “Professor’s real-world experience was probably the most helpful thing in this class.”
- “Very helpful and always available.”
- “Professor Bolitho was extremely willing to go the extra mile to help his students. He speaks so enthusiastically about the subject that it is easy to listen and stay engaged.”
Two comments in particular summarize the views of his students. When asked about the strongest features of the course, one student opined: “Professor Bolitho himself-he is a fantastic teacher, kind person, and incredibly intelligent on the subject of criminal law.”
Finally, one student wrote: “Professor Bolitho inspired me every day in this course.”
This is the type of professor deserving of the Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award.
The student body overall has recognized the impact of Professor Bolitho’s outstanding pedagogy. He has been named Professor of the Year in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 academic years.
Bolitho’s passion for educating our future lawyers is not confined to the classroom. As part of our exemplary advocacy program, he regularly coaches law students in Mock Trial and Moot Court competitions. His passion exhibited in the classroom is equaled by the passion exhibited in coaching.
Since joining the Campbell Law School faculty, Bolitho has been a prolific scholar. His publications have addressed growing issues in federal and state criminal law.
Bolitho’s articles include Are The Hearsay and Confrontation Clause Problems Caused by Admitting a Criminal Defendant’s Interpreted Statements Through a Witness Other Than the Interpreter, 49 N.M. L. REV. 193 (2019); The U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Department of Justice, and State Efforts to Legalize Marijuana, 4 LINCOLN MEMORIAL U. L. REV. 42 (2017); and Specifically Authorized by Binding Precedent Does Not Mean Suggested by Persuasive Precedent: Applying the Good Faith Exception after Davis v. United States, 118 W. VA. L. REV. 643 (2015).
He has also authored two books in his time at Campbell — Navigating the First Year of Law School; A Practical Guide to Studying Law (Carolina Academic Press 2016) ( co-authored with Professors Melissa Essary and G. Nicholas Herman) and Plea Bargaining (Juris Publishing 2017) (co-authored 4th edition with Professor G. Nicholas Herman).
Bolitho has served Campbell Law in myriad ways. He serves on the Academic Standards and Support Committee, the Honors and Awards Committee, the Vice-Chair of the Technology Committee, the Bar Success Committee, and the Chair of the Judicial Clerkship Task Force. He also facilitates student development as the Faculty Advisor for the Campbell Law Republicans student organization as well as the Campbell Law Observer.
During the 2017-2018 academic year, Bolitho took a leave of absence to continue serving the United States legal system at the Department of Justice under the tutelage of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in Washington, D.C. He was eventually elevated to Chief of Staff, Associate Attorney General, and an ex officio member of the United States Sentencing Commission. Additionally, Bolitho spend several weeks during the summer of 2019 in East Timor as a representative of the Department of Justice to promote the rule of law and establish a modern legal system.
Bolitho earned a B.A., Summa Cum Laude, as the top graduating student from the University of Mount Union in 2004. He received his J.D. degree, Summa Cum Laude, from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2007.
Campbell Law School students, faculty and staff are lucky to have such an exceptional professor. Bolitho will continue to shape the lives and careers of students at Campbell Law School and we are proud of his accomplishments in the classroom and legal community .
J. Rich Leonard
Dean, Norman A. Wiggins School of Law