He entered the House of Commons in the year 1830, and was soon recognized as one of the leading members of the British bar.  The period of his debut in public life is one of peculiar significance in the party history of England.  The long dominion of the statesmen of the Pitt, and Liverpool school was at last overthrown.  The political dogmas which had resisted Catholic toleration, which had sustained the continental powers in their persecution of the French Emperor, which had resisted the right of a neighboring people to choose their own rulers, which had held in imprisonment the first genius of the century, which had opposed the abolition of the test act, which had sustained the most licentious and most obstinate sovereign of modern times, now yielded to the more enlightened views of such statesmen as Russell and Lansdowne, Brougham and Grey.  Several causes operated to bring about this auspicious change.  George the Fourth, whose partiality for the Tories was only surpassed by his animosity against the Whigs, had given place to a liberal and enlightened prince, renowned for his zealous attachment to the popular weal.  Again, Canning’s influence in moderating the maxims of Tory theorists was greatly felt among the gentry.  Finally, the rapid growth of general intelligence, developments in the history of nations, and juster conceptions of the true relations of sovereign and people, prepared the public mind for extensive reforms in the constitution.  Earl Grey, a statesman eminent no less for his eloquence and sagacity than for the worth of his private character, succeeded to the premiership in 1830, being the first Whig who held that office since the cabinet of ‘all the talents,’ in 1806.

It was at such a juncture that Campbell entered the House of Commons.  The sanguine dreams of his youth were dawning into reality; and he was gratified to see his cherished principles fully adopted by the country, and to know that he was a participant in the glories of the great reform.

In 1832, when he had been a member of the House but two years, and a King’s Counsel but five years, and in the same year that the reform of Russell and Grey received the royal sign-manual, he was elevated to the dignity of Solicitor General.  No one of the long line of his illustrious predecessors brought to the discharge of this eminent trust greater learning and acuteness than Lord Campbell evinced; who, at the same time of this appointment, was honored with the order of Knighthood.  In 1834, after serving as solicitor with the marked approbation of the government, he was promoted to the Attorney Generalship.