An Ideal Community
for Learning
Approachable Faculty – The faculty at the College of Law have many credentials and accolades of which to boast. Perhaps the most important credential is one that does not show up on a resume: approachability. Law school can be an intimidating experience, especially in the first year when the law school experience is still so new. The faculty at the WVU College of Law go above and beyond to make all students feel at ease in asking questions that inevitably come with a new experience. The faculty maintain an open-door policy as does the Dean of the College of Law. A law student can knock on the door of any office and be welcome. The faculty are available for one-on-one help if the student feels this assistance is needed. The faculty make WVU College of Law an intellectually challenging and pleasurable place to begin a legal career. A 16:1 faculty ratio ensures that students will receive the personal attention they need to succeed.
Peer Advisors/Mentors – Law students provide wonderful support for each other through two programs: peer advising and individual mentors. All first-year students are assigned to a small advising group of approximately twenty students. 
Each group has a faculty advisor and two law student peer advisors. First-year students also may request a one-on-one mentor available to answer any question and provide support throughout the challenging transition to law school. The mentors are volunteers who are happy to help new students, just as they were helped when they arrived to begin their legal education.
An Ideal Community for Learning cont’d
Small Classes – First-year classes are relatively small for the law school setting. Each first-year class has approximately 70 students in the classroom, with the exception of Legal Research and Writing, which has approximately 20 students in each section. Upper-level courses maintain similar class sizes with seminars sometimes having as few as 15 students. This small class size fosters familiarity and openness with the members of the class and faculty.
Distinguished and Loyal Law School Community – The West Virginia Law School Alumni Association was organized in 1958. Alumni, lawyers, judges, and College of Law faculty members are eligible for membership. The association promotes and sponsors programs and projects beneficial to the College of Law, its students, and the Bench and Bar. Membership fees and gifts fund student awards, sponsor the student Moot Court team in the national competition, and maintain an emergency student loan fund for law students. Law Students have many opportunities to meet and get to know members of the legal community while at the WVU College of Law.
“Prior to law school I served as a West Virginia State Trooper. Giving up a secure career that I loved for the uncertainty of law school was difficult for me to do. However, although I was initially overwhelmed, I quickly found all the help and assistance a non-traditional student could need. The staff and faculty exceeded my expectations. There are other law schools I could have attended, but I cannot imagine another offering the same type of practical experience I gained at WVU. All of my professors were accessible and willing to help, and I maintain ongoing relationships with most of them to this day.”
Monté Williams