Appalachian Law Center
Learning to Serve—Serving to Learn
Through the Appalachian Center for Law and Public Service, volunteer law students and attorneys have provided thousands of hours of free legal assistance, in myriad areas, to hundreds of needy West Virginians. Law students are encouraged to donate up to 25 hours of their time each semester (many provide far more than 25 hours) to provide legal services. The students, who do not receive credit or financial compensation for their efforts, also contribute their time to assist West Virginia state judges, the Attorney General, prosecutors and legal aid lawyers.
Goals:
- To provide law students with opportunities for skills enhancement and career development
- To address legal needs in the local community and throughout West Virginia
- To foster the ethic of pro bono service to the unrepresented
Mini-Clinic Areas:
Domestic Violence
Students help battered women obtain protective orders and some measure of security
Family Law
Students represent clients in divorce, custody and support cases
Wills and Estates
Students prepare wills and health care directives for seniors
Bankruptcy
Students assist debtors with debt counseling and legal assistance in Chapters 7 and 13 bankruptcies
“For me, this program opened my eyes to an area of the law that never before interested me. Helping people in need put their lives in order, while making it safe for them to live in the day-to-day world, has been extremely satisfying to me. My goal is to continue in the service of pro-bono-type work, if not directly in my employment then in the donation of my services to programs such as this. Needless to say, it has drastically altered my point of view and given me a whole new sense of the law.”
—Phillip Ball `96
Appalachian Center for Law and Public Service
Endowment Gift-Naming Opportunities
Gifts at the levels listed below may be pledged and paid over five years. The endowments created will honor those for whom they are named and will provide support for the purposes specified, in perpetuity.
Endowments can be built over time with additional gifts. They provide a wonderful tribute when established “in honor of” or “in memory of” family or friends.
Gift Amount
Endowment Created Will Provide
$500,000 Funds sufficient to operate the Appalachian Center
$250,000 Partial funding for the Appalachian Center
$ 50,000 Funds for annual operating expenses of one of the mini-clinic areas
To request additional information about supporting the Appalachian Center for Law and Public Service, please contact Dean John W. Fisher II, PH: (304) 293-3199