News & Information

Students Network at National Innocence Project Conference

Fri, 03 May 2013 14:09:00 EST

David Estep, Valena Beety, Chief of Police Bill Brooks, Kristen McKeon, Ashley Joseph in Charlotte for the Innocence Network Conference.

West Virginia University College of Law students David Estep and Ashley Joseph recently attended the national Innocence Network Conference in Charlotte, NC.

The conference gave the two 3L students the opportunity to meet exonerees and share strategies and gain advice from attorneys practicing in the field.

Estep and Joseph have been working in the West Virginia Innocence Project (WVIP) law clinic this year. They were joined at the conference by law professor and WVIP director Valena Beety and Kristen McKeon, WVIP legal fellow. The trip was funded by a generous donation to the law clinic.

“We worked on cases all year, so it was amazing to actually meet men and women who have been exonerated and are now free,” said Joseph. “That’s what we’re working toward.”

“This was a true learning experience for me and has taught me many things that will be useful later in my career,” said Estep, “from being able to meet and listen to exonerees who have spent a majority of their lives behind bars, to speaking with some of the foremost attorneys litigating innocence cases in the country today.”

A familiar face at the conference was Bill Brooks, the police chief for Norwood, Mass. Earlier this year, Brooks led state-wide training in West Virginia on eyewitness identification. The WVIP was heavily involved in the successful effort this spring to reform eyewitness identification in the state. Brooks received the National Champion of Justice Award at the Innocence Network Conference.

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About the WVIP
The West Virginia Innocence Project is a legal clinic at WVU College of Law. It seeks to exonerate men and women who have been wrongfully convicted in West Virginia. To learn more about th WVIP and to find out how to support it, visit www.wvinnocenceproject.law.wvu.edu.

About the Innocence Network
The Innocence Network is an affiliation of organizations dedicated to providing pro bono legal and investigative services to individuals seeking to prove innocence of crimes for which they have been convicted and working to redress the causes of wrongful convictions: www.innocencenetwork.org.

Experts at WVU discussion see bright WV natural gas future with the right policy implementation

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:45:00 EST

West Virginia’s share of the Marcellus shale natural gas play could lead to a bright, job-filled, environmentally responsible future if appropriate policies are in place and investment in a multi-billion dollar “cracking” plant occurs, according to an impressive array of energy experts who added their input to a well-attended policy exploration event at West Virginia University.

The WVU College of Law’s Center for Energy and Sustainable Development, with support from the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson, sponsored an energy conference called Natural Gas as the Bridge to Sustainability and Economic Growth.

The conference explored policies aimed at stimulating the use of shale gas resources and focused on transportation issues, use of cogeneration for industrial electricity customers, exporting of natural gas and the potential for revitalization of the region’s chemical industry.

“WVU was founded with a goal of providing access to information and applying that knowledge to make a better society,” President Jim Clements. “WVU is on the cutting edge of research on alternative fuels, fuel cells, nanotechnology, water resource management, biomass conversions and increased energy efficiency. WVU will position the region as a global leader in safe and environmentally safe energy production. That is our responsibility and our privilege.”

Joyce McConnell, dean of the WVU College of Law, kicked off the conference and noted that under the leadership of the College’s James Van Nostrand, the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development has grown in three years to become a nationally recognized place for valuable law and policy studies associated with America’s energy challenges.

While acknowledging the “serious concerns about environmental impacts of shale gas development,” Van Nostrand said, “At the same time, we want to look at the best ways at achieving economic growth, lower transportation and energy costs.”

The discussion of a West Virginia “cracker” plant generated significant attention, with West Virginia Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette delivering an enthusiastic case for the facility. “Cracker” is industry lingo for a plant that takes natural gas and breaks it up into smaller molecules. An ethane cracker creates ethylene, a compound used in the manufacture of plastic and hundreds of household products.

He said the potential is a “generational opportunity” for progress in West Virginia.

“We have been an energy production leader for 150 years,” he said. “We took it out of the ground and shipped it away. This opportunity is a chance to get it right and do value-added development. One recent ranking placed West Virginia as the sixth best place in the world for oil and gas development.”

Bruce McKay, managing director for federal affairs with Dominion Resources, was one of the speakers making the case for development of natural gas exporting capabilities. He said permits for activation of a liquid natural gas exporting facility serving the West Virginia region located on the Chesapeake Bay remains stalled.

He said there is a growing foreign market for American liquefied natural gas, including in Japan where problems with nuclear facilities have led companies to make a commitment to buy vast quantities of American liquefied natural gas.

“More than 750 billion cubic feet of gas per day can be sold when the permit is approved and the facility opens,” McKay said. “That could support 12,400 jobs in Maryland’s Calvert County and bring in more than a billion dollars of associated labor income. Business sales in Maryland can be augmented by $3.8 billion.”

He said the facility is ideal to help distribute the natural gas from Marcellus Shale development. He predicted that with permitting in place, the facility could be in operation by 2017.

Other speakers called for policy attention to issues associated with natural gas vehicle refueling stations; institution of cogeneration facilities to increase power and heat production efficiency; and efforts associated with a cracking plant that could regenerate West Virginia’s once-thriving chemical industries.

David McCurdy, president and CEO of the American Gas Association and a former member of Congress, delivered the luncheon address. Other speakers included representatives of government, state energy policy commissions, gas companies and non-profit institutions.

Established in 2011, the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development conducts objective, unbiased research and policy analysis providing a form for issues explored by various stakeholders, and promotes policies that balance the demand for energy resources and reducing environmental impacts.

-WVU-

gg/04/25/13

CONTACT: James Jolly; College of Law
304.293.7439; james.jolly@mail.wvu.edu

West Virginia's first African-American justice honored with WVU's Neil S. Bucklew Award for Social Justice

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:52:00 EST

Franklin D. Cleckley, the Arthur B. Hodges Professor of Law at West Virginia University’s College of Law, has been honored with the 2013 Neil S. Bucklew Award for Social Justice, given by the University’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in conjunction with the Social Justice Council.

Cleckley will be recognized Thursday (April 11) at 6 p.m. during the Evening of Honors for Faculty and Staff, at Blaney House.

Cleckley, WVU’s first African-American full professor, has served on the College of Law faculty for 44 years. He also briefly served on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals after his appointment by Gov. Gaston Caperton, becoming the first African-American justice in West Virginia.

In 1990, he began the Franklin D. Cleckley Foundation, a non-profit designed to help former convicts receive an education and find jobs. He’s been described as a one-man legal aid society as he helped the many people who came to him with nowhere else to go.

The Huntington native attended colleges in Indiana and joined the U.S. Navy as a Judge Advocate General officer in the middle of the Vietnam War. After serving in the military, Cleckley attended Harvard University to receive his Master of Laws and attended Exeter University in England for further post-graduate studies.

He continues to hold the Arthur B. Hodges Chair of Law, which he received in 1969, and is the author of Evidence Handbook for West Virginia Lawyers and West Virginia Criminal Procedure Handbook.

Cleckley has been recognized with many awards, including the West Virginia Human Rights Commission Civil Rights Award, the Thurgood Marshall Award from the West Virginia NAACP and the Civil Libertarian of the Year Award from the West Virginia Civil Liberties Union.

The Bucklew award is given to the candidate who has best demonstrated outstanding leadership, courage and support on a continuous basis in of social justice at WVU. In addition to the recognition, the award winner will also receive a $2,500 stipend that may be used for professional development or directed to one of several worthy WVU Foundation accounts on behalf of the award winner.

Because Cleckley will be retiring this semester, this Bucklew Award is for his lifetime achievement.

The recipients of the following awards will be recognized at this invitation-only dinner event: Nick Evans Advising Awards, Heebink Service Awards, Benedum Research Scholars, Neil S. Bucklew Award and Foundation Outstanding Teachers. Contact University Events at 304.293.7132 or universityevents@mail.wvu.edu for more information.

-WVU-

cgdm/04/10/13

CONTACT: Sharon Mallow; Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
304.293.5496; sharon.mallow@mail.wvu.edu

Judge Thacker to deliver annual Ihlenfeld Lecture

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:20:00 EST

Morgantown, W.Va. – Judge Stephanie D. Thacker of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit will deliver the annual Charles L. Ihlenfeld Lecture on Public Policy and Ethics at the West Virginia University College of Law on Wednesday, April 17, at 12 p.m. in the Marlyn E. Lugar Courtroom. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.

Thacker, a 1990 graduate of the WVU College of Law, will discuss the codes of conduct across her career as a lawyer, prosecutor, and now judge. She will also address her path to the federal bench and the importance of public service.

Over the course of more than 20 years of practicing law, Thacker has worked in the civil and criminal litigation arenas, in private practice, and in public service. She began her career at a law firm in Pittsburgh and later served as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

Following her tenure with the Department of Justice, Thacker was a member of Guthrie & Thomas, PLLC in Charleston, W.Va. In September 2011, she was nominated by President Obama to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 16, 2012.

The Charles L. Ihlenfeld (1908-89) Lecture annually brings to the WVU College of Law distinguished speakers in the area of public service and ethics. A prominent lawyer for 56 years and a former mayor of Wheeling, W.Va., Ihlenfeld devoted much of his life to public service. These lectures, established in his memory, honor a life and career marked by significant contributions to the practice of law, to the legal profession, and to civic affairs of his state and community.

-WVU-

jj/04/9/13

Benedum grant promotes student innovation at WVU and in state

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:40:00 EST

West Virginia University will be better able to help students turn ideas into industry, thanks to a grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The $80,000 grant will support a student intellectual property patent services pilot project.

A joint effort of WVU’s College of Law, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design, and Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, SIPPS will support provisional patent applications of students enrolled in West Virginia colleges and universities.

With a number of courses of study and competitions encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation, the team behind the grant thought the time was right to bolster WVU’s patent resources.

Patricia Hureston Lee, visiting associate professor and director of WVU’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Law Clinic, noted that WVU faculty have long supported students in their pursuit of protecting their intellectual property. The Benedum grant, she explained, would formalize that support and foster critical mass that may lead to even more patent support services for students.

Law clinic students, supervised by faculty, have provided intellectual property and a variety of legal services to West Virginia student competitors in the West Virginia Statewide Business Plan Competition over the past five years and, more recently, the West Virginia Technology Entrepreneurship Challenge. In the last three years, the law clinic has been an approved Trademark Clinic Pilot Project with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO), whereby trademarks get expedited review.

“Our hope is that through the SIPPS pilot here at WVU, the law clinic will, in the long term, develop a patent program that will be a Patent Clinic Project of the USPTO, allowing for expedited review for patents as well,” Lee said.

According to Fonda Holehouse, teaching associate professor of agricultural and resource economics in the Davis College and one of Lee’s colleagues in the project, the SIPPS pilot will provide WVU with the resources to coordinate student innovations so that they are able to get provisional patents through outside counsel. This will help to develop a pipeline from West Virginia to the USPTO with the end goal of a fully functioning patent law clinic at WVU. It will also provide WVU law students with experience in the patent process.

“The great news is that there will be funds available for patent filings for these student innovations,” Lee said. “Also wonderful is the fact that there is finally a collaborative solution to assist students who want to obtain provisional patents.”

WVU’s status as an innovation incubator makes that coordination essential.

Holehouse has long seen the need for patent support for students. She coaches teams through the West Virginia Statewide Business Plan Competition, having advised both of last year’s winners, and she knows that the need for intellectual property protection is critical.

She has also partnered with the Statler College and other entities in the creation of the West Virginia Technology Entrepreneurship Challenge, which encourages college and high school students of all academic ranks and majors to develop and commercialize innovative technology in the fields of environment, energy, engineering, medicine and the natural and applied sciences.

James Smith, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and director of the Center for Industrial Research Applications, represents the Statler College on the SIPPS project. Like Holehouse, he places a high value on mentoring student innovators.

“You need two things for innovation to occur,” Smith said. “You need a good idea, and you need a person with a fire in their belly.”

Smith said that the SIPPS project and resources like it will be critical to identifying those students with both idea and desire and then providing them with the services they need to get their ideas to market.

The Benedum grant was made in conjunction with A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University. The $750 million comprehensive campaign being conducted by the WVU Foundation on behalf of the University runs through December 2015.

-WVU-

CONTACT: James Jolly, College of Law
304-293-7439, james.jolly@mail.wvu.edu

David Welsh, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design
304-293-2394, david.welsh@mail.wvu.edu

dw/04/03/13

Matini Named Editor of WV Law Review

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:06:00 EST

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. —Imad Matini has been named the editor-in- chief of The West Virginia Law Review for 2013-2014. Matini is a second-year law student in the joint JD/MBA program at the West Virginia University College of Law and College of Business and Economics. He was elected to his new position by his peers.

Founded in 1894, The West Virginia Law Review is the fourth oldest law review in the country. It is a professional, student-governed legal journal that publishes articles of interest to legal scholars, students, legislators and members of the practicing Bar.

Matini said that the legal community should expect big things from The West Virginia Law Review.

“We are a very ambitious group,” he said. “We want to innovate and we want to build on the foundation that we have. Our goals are to provide an avenue for legal discourse, and to raise the prestige of our community and state in the process.”

Matini’s first duty as editor-in-chief was to appoint the executive board of the West Virginia Law Review Volume 116. In addition to running the publication, the executive board trains new members, selects articles for the multiple publications and begins preparation for the annual Law Review Symposium.

“We have such an outstanding and qualified group of editors that will take our organization to the next level,” said Matini. “I am excited to see what they will bring to the table because they have a lot of experience and knowledge.”

In addition to his Law Review responsibilities, Matini is a research assistant for law professor Atiba Ellis and a legal writing tutor for the law school’s writing center. He is also an American Bar Association student representative. This summer, he will be working for Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC, in Clarksburg, W.Va. Although uncertain about the type of law he wishes to practice, Matini has a keen interest in corporate law, securities law and antitrust law.

Raised in Fredericksburg, Va., Matini earned his bachelor’s degree in Government and Finance from the College of William & Mary in 2011. While at William & Mary, he was president of his fraternity and rugby team and involved in student government.

“I am thankful for the support I have received so far,” said Matini. “I have a great community, great friends, and a great family. Without the love and support of my parents, grandparents, and little brother, I wouldn’t be able to do any of this.”

-WVU-

jj/02/27/13

2013 Fisher Lecture to Focus on Health Reform

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 09:45:00 EST

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Health policy expert Sara Rosenbaum will deliver the 2013 John W. Fisher II Lecture in Law and Medicine at the West Virginia University College of Law on Thursday, April 11, at 12 p.m. in the Marlyn E. Lugar Courtroom. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. A reception will follow the lecture.

Rosenbaum’s lecture at the WVU College of Law will focus on what health reform has—and has not—accomplished for low income and medically underserved populations. She will discuss the challenges of turning coverage reforms into sustainable solutions for urban and rural communities.

Rosenbaum is the Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy and Founding Chair of the Department of Health Policy at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services in Washington, DC.

An advisor to six Presidents and 16 Congresses, Rosenbaum has devoted her career to issues of health justice for populations who are medically underserved as a result of race, poverty,
disability, or cultural exclusion.

The John W. Fisher II Lecture in Law and Medicine was established through the generosity of Thomas S. Clark, M.D., and Jean Clark, formerly of Morgantown, and now Bruceton, W.Va. The Clark Family Lecture Series, funded by a half million dollar pledge in 1998, provides lectures in 10 fields of study throughout West Virginia University. A member of the faculty since 1968, Fisher is the William J. Maier, Jr. Dean Emeritus & Professor of Law.

-WVU-

jj/03/26/13

Texas Tech Wins WVU Law Energy Moot Court Competition

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:02:00 EST

Texas Tech team with WVU Law Dean Joyce McConnell

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. —Law students from Texas Tech had the winning argument at the third annual National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition at West Virginia University College of Law on Saturday. Florida State was the runner-up in the three-day competition that included 24 teams from 15 universities.

Watch the finals webcast

As hosts, WVU competed with two exhibition teams. Last year’s finalists, Duquesne and Louisiana State, were eliminated in the semifinals.

The arguments in the 2013 energy moot court competition involved the fictitious Franklin Gas Company, an owner/operator of hydraulic fracturing natural gas wells, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States of America. Under the fictional problem created for purposes of the competition, Franklin was charged with being a major source of air pollution under the Clean Air Act and with violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for the unintentional death of birds in an impoundment pond.

In the final round, Texas Tech law students Tanner Hartnett and John McIntyre won the day for Franklin Gas Company. Andrew Missel and Angela Wuerth of Florida State College of Law (photo left) argued for the EPA and the United States.

Other universities participating in the 2013 competition were American, Campbell, Pace, Colorado, Dayton, Houston, Maryland, North Dakota, Richmond, Utah, and Wyoming.

The judges for the final round were the Honorable Judge Stephanie D. Thacker, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; the Honorable Gina M. Groh, U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia; the Honorable Judge Thomas E. Johnston, U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of West Virginia; the Honorable Larry V. Starcher, Senior Status Justice, Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia; and Larry D. Rosenberg, Esq., a partner at Jones Day in Washington, DC.

The first of its kind in the nation, WVU’s energy moot court competition was established in 2011 by the WVU College of Law’s Center for Energy and Sustainable Development. It is hosted by the WVU College of Law Moot Court Board.

The case problem was written by James Van Nostrand, associate professor of law and director of the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development. He was assisted by WVU law students Matthew Chase and Andrew Kirkner.

Law students participating in the energy moot court competition sharpen their legal skills and network with industry professionals and government regulators. The students also gain an awareness of important business and environmental issues facing the energy sector.

For more information on the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development and the National Energy & Sustainability Moot Court Competition, visit energy.law.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

WVU College of Law rises in U.S. News & World Report top 100 rankings

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:01:00 EST

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. —The West Virginia University College of Law is again a top 100 law school according to U.S. News & World Report. In its 2014 Best Graduate Schools guide, the magazine ranks the College of Law #91—up 10 spots from last year to its highest ranking yet —out of 148 Top Schools of Law.

“We are very excited about our U.S. News rankings and the national recognition it gives us,” said Joyce McConnell, Dean of the College of Law. “It points to the hard work being done by the faculty and staff to ensure a top-flight legal education for our students and it reflects the high level of support we receive from our alumni, university leadership, and the law community.”

U.S. News & World Report collects a number of statistics to compile its annual rankings, including peer assessment, employment rate, and faculty resources.

This U.S. News ranking comes at a time when McConnell, who has been dean since 2008, is overseeing an ambitious $25 million building and renovation project at the law school. She is also implementing a new five-point strategic plan to:

• Engage law students in a rigorous academic environment to become practice-ready lawyers and leaders;
• Excel in interdisciplinary research, curricular innovation, and technology for the profession;
• Foster justice, diversity, and an inclusive culture;
• Advance global engagement; and
• Enhance the well-being and quality of life of the people of the state, the country and the world through innovation, representation, and service.

While acknowledging the value of graduate school rankings like U.S. News & World Report, McConnell points out that they are just one factor prospective students should consider when researching law schools.

“Rankings provide a valuable snapshot,” she said, “but students applying to law school should also consider other factors that could impact their learning experience, such as location, value, and fit. Fortunately, WVU College of Law is well-positioned in these areas. We are the same excellent law school today that we were yesterday.”

-WVU-

Image source: U.S. News & World Report

jj/03/11/13

Verdict is in: Work with veterans gives WVU law students unique experience

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:43:00 EST

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A 63-year-old U.S. Army veteran from a rural area in West Virginia had been battling with a neighbor over a land dispute for more than 10 years.

The neighbor had been using an easement on the veteran’s property to gain access to a county road.

Frustrated, bewildered and unable to afford a lawyer, the veteran turned to students at West Virginia University’s College of Law who took the case through the Veterans' Assistance Project.

The students won the case and left the veteran, who requested anonymity, with a unique perspective on their courtroom prowess.

“Fifteen minutes,” he said. “It took 15 minutes from the time the jury left the courtroom until the time they returned. I remember looking at my watch. And the verdict was 100 percent unanimous for us.”

Not all the cases the WVU students handle proceed so smoothly, and, in fact, the students said the work leading up to the property dispute case was arduous.

But through the Veterans Assistance Project, a partnership between the College of Law and the Clarksburg-based Louis A. Johnson VA Healthcare System that began last year, WVU continues its mission of service to the state. The project is the newest of eight clinics the College offers and is composed of four students, divided into two teams, who handle a variety of civil cases such as custody issues, divorce, property issues, Social Security and more.

The services are free and clients are referred through social workers at the VA and picked by WVU on the basis of financial need or uniqueness.

Along with helping to fill a crucial need for the state, the cases offer rare, “practice ready” experiences for the students, who serve as practicing attorneys from preparation to verdict.

“I worked for a large (law) firm with litigators who have been practicing for eight years that never have gotten to do a jury trial,” said Amber Brugnoli, an adjunct faculty member at the College of Law who supervises the students. “These students are going to do two before they even graduate from law school.”

Kristin Taylor of Huttonsville and Josh Miller of Princeton are one team while Josh Johnson of Fort Gay and John McCartney of Felton, Del. make up the other. Each is a third-year student.

“I get a lot of satisfaction from helping the veterans,” Miller said. “They make it a lot easier for you too because of their training. They get back to you quickly. They answer the phone or call you right back. Any document you need, it’s, ‘I’ll send it right now or drive it up to you.’ They’ve had so much discipline from early in their life it makes it easy to work with them.”

Miller and Taylor recently helped settle a custody case that involved a serviceman who returned from duty to learn he’d fathered a child. The case went before a mediator and took seven hours before a settlement was reached. While awkward at times, the mediation process proved to be a valuable learning experience for the student team.

“Seven hours of mediation is very long, especially for that type of case,” Taylor said. “You had to hear all the different parties talk. You had to sit there and hear all the bad stuff. It was really uncomfortable, actually.”

Along with the property dispute, Johnson and McCartney are working on a case in which Brian Griffith, a veteran from Clarksburg, and his family are seeking to recover money from a contractor who installed a faulty floor in his newly-built home.

“I was going to try to go to court myself and represent us but then we found out about (the Veterans Assistance Project),” said Griffith, a former U.S. Marine. “I’m glad we did. I wouldn’t have known half the stuff I had to do. With contract law, there are a lot of requirements and deadlines, certain ways you have to do everything or it doesn’t count. The students have been a lot of help and have done a great job. We’d have never been able to (represent ourselves) or hire someone. It would have been too much.”

The students are glad to help.

“It’s nice that this guy’s benefits don’t have to go to paying an attorney or that he doesn’t have to suffer,” Johnson said. “The attorney’s fees that he’d have to pay would be pretty outrageous. It would be cheaper just to deal with a bad floor. So it’s nice to know that we’re able to do that for him and for him to get a benefit for having served.”

Johnson and McCartney said they’ve enjoyed the processes of each case as it unfolds but are especially grateful for having gone through the property case. Although it involved traveling to a rural area and visiting the property during a highly contentious and longstanding feud between neighbors, the students also received their first extended taste of the legal process outside the classroom. Going to court was exciting, the students said, but the entire process was challenging and rewarding.

“It’s not just going to the trial on the day of the trial,” McCartney said. “There’s pre-trial motions, preliminary hearings, jury selection—there’s so many components to build up to that day. What I learned the most from it is the preparation involved in getting there.”

While the students gained knowledge, the property verdict brought a measure of relief and satisfaction to the veteran.

“Josh and John were excellent and professional in their field,” he said. “I would recommend them to any veteran – I think using the school at WVU is a good idea. It gives them experience and us a good return. It’s nice that the school cares enough about veterans to try to serve and help us.”

The idea for Veterans’ Assistance Project evolved through discussions with Stephen Butera, regional council for the VA system, and WVU. In 2011, the VA issued a directive that allowed hospitals to make space available for services such as legal help. A few weeks later, WVU signed an agreement with the Louis A. Johnson System. College of Law graduate and veteran Tom Yanni was instrumental in helping forge the partnership and consults with the students from time to time.

The work of WVU’s law clinics is paying off in other ways. Recently, the College of Law was picked as a recipient of the 2012 Excellence in Pro Bono Award from the national rating service Super Lawyers. The award was given to recognize the clinical law program’s volunteer legal services to the poor, disadvantaged and exploited.

The clinics were established in 1976 and provide more than 22,000 hours of pro bono legal aid and more than 20,000 other volunteer hours each year. Supervised by law professors, the clinics serve the public while exposing students to all phases of lawyering, including drafting briefs, trial advocacy, negotiating, and interviewing.

The WVU College of Law operates nine clinics: Civil Practice Clinic; Child & Family Law Clinic with Medical-Legal Partnership; Entrepreneurship Law Clinic; Immigration Law Clinic; Innocence Project; Low Income Tax Clinic; Land Use & Sustainable Development Law Clinic; United States Supreme Court Clinic; and the Veterans’ Assistance Project.

By Dan Shrensky
University Relations/News

-WVU-