Child and Family Advocacy with Medical-Legal Partnership
Appeared as counsel or as Guardian ad Litem in more than 10 cases.
Represented a child and his family in a bullying case.
Established guardianships
in three cases involving adults with special needs.
Drafted a will, durable power of attorney, and special needs trust for a couple
with two adopted special needs children.
Worked on several custody cases involving parents or children with substance abuse
issues.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Secured patents for three student entrepreneurs.
Secured four science and technology related patents, filed eight trademark applications.
Created a comprehensive broadband toolkit for community-owned broadband infrastructure.
Collaborated with West Virginia Secretary of State to create articles of association for Broadband Cooperatives.
Immigration
Obtained a visa for a trafficked Filipino.
Secured permanent residency for an Iranian national.
Advised clients during the legal uncertainty related to travel bans.
Helped release a Mexican national from detention, reuniting him with his U.S.
citizen spouse and disabled stepchild.
Obtained asylum for a Kenyan national and two Iraqi families.
Land Use and Sustainable Development
Hosted the third annual statewide Mountain State Land Use Academy that focused on the opioid epidemic in rural communities, broadband Internet, rural tourism, affordable housing, and dilapidated buildings.
Expanded work to support affordable housing agencies.
Helped a land trust client greatly expand a nature preserve.
Established a new nature preserve.
Received a $25,000 grant from the Greater Sum Foundation to research and recommend
best practices for alternative wastewater treatment.
Litigation and Advocacy (including Taxpayer Advocacy)
Won an innocent spouse case regarding understated taxes.
Won a case in the U.S. Fourth Circuit dealing with contract matters.
Handled numerous property and estate disputes.
Sued the West Virginia Division of Highways and an energy company for a client’s
property damages.
Served as Guardians ad Litem in 23 cases in Family Court and helped find safe custody
placements for more than 30 children.
Provided approximately 500 hours of pro bono service in hearings on domestic violence
petitions.
United States Supreme Court
Granted certiorari by the Supreme Court of the United States for its case, Dawson
v. Steager. A taxation discrimination case, Dawson concerns whether West Virginia
can exempt certain state law enforcement officers’ retirement benefits from state
taxes without providing the same exemption to the retirement benefits of former
U.S. Marshals.
Veterans Advocacy
Conducted more than 100 legal intakes of potential veteran clients.
Drafted more than four dozen wills, living wills, advanced health care directives
and other legal documents for veterans.
Successfully settled two pending civil cases on behalf of local combat veterans.
Won three denial of claims appeals with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Received a $22,000 gift from the American Association of Professional Landmen-Michael
Late Benedum Chapter.
West Virginia Innocence Project
Obtained a vacated prison sentence for a client.
Secured a reversal of a conviction for a client.
Represented a client at an omnibus hearing in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Partnered with Baker Botts LLP to gather and submit fire science evidence on behalf
of a client, resulting in a re-investigation of the case in light of expert evidence.
