MORGANTOWN, W.Va.— Omolola “Lola” Oluyemi and Paul Robinson, 3L students at the West Virginia University College of Law, have been awarded post-graduate fellowships from the West Virginia Fund for Law in the Public Interest.
The fellowships will allow Oluyemi and Robinson to practice law at a West Virginia public interest organization for one year beginning in fall of 2014.
“This is exceptional opportunity for new lawyers to do meaningful and gratifying work,” said Jennifer Powell, director of WVU Law’s Center for Law and Public Service.
There are two main purposes of the West Virginia Fund for Law in the Public Interest program, according to Powell.
“It’s designed to acquaint new lawyers with the professional and personal satisfaction
that comes from representing those who would otherwise have no voice in the legal
system,” she said.
“It’s also designed to bring bright, energetic, and talented lawyers into public
interest work in West Virginia.”
At WVU Law, Oluyemi is a W.E.B. DuBois Fellow, the President of the Public Interest Advocates(PIA), a member of the General Practice Law Clinic, and a pro bono volunteer award winner. She is a former PIA Summer Fellow with Legal Aid of West Virginia and Mountain State Justice. Before law school, Oluyemi worked for Neighborhood Legal Services in Pomona, Ca. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona.
Robinson is a recipient of the West Virginia State Bar Public Interest Scholarship and a member of PIA, the National Moot Court Team, and the General Practice Law Clinic. He is also a former PIASummer Fellow with the Harrison County Public Defender’s office and Mountain State Justice. Robinson earned his B.A. in History from Allegheny College and worked at Yellowstone National Park before attending law school.
The West Virginia Fund for Law in the Public Interest awards summer and full time fellowships annually to WVU Law students through a competitive selection process.
Since 1987, more than 300 students have received summer fellowships and more than 10 students have received full-time fellowships to work at the state’s public interest organizations. These include Legal Aid of West Virginia, Senior Legal Aid of West Virginia, Mountain State Justice, the Public Defender’s Office, The Appalachian Center on the Economy and the Environment, West Virginia Advocates, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, and ChildLaw Services, Inc.
