MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — Larry V. Starcher, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals for West Virginia, has established a fund at West Virginia University to benefit legal education.
The endowment will support adjunct faculty salaries at the WVU College of Law.
Starcher has been a lecturer at the College of Law since 2009, teaching trial advocacy and pre-trial litigation. He has served as an adjunct faculty member in the college’s trial advocacy program since 1991.
“WVU and the law school provided me with life-changing opportunities,” said Starcher. “With this endowment, I want to acknowledge that in a meaningful way while supporting the future of legal education in our state.”
A long-serving and distinguished member of the legal community, Starcher earned his bachelor’s degree in 1964 and his law degree in 1967 from WVU.
He was a Justice on the West Virginia Supreme Court from 1997-2008, serving as Chief Justice in 1999 and 2003. As Chief Justice, Starcher promoted diversity of Supreme Court staff, developed the circuit judge law clerk program, worked for improvements in the administration of the judiciary, and reactivated the gender fairness task force.
Starcher retired from the Supreme Court at the end of 2008, becoming a Senior Status Justice/Judge. Since then, he has presided over more than 100 trial court cases.
From 1977-1996, Starcher was a Monongalia County Circuit Court Judge, serving 18 years as the court’s Chief Judge.
As a circuit judge, Starcher was active in the area of juvenile justice reform, pioneered the use of work release and community service as punishment for non-violent offenders, and handled several jail and prison conditions by appointment by the Supreme Court. He also presided over 20,000 asbestos injury cases and sat as judge on a six-month state buildings asbestos trial.
Starcher and his wife, Becky, have three children who are all WVU graduates.
His gift was made through the WVU Foundation in conjunction with “A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University.” The $1 billion fundraising effort runs through December 2017.
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