News

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — Amber Brugnoli has been appointed assistant dean for West Virginia Continuing Legal Education (WVCLE) at the West Virginia University College of Law.

She will start March 2017 following the retirement of Jessica Justice Stolarik, who has led the program for 36 years. Brugnoli is working closely with Stolarik this fall as part of the leadership transition.

“Amber is uniquely qualified to direct WVCLE,” said Gregory W. Bowman, dean of the College of Law. “I am confident that she will run and grow a successful program that continues to meet the professional needs of attorneys who practice in our state.”

Since 2013, Brugnoli has been the assistant dean for Career Services at the College of Law. She has also been involved with the Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic and the International Moot Court Team.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — The West Virginia University College of Law has been named a top school for public interest law and criminal law by preLaw Magazine.

The national publication awards WVU Law a grade of A for public interest law and a B+ for criminal law. 

Just five law schools are ranked higher than WVU for public interest law and only 30 law schools are ahead of WVU in criminal law. There are 204 law schools approved by the American Bar Association.

The magazine graded law schools based on the scope of each program, including concentrations, externships, clinics, and student organizations. The rankings appear in preLaw’s fall 2016 back-to-school issue.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — WVU Law welcomed 106 members of the Class of 2019 to campus in early August. Classes started August 17.

These future lawyers come from 14 states and the District of Columbia, and about 76 percent are from West Virginia. Students who identify themselves as a minority make up 9.4 percent of the class, while 40.5 percent are female and 25 percent are first generation college students. 

The average age is 24 and the age range is 19 to 48 years old. The median LSAT score is 153 and the median undergraduate GPA is 3.32.

Students in the Class of 2019 graduated from 11 colleges and universities in West Virginia. 

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA—The West Virginia University College of Law will host a screening of the documentary “Incarcerating US” followed by a panel discussion on September 20 at 6 p.m. in the college’s Event Hall.

Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. A reception will follow in the lobby.

This program is part of WVU’s 2016-17 Campus Read of “Just Mercy,” the Bryan Stevenson book that explores the moral implications of the American justice system.

The prison population in the United States is 2.3 million. “Incarcerating US” highlights the overpopulated prison system and discusses ways to change it through criminal justice reforms.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — The West Virginia University College of Law is going to give a tuition break to residents of other states who graduate from any college or university in West Virginia.

Beginning fall 2017, non-residents who graduate from a public or private higher education institution in West Virginia will be eligible for in-state tuition at the WVU College of Law.

To qualify for the new Loyalty Tuition Program, students must earn a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited college or university in the state.

The program is about creating opportunities for law students who already have strong ties to West Virginia, according to Gregory Bowman, dean of the College of Law.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — Constitution Day observance this year at WVU Law will focus on the politics of judicial review.

WVU law professor Gerry Ashdown will deliver the annual Constitution Day lecture on September 16 at 12:30 p.m. in the Event Hall at the College of Law.

Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.

Ashdown will address Chief Justice John Marshall’s analysis of Constitutional judicial review in the 1803 U.S. Supreme Court case of Marbury v. Madison, including its flaws, contradictions and political motivations.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA— The National Jurist has named West Virginia University College of Law a top 20 Best Value Law School.

“The ranking reinforces the work by faculty and staff to help our students prepare for their futures and start meaningful legal careers,” said Gregory W. Bowman, dean of the College of Law. “Our value is demonstrated by our high employment rate and low student debt.”

The employment rate for the WVU Law Class of 2015 is 80 percent, which is 10 points higher than the national average. The figure is for full-time, long-term Bar Passage Required and J.D. Advantage jobs. 

WVU Law also awards more than $2.9 million a year in scholarships and grants to help keep student indebtedness to approximately $25,000 lower than the national average.