MORGANTOWN, WEST
VIRGINIA — WVU Law's Dean Gregory
Bowman and Professor Patrick
McGinley have been named Fellows of the West
Virginia Bar Foundation.
Foundation fellows are
a select group of the state’s lawyers and judges who have professionally and
personally demonstrated dedication to the welfare of their communities and service
to the legal profession.
Bowman is the William
H. Maier, Jr. Dean of the WVU College of Law, a position he has held since
2015. A nationally recognized scholar in international trade law and remedies,
he joined the WVU faculty in 2009. Bowman is a past recipient of the WVU
Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching and the College of Law Professor of
the Year. Prior to his teaching career, he practiced law in Chicago and
Washington, D.C. with Baker McKenzie.
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — WVU Law's Class of 2018 has selected Jennifer
D. Oliva their Professor of the Year.
Oliva is an associate professor of law and public health,
and director of WVU’s Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic. As Professor of the Year,
she will deliver the College of Law’s commencement address on May 11.
“Professor
Oliva is a true mentor in her instruction and willingness to assist students in
and out of the classroom,” said Shane Young, president of the Class of 2018.
“Her self-awareness and energy as an attorney are inspiring and energetic, and
she brings exceptional teaching, research and service to the College of Law.”
Oliva is currently one of only four national Bellow
Scholars selected by the American Association of Law Schools for conducting
legal scholarship that promotes social justice. The focus of her work is
interdisciplinary research to help veterans released from prison return to
society and lead productive lives.
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — Professor
Joshua Weishart is the winner of WVU Law's 2017-18 Significant Scholarship
Award.
The in-house award recognizes Weishart’s article, “Equal Liberty in Proportion,”
published in a 2017 issue of the William and Mary Law Review (see citation on the right).
In the article, Weishart explores the increasing role state courts play in settling education rights.
He asserts that most courts have failed to fully enforce such rights, in part
because they lack suitable legal standards.
Weishart thus proposes a new standard for determining whether states are satisfying
constitutional mandates to improve educational opportunity. He urges courts to
maintain vigorous enforcement of education rights as public schools continue to
endure “inequitable and inadequate funding.”
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA
— Rising 3L Blair Wessels has been elected by her peers to
serve as editor-in-chief of Volume 121 of the West Virginia Law Review.
The West Virginia Law
Review is a professional legal journal that publishes articles of interest to scholars,
students, legislators, and lawyers. Founded in 1894, it is the fourth oldest
student-governed law review in the country.
“I
want to continue the great legacy of the West Virginia Law Review and connect
the law school to lawyers practicing in West Virginia and across the country to
share the meaningful work that we’re doing here,” said Wessels.
As the next editor-in-chief, Wessels will lead a team that reviews
and selects legal articles for three issues of the law review during the
2018-19 academic year. She will also oversee the law review’s website and
online edition, and play a lead role in
organizing a symposium.
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – WVU Law is offering a legal certification class on
title research for graduating students interested in working in the energy sector.
Students in the five-day Title Research Certification Program will learn how to efficiently
research real property title chains from experienced attorneys. As part of the
class, students will conduct supervised field work at records offices in Monongalia
and Marion counties.
Upon successful completion of the class, students will receive a Certificate in
Real Property Title Research from West Virginia Continuing Legal Education. Classes
start May 8.
“A certification in title research can greatly increase a new attorney’s value to
potential employers and clients,” said Heather Spielmaker, assistant dean for Career
Services. “Title research is a common assignment for new associates and a certification
will help our graduates hit the ground running at firms with clients in the energy
sector.”
MORGANTOWN,
WEST VIRGINIA — WVU Law and Marshall University have each received $1 million to launch a Joint Consumer
Assistance Project for West Virginians.
“This
is great news for the state,” said Gregory
Bowman,
dean of the College of Law. “Using legal research, scholarship and outreach, we
plan to provide publications on consumer rights and remedies that will help our
state’s residents.”
WVU
law professors and students working on the project will analyze consumer
regulations and make policy recommendations to state agencies and the state
legislature. They will also help lawyers and organizations who protect the
consumer rights of West Virginians.
“This
program is a perfect example of higher education's power to improve West
Virginians’ lives,” said Gordon
Gee,
president of West Virginia
University. “West Virginia University
is proud to partner with Marshall
University in protecting
consumer rights through research, outreach and public policy advocacy.”
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — WVU Law recognized its outstanding law students on April
10 at it annual Honors Ceremony in the Event Hall.
The ceremony, titled Celebrating Our Students: A Culture of Excellence, highlighted
the achievements of individual students and student groups during the 2017-18 school year.
Recognition was given for academic excellence, community service, pro bono legal
work, participation in moot court competitions, and for the work of student organizations.
The Student Bar Association was also acknowledged for their work on behalf
of the student body.
MORGANTOWN,
WEST VIRGINIA — WVU Law is one of the best schools in the
country for public interest law, according to preLaw Magazine
The publication
ranks WVU Law sixth in the nation for preparing students to work in public
interest law, a field of law that serves those in need, including the elderly,
children and victims of domestic violence.
It is the
second year in a row that WVU Law’s work in public interest law has received
high marks from preLaw Magazine.
“Using the law
in public service is a cornerstone of legal education at WVU,” said Gregory W. Bowman, dean of the College of Law. “It is our privilege to be a
leader in public interest law as we prepare our students to help the
underrepresented and underprivileged.”
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — WVU Law has been rated one of the top schools in the country for environmental law.
In its spring issue, preLaw Magazine awards the
College of Law a grade of A for the range of its energy and environmental law classes
and other related opportunities. Only 12 other law schools in the nation scored
higher.
“We are very excited about this recognition,
especially because West Virginia is an energy state with rich natural resources,”
said Gregory
Bowman, dean of the College of Law.
“Our faculty and staff have created a deep and well-rounded program in energy
and environmental law and policy that prepares our students for their legal
careers.”
WVU Law offers students the
opportunity to concentrate in energy
and sustainable development law.
Student can also earn a dual J.D./LL.M.
(Master of Laws) degree in energy and sustainable development law.
MORGANTOWN,
WEST VIRGINIA - WVU Law 3L Jaden Rhea is a winner of the 2018
Burton Distinguished Legal Writing Award for Law Schools.
Rhea
is one of just 15 law students from across the country to receive the award. She will be honored with the other recipients at
a black tie dinner at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, on May 21.
Other winners includes law students from Stanford, Georgetown, Berkeley, Tulane, and Yale.
Rhea won for her
article, Highway to Hell: The Privatized Prison
Transportation Industry and the Long Road to Reform, which was published in the
fall 2017 edition of the West Virginia
Law Review.
