MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—WVU Law has been named a Top Law School by preLaw Magazine for two programs.
The magazine awarded the college a grade of “A” for trial advocacy and litigation and a grade of “A-” for intellectual property law. PreLaw graded the programs based on curriculum and student experience.
According to preLaw, only four law schools rate higher than WVU for trial advocacy and litigation and just 39 law schools score higher than WVU for intellectual property law. There are 203 law schools in the country approved by the American Bar Association.
“The high rating of our trial advocacy and intellectual property law programs reflects our commitment to preparing students for a broad range of careers in a complex legal market,” said Gregory Bowman , dean of the College of Law.
WVU Law offers up to 24 courses in intellectual property law and related classes. Students can also gain hands-on training through the pro bono work of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Law Clinic. The EILC works with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and helps clients acquire copyrights, trademarks and patents, among other services.
Law students at WVU are required to have a significant background in basic litigation strategy in order to graduate, and at least 16 full-time faculty members have recently taught litigation courses. Overall, the college offers up to 42 courses related to trial advocacy and litigation.
WVU Law’s clinical program gives students a variety of opportunities to develop litigation and advocacy skills in multiple subjects in state and federal courts. Clinic students also advocate in administrative settings with the federal government including the Veterans Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
The College of Law gives students the ability to participate in both part-time and full-time externships for credit in state and federal judges’ chambers, as well as in nonprofit legal services organizations that litigate on behalf of clients in need.
WVU Law has a number of student organizations dedicated to furthering student interest and skills in trial advocacy, litigation and dispute resolution. During the 2018-19 academic year, WVU Law supported student teams attending 17 different external trial and appellate competitions.
PreLaw has also given top marks to WVU Law's programs in Public Interest Law and Energy and Environmental Law.
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