News

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The annual auction at the West Virginia University College of Law that supports students who work in the public interest is online this year due to the pandemic.

The Public Interest Advocates Spring Auction begins on March 15 at 9 a.m. and ends on March 19 at 5 p.m. Proceeds help pay for students who work for low-income and at-risk clients at legal agencies in West Virginia.

To participate in the auction, bidders must register at 32auctions.com/piaauction2021.

Last year’s PIA auction helped fund 28 law students working at organizations such as Legal Aid of West Virginia, ChildLaw Services, Senior Legal Aid and Mountain State Justice.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As Artificial Intelligence becomes more commonplace in society, it is having an impact on the law.

On February 25 and 26, the West Virginia Law Review will explore topics at the intersection of AI and the law with a range of experts in a virtual symposium hosted by the West Virginia University College of Law.

Artificial Intelligence and the Law starts at 10 a.m. on February 25 and 9:30 a.m. on February 26. Panelists and speakers will explore AI in legal ethics, intellectual property, access to justice, consumer protection, technology and social media.

Admission is free for the public and $125 for attorneys seeking continuing legal education credit. All symposium attendees must register at West Virginia Continuing Legal Education.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A $9,000 gift from the West Virginia Bar Foundation is benefiting the Black Law Students Association and the Meredith Career Services Center at the West Virginia University College of Law.

The Bar Foundation recently raised the funds at its annual Lunch and Laughs with Legal Legends. The virtual event honored Edwin (J.D. ’54) and Ellie Flowers (’54). 

Ed is a former WVU vice president, federal bankruptcy judge and justice on the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. Ellie is a former journalist and higher education administrator who led the career services office at WVU Law for 20 years.

The Flowers selected the gift recipients, who will share the funds equally.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Amy Cyphert, a lecturer at the West Virginia University College of Law, has won a national award for a legal article on machine-learning algorithms and online surveillance.

Cyphert received the Privacy Papers for Policymakers Award from the Future of Privacy Forum for “Tinker-ing with Machine Learning: The Legality and Consequences of Online Surveillance of Students,” which was published in the Nevada Law Journal in 2020.

In her article, Cyphert discusses what First and Fourth Amendment legal challenges to third-party surveillance might look like, as well as the likelihood of success of those arguments.

The Privacy Papers for Policymakers Award recognizes research relevant to Congress, federal agencies and data protection authorities around the world. Recommended to policymakers as the “must-read” privacy scholarship of the year, winning papers highlight work that analyzes current and emerging privacy issues and proposes solutions that could lead to real-world policy solutions.