News

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Karli Celestin, a West Virginia University College of Law student, has been named a 1L Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Scholar.

The 1L LCLD Scholars Program is designed to strengthen the legal pipeline by expanding the number of opportunities for diverse first-year law students.

As an LCLD Scholar, Celestin will work 10 weeks this summer at two companies in the Pittsburgh area. The opportunity will expose her to various legal issues while building her professional network. 

Celestin will first work in-person at the international law firm of McGuireWoods, and then she will work virtually with lawyers for FedEx Ground.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Two West Virginia University College of Law students recently argued at the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.

Brooke Alexander and Dan Granfield were finalists in the College's George C. Baker Cup Moot Court Competition on March 23. 

They had traveled to the Supreme Court in Charleston, West Virginia, due to the pandemic. Traditionally, the final round of the Baker Cup is argued before the Justices in the Marlyn E. Lugar Courtroom at WVU Law.

Alexander and Granfield argued whether an ordinance against female toplessness violates the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution. In the end, the Justices awarded the Baker Cup trophy to Granfield, who argued to uphold the ordinance.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Kaitlyn Akers, a rising third-year student at the West Virginia University  College of Law, has been elected by her peers to serve as the next editor-in-chief of the West Virginia Law Review. 

The WVLR is a professional legal journal that publishes practical and theoretical articles for legal scholars, students, legislators and lawyers. Founded in 1894, it is the fourth oldest student-governed law review in the country.  

Akers will lead the team that will publish three issues of Volume 124 of the WVLR in 2021-22. She will also oversee the law review’s annual symposium, website and online edition. 

“Being selected as editor-in-chief for Volume 124 is a great honor,” Akers said. “While I am so proud to serve, I first want to thank my team. Our work is already underway, and I cannot thank them enough for how intelligent, hardworking, and insightful every single member of this team has been and will continue to be.” 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The family of Vincent P. Cardi, the long-time  West Virginia University  College of Law professor, has established a scholarship fund in his honor.

The scholarship will be used for a law student in need who has grown up in West Virginia and demonstrates a commitment to public service.

Cardi, the Bowles Rice Professor of Law at WVU, joined the faculty in 1967. His teaching expertise includes bankruptcy law, commercial law and contracts. He was selected Professor of the Year in 2019 and 2012 by the graduating classes. He was also a recipient of the WVU Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching in 1992 and 2020.

Michael Moore, a 2012 WVU Law graduate, is a former student of Cardi’s and now practices labor and employment law with Steptoe & Johnson.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Center for Consumer Law and Education at the West Virginia University College of Law presents its third Consumer Law Summit on March 26 beginning at noon.

The summit explores the latest developments in consumer law in West Virginia and surrounding states. Due to the pandemic, it is being held online.

Co-hosted by West Virginia Continuing Legal Education, the Consumer Law Summit is open to lawyers and law students. Cost for attendance is $10 for students and $75 for attorneys seeking CLE credit. Registration is required with WVCLE at https://wvcle.org/product/consumer-law/.

A cornerstone of the summit is the state and federal Regulator Panel.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Attorney Andrea Johnson has been named the inaugural fellow of the Fitzsimmons Center for Litigation and Advocacy at the West Virginia University College of Law.  

Johnson will help to develop and implement the Center’s initiatives, which include offering specialized courses and training for students and creating a concentration in litigation and advocacy. She will collaborate with Jessica Haught, director of the Fitzsimmons Center, teaching professor and interim associate dean of administration. 

“We are so excited to have Andrea on board as the inaugural fellow for the Fitzsimmons Center for Litigation and Advocacy,” Haught said. “Her exceptional advocacy skills and 10 years of litigation experience will assist the Center as we develop opportunities for our students to advance their litigation and advocacy training as they prepare for practice.” 

Johnson earned her J.D. from WVU Law in 2010 and she clerked for Judge Victoria Roberts in the U.S. District Court in Detroit after graduation. She has practiced civil rights and employment law at global and regional law firms in Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. She most recently worked as an attorney in the Pittsburgh office of Ogletree Deakins.  

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In the final round of WVU Law’s Lugar Cup trial competition last month, 3L Austin Tomlinson found himself in a tricky situation: he was without a teammate.

To win the prized trophy, Tomlinson would have to argue alone against classmates Jenni Kenel and Tori Rinaldi before federal judges John Preston Bailey and Thomas S. Kleeh.

Tomlinson competed alone against the team of two — and he won the 45-year old in-house competition.

This year, 11 teams competed virtually for the Lugar Cup. The case involved a murder and whether it should be classified as first-degree or voluntary manslaughter committed in the “heat of passion.” Tomlinson argued successfully for the lesser charge.

UPDATE 3/12/21: Congratulations to the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law (Natalie Beal and Stephanie Hanawalt, coached by Nate Mitchell) for winning the 11th annual National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition. The runner-up was St. John’s University School of Law (Molly Sheehan and Stephanie Lamerce, coached by Ashley Williams and Danielle Ullo). This was the first all-woman final in the competition's history.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Law students from across the country are participating virtually in the 11th annual National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition, hosted March 10-13 by the West Virginia University College of Law

A record 36 teams from 26 law schools are arguing in this year’s competition, which is organized by the  Center for Energy and Sustainable Development at WVU Law.