Thanks to the West Virginia State Bar, students at West Virginia University College of Law have the opportunity to receive financial support to work at a summer job and gain additional experience in an area of law they are passionate about.
Parker Stout, a 2L from Webster Springs, WV, is interning close to home and clerking for Honorable Judge Jack Alsop of the 14th Judicial Circuit.
Stout said that this scholarship has provided him with the “opportunity to come home to learn and solidified that I want to practice here after school.”
“I have enjoyed traveling the four counties of the Judge’s circuit and meeting everyone because this is where I plan to practice,” said Stout. “This experience allows me to be in court every day, and I have learned so much in all different areas of the law. Clerking has also allowed me to help administer legal services and ensure individuals in the community are treated equally. It has shown me that legal services in my hometown are needed and it’s something I want to supply.”
“The State Bar’s scholarship program helps law students access opportunities and experience they might not otherwise have. Our Board is proud of these students – their interest in using their legal education to further the interests of justice is admirable,” said West Virginia State Bar Executive Director, Mary Jane Pickens.
Tristan Henry, a 3L from Elmer, New Jersey, has been interning at the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of West Virginia in Wheeling.
The U.S. Attorney's Office provides legal services to the community through seeking justice for victims of crime and ensuring community safety. Further, the U.S. Attorney's Office participates in the Northern District's federal drug courts, located in both Wheeling and Clarksburg, which are specialized treatment courts providing care and rehabilitation for offenders suffering from substance abuse. Offenders who successfully complete the intensive program often have their charges reduced or dismissed.
“My internship has been outstanding,” said Henry. “This summer I've been able to do it all: draft intensive legal memoranda, observe reverse proffers with federal agents, and attend court on a regular basis. Interning at the U.S. Attorney's Office has been the highlight of my law school experience.”
Henry said if it wasn’t for the scholarship, he would not be able to afford the cost of living for the summer.
“I am eternally grateful to the WV State Bar for their generous funding, which allowed me to rent housing in Wheeling for the summer. I operate on a tight budget and would not have been able to afford the Airbnb without their contribution,” he said.
Anna Miller, a Morgantown native and 3L at WVU Law, has also been a summer intern at the Northern District of West Virginia for the Honorable Magistrate Judge Trumble.
“The WV State Bar bestowed an incredibly generous scholarship to me so that I could take on this invaluable opportunity, while also having the financial support I needed to spend the summer in an unpaid position,” said Miller. “Their generosity and opportunities like this have such a positive impact on the future of many law students like myself who, though they may not be as financially fortunate, make up for it in drive and ambition.”
Miller continued on to say that she has enjoyed her time in chambers immensely.
“I have met and observed many incredible attorneys during pre-trial hearings, which I have the privilege of attending daily. I have created invaluable relationships with not only Judge Trumble, but also AUSAs, Federal Public Defenders, Law Clerks, District Court Judges, and more. I have learned so much about the practice of law in just my mere 10 weeks in the Northern District,” she said.
“This job allows me to provide legal services to the community by nurturing my abilities as an advocate. Every day, I see the successes and mistakes of attorneys arguing before the Court. Overall, I feel that my summer has allowed me to serve the community by assisting Judge Trumble and his team in chambers with streamlining the federal judicial process.
WVU Law is proud to partner with The WV State Bar in helping students succeed in experiential opportunities throughout West Virginia.
“The State Bar’s Board of Governors has long been committed to supporting the West Virginia University College of Law and its dedication to producing great attorneys who will provide the best legal services for the people of our state,” said Pickens.
For more information about the West Virginia State Bar, please visit wvbar.org.
