News

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Professor Alison Peck is the winner of this year’s Significant Scholarship Award at the West Virginia University College of Law. 

Peck won for her recent book, "The Accidental History of the U.S. Immigration Courts: War, Fear, and the Roots of Dysfunction," published earlier this year by the University of California Press.

In her book, Peck uses unstudied legal decisions from the Franklin Roosevelt and George W. Bush administrations to outline humanitarian crises that led to the modern immigration court system. She also argues that the fundamental flaw of the immigration courts is that they are under the U.S. Department of Justice — and she proposes that the courts become independent.

WVU Law’s Significant Scholarship Award is presented annually by the faculty to a fellow professor whose written work addresses an important public issue while demonstrating thorough research and clear and concise writing.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Two librarians at the West Virginia University College of Law have been honored by the American Association of Law Libraries.

Caroline Osborne and Stephanie Miller recently won the Outstanding Article Award from the Academic Law Libraries Special Interest Section of the AALL for their analysis of citation metrics.

Their article, “The Scholarly Impact Matrix: An Empirical Study of How Multiple Metrics Create an Informed Story of a Scholar's Work," was published in volume 39 of Legal Reference Service Quarterly.

The paper is based on citation data for 282 scholars from 57 U.S. law schools collected in in early 2019. The dataset also captures individual characteristics of the scholar such years in legal education, gender identity, and discipline in order to measure whether any of these characteristics impact either exposure or citation.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic prevented the West Virginia University College of Law Class of 2021 from having a traditional Commencement ceremony. Still, each member of the graduating class is being honored on the law school’s website.

This virtual celebration includes photos of the graduates and recognition of their accomplishments. Students also submitted personal photos, favorite law school memories, their inspiration for becoming a lawyer and messages of thanks to those who helped them along the way.

Interim Dean John Taylor, who was selected Professor of the Year by the Class of 2021, delivered his traditional commencement address in a video that is posted online. In his remarks, Taylor discussed the “value of embracing risk” and the opportunities that come with taking chances. Risk-taking, he said, is an admirable trait that often comes with great rewards. Discomfort, he said, comes with growth.

“I’ve always admired people who do not back away from fear, who do not back away from risk, who are not afraid to fail,” he said. “People who see only possibilities where others see only limitations… Trying things that make you uncomfortable or trying things that are new where you know that you might fail – these are difficult things to do.”

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In his inaugural book, West Virginia University law librarian Nick Stump offers ways to create systemic legal change in Appalachia to help the region rebuild from centuries of industrial exploitation.

“I wrote this book because, in my view, more traditional approaches to law and social change are not up to the task of our current contemporary crises,” said Stump, who is head of reference and access services in the George R. Farmer, Jr. Law Library at the WVU College of Law.

“This is perhaps especially true in our home region of Appalachia, which is often characterized as an energy ‘sacrifice zone’,” he said.

In Remaking Appalachia: Ecosocialism, Ecofeminism, and Law (WVU Press, 2021), Stump outlines a long history of laws created to support industrial growth that has helped extractive corporations thrive in the region. 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Trailblazing attorney Elliot G. Hicks is the recipient of the 2021 Justitia Officium Award from the West Virginia University College of Law.  

The Justitia Officium is the highest honor bestowed by the law faculty in recognition of outstanding contributions and service to the legal profession. Hicks received his award at WVU Law’s Commencement in Milan Puskar Stadium on May 16. 

Hicks was inspired to become an attorney by the lawyers who led the Civil Rights Movement. He spent his first two years of college at Washington and Lee University, where he was the first African American elected to the Executive Committee of the Student Body. He later transferred to West Virginia University, earning his B.A. in 1978 and his J.D. in 1981. 

After three years of solo practice, Hicks joined Kay Casto & Chaney in 1984, becoming only the second lawyer of color in West Virginia to be hired by a large firm. Fourteen years later, he became the first African American President of the West Virginia State Bar. 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A law clinic at West Virginia University has earned an Honorable Mention Award for Excellence in a Public Interest Case or Project from the Clinical Legal Education Association.

CLEA recently presented the award to the Immigration Law Clinic at the WVU College of Law for its efforts to represent and empower the state’s underserved immigrant population. In West Virginia, there are fewer than five full-time immigration lawyers for a statewide community of 30,000 foreign-born residents and their families.

“This recognition by the Clinical Legal Education Association highlights the important role that the WVU Immigration Law Clinic plays in providing and expanding legal services to immigrants in our state,” said law professor Alison Peck, director of the clinic.

The Immigration Law Clinic serves the state’s immigrant community through legal practice, community education and resources, and advocacy. The clinic is also working to build a local immigration bar from by facilitating attorney mentorship, developing a continuing legal education program and recruiting law students who will commit to local immigration practice. 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Five 2021 graduates of the  West Virginia University  College of Law are headed to prestigious year-long positions in the federal court system.

As federal law clerks, Tyler Barton, Denali Hedrick, Blake Humphrey, Nick Gutmann and Lauren Trumble will gain an intimate perspective on the inner workings of the courts while sharpening vital career-defining skills.

“A clerkship is an unparalleled learning experience, providing the opportunity to hone research and writing skills on various, weighty matters while guided by respected, seasoned, and accomplished legal professionals,” said law professor  Joshua Weishart. “Because they are so formative, provide such a unique perspective, and are relatively few in number, federal clerkships are highly coveted — a prized credential sought by prospective employers — which can grant law clerks access to prestigious networks and relationships that can influence the trajectory of their legal careers.”

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University College of Law is among the top schools in the country for practical training and environmental law, according to preLaw Magazine.

The national publication ranks WVU Law No. 27 in the country for practical training and gives the College a grade of A in environmental/natural resources law.

For practical training, preLaw considered WVU Law’s opportunities in clinics, externships, simulation courses, pro bono work and moot court. For environmental law, the magazine looked at the range of relevant courses and programs, including the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development.

The Best Laws Schools for Practical Training and the Top Law Schools for Environmental/Natural Resources Law appear in the current issue of  preLaw Magazine. 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University College of Law student Caroline Leadmon is spending her summer working in two very different legal settings: a patent law firm and a federal judge’s chambers.

Leadmon, a rising 2L, is one of three WVU Law students opting for a “split summer” work experience in 2021. The others are Ryaan Ibtisam and Karli Celestin.

For eight weeks, Leadmon will be a summer associate for the firm Dority & Manning in Greenville, South Carolina. Then, she will return to the Mountain State to spend a month as an intern for Senior Judge Irene Keeley in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia in Clarksburg.

“I am interested in a career as a patent attorney because I have a technical background, and I am patent-bar eligible. I applied to Dority & Manning after reviewing the work they did with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies,” said Leadmon. “However, part of me wanted a more broad, comprehensive summer legal experience. I applied to intern with Judge Keeley after hearing from past interns what a great educational experience being in chambers provides. I am so grateful that both offices were flexible and allowed me to split my summer.”

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Ryaan Ibtisam is spending his first law school summer working with three national legal and financial institutions.

“I do not like to waste time,” said the West Virginia University College of Law student. “I am very passionate about the law and I wanted to learn as much as I could by spending every second of my summer doing something law-related.”

Ibtisam, a rising 2L, is one of three WVU Law students opting for a “split summer” work experience in 2021. The others are Caroline Leadmon and Karli Celestin.

Ibtisam starts his summer work experience in mid-May, traveling between the Jackson Kelly offices in Morgantown, Charleston and Pittsburgh. Afterward, he will work remotely for seven weeks for the New York office of Riemer and Braunstein, a boutique finance and full-service law firm that represents international clients. Then, Ibtisam will work in person for three weeks at PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh.