News

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — WVU Law's Class of 2018 has selected Jennifer D. Oliva their Professor of the Year.

Oliva is an associate professor of law and public health, and director of WVU’s Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic. As Professor of the Year, she will deliver the College of Law’s commencement address on May 11.

“Professor Oliva is a true mentor in her instruction and willingness to assist students in and out of the classroom,” said Shane Young, president of the Class of 2018. “Her self-awareness and energy as an attorney are inspiring and energetic, and she brings exceptional teaching, research and service to the College of Law.”

Oliva is currently one of only four national Bellow Scholars selected by the American Association of Law Schools for conducting legal scholarship that promotes social justice. The focus of her work is interdisciplinary research to help veterans released from prison return to society and lead productive lives.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — Professor Joshua Weishart is the winner of WVU Law's  2017-18 Significant Scholarship Award.

The in-house award recognizes Weishart’s article, “Equal Liberty in Proportion,” published in a 2017 issue of the William and Mary Law Review (see citation on the right). 

In the article, Weishart explores the increasing role state courts play in settling education rights. He asserts that most courts have failed to fully enforce such rights, in part because they lack suitable legal standards.

Weishart thus proposes a new standard for determining whether states are satisfying constitutional mandates to improve educational opportunity. He urges courts to maintain vigorous enforcement of education rights as public schools continue to endure “inequitable and inadequate funding.”  

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — Rising 3L  Blair Wessels has been elected by her peers to serve as editor-in-chief of Volume 121 of the West Virginia Law Review.

The West Virginia Law Review is a professional legal journal that publishes articles of interest to scholars, students, legislators, and lawyers. Founded in 1894, it is the fourth oldest student-governed law review in the country.

“I want to continue the great legacy of the West Virginia Law Review and connect the law school to lawyers practicing in West Virginia and across the country to share the meaningful work that we’re doing here,” said Wessels.

As the next editor-in-chief, Wessels will lead a team that reviews and selects legal articles for three issues of the law review during the 2018-19 academic year. She will also oversee the law review’s website and online edition, and play a lead role in organizing a symposium.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – WVU Law is offering a legal certification class on title research for graduating students interested in working in the energy sector.

Students in the five-day Title Research Certification Program will learn how to efficiently research real property title chains from experienced attorneys. As part of the class, students will conduct supervised field work at records offices in Monongalia and Marion counties. 

Upon successful completion of the class, students will receive a Certificate in Real Property Title Research from West Virginia Continuing Legal Education. Classes start May 8.

“A certification in title research can greatly increase a new attorney’s value to potential employers and clients,” said Heather Spielmaker, assistant dean for Career Services. “Title research is a common assignment for new associates and a certification will help our graduates hit the ground running at firms with clients in the energy sector.” 

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — WVU Law and Marshall University have each received $1 million to launch a Joint Consumer Assistance Project for West Virginians.

“This is great news for the state,” said Gregory Bowman, dean of the College of Law. “Using legal research, scholarship and outreach, we plan to provide publications on consumer rights and remedies that will help our state’s residents.”

WVU law professors and students working on the project will analyze consumer regulations and make policy recommendations to state agencies and the state legislature. They will also help lawyers and organizations who protect the consumer rights of West Virginians.

“This program is a perfect example of higher education's power to improve West Virginians’ lives,” said Gordon Gee, president of West Virginia University. “West Virginia University is proud to partner with Marshall University in protecting consumer rights through research, outreach and public policy advocacy.”

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — WVU Law recognized its outstanding law students on April 10 at it annual Honors Ceremony in the Event Hall.

The ceremony, titled Celebrating Our Students: A Culture of Excellence, highlighted the achievements of individual students and student groups during the 2017-18 school year.

Recognition was given for academic excellence, community service, pro bono legal work, participation in moot court competitions, and for the work of student organizations. The Student Bar Association was also acknowledged for their work on behalf of the student body.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — WVU Law is one of the best schools in the country for public interest law, according to preLaw Magazine

The publication ranks WVU Law sixth in the nation for preparing students to work in public interest law, a field of law that serves those in need, including the elderly, children and victims of domestic violence.

It is the second year in a row that WVU Law’s work in public interest law has received high marks from preLaw Magazine.

“Using the law in public service is a cornerstone of legal education at WVU,” said Gregory W. Bowman, dean of the College of Law. “It is our privilege to be a leader in public interest law as we prepare our students to help the underrepresented and underprivileged.”

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — WVU Law has been rated one of the top schools in the country for environmental law.

In its spring issue, preLaw Magazine awards the College of Law a grade of A for the range of its energy and environmental law classes and other related opportunities. Only 12 other law schools in the nation scored higher.

“We are very excited about this recognition, especially because West Virginia is an energy state with rich natural resources,” said Gregory Bowman, dean of the College of Law. “Our faculty and staff have created a deep and well-rounded program in energy and environmental law and policy that prepares our students for their legal careers.”

WVU Law offers students the opportunity to concentrate in energy and sustainable development law. Student can also earn a dual J.D./LL.M. (Master of Laws) degree in energy and sustainable development law.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA - WVU Law 3L Jaden Rhea is a winner of the 2018 Burton Distinguished Legal Writing Award for Law Schools.

Rhea is one of just 15 law students from across the country to receive the award. She will be honored with the other recipients at a black tie dinner at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, on May 21.

Other winners includes law students from Stanford, Georgetown, Berkeley, Tulane, and Yale.

Rhea won for her article, Highway to Hell: The Privatized Prison Transportation Industry and the Long Road to Reform, which was published in the fall 2017 edition of the West Virginia Law Review.  

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — Elizabeth Van Nostrand, an expert on public health and the law, will deliver the annual John W. Fisher II Lecture in Law and Medicine on April 3 at 12 p.m. in the Event Hall at WVU Law.

Van Nostrand will discuss legal epidemiology, an emerging field that combines the practice of developing and implementing health laws with the scientific evaluation of how laws affect public health. She will also address how legal data can be used in health information and communication systems.

Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.

Van Nostrand is an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.