“This is a very impressive group of international future leaders,” said James Van Nostrand, professor of
law and director of the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development. “Their
visit provides WVU with a great opportunity to demonstrate our expertise and
capabilities to a diverse group of young global trailblazers.”
The group will meet at the WVU College of Law
where they will hear from Dean Gregory
Bowman and environmental and energy experts Evan
Hansen of Downstream Strategies and Karan Ireland of WV SUN.
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA —West Virginia’s ability to provide efficient energy for
industry could create thousands of skilled jobs and help secure the state’s economic
future.
“Industrial energy efficiency can help West Virginia manufacturers reduce their energy
costs and remain competitive in today's marketplace,” said Van Nostrand, who is
the director of the
Center for Energy and Sustainable Development at the West Virginia University
College of Law.
Van Nostrand served as an advisor to the report, titled “The West Virginia Works
Project: A Guide to Creating Jobs in Industrial Energy Efficiency.”
MORGANTOWN, WEST
VIRGINIA — Tax law professor Elaine
Wilson is the recipient of the 2016-17 Significant Scholarship Award at WVU Law.
She won the
in-house award for her article Cooperatives:
The First Social Enterprise, which will be published by the DePaul Law
Review later this year. In the article, Wilson addresses the challenges faced
by philanthropic organizations that pursue solutions to social problems by
funding for-profit business.
According to Wilson, charitable values and economic benefits can be pursued
at the same time with a cooperative business structure. She notes that several
states have recently developed organizational models, such as low-profit
limited liability entities and benefit corporations, that are designed to give profit
to investors while spending money on charitable causes.
“This article exemplifies the outstanding scholarship our professors
produce surrounding issues in their field of law,” said Joshua Fershee, associate dean for faculty
research and development at the College of Law. “Professor Wilson addresses a relevant,
widespread challenge and outlines ways to pursue productive enterprise while
providing support for the cooperative movement in the charitable sector.”
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — Graduates from WVU Law are employed at rates higher than
the national average.
That is the message in employment data recently released by the American Bar Association
(ABA) for the Class of 2016 from 204 law schools.
The employment rate for WVU Law’s Class of 2016 is 76.5 percent for full-time, long-term
jobs that are "Bar Passage Required" or "J.D. Advantage" — the gold standard for
law school graduates. That is almost four points higher than national average of
72.6 percent.
“A law degree from WVU definitely has value,” said
Gregory W. Bowman, dean of the College of Law. “It’s a competitive job market
and we work hard to prepare our students for careers in the law. Employers like
what they see in our graduates.”
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — The College of Law awarded degrees to 104 graduates
on May 12 in a ceremony at the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre at the WVU Creative
Arts Center.
"As you go forth to live your lives greatly within the law, it is vital that you
do so with idealism, so as to bring distinction upon yourselves, upon your school,
and upon the legal profession," Gregory Bowman, Dean of the College of Law,
told the graduates.
John Taylor, the Jackson Kelly Professor of Law, was selected Professor of
the Year by the Class of 2017 and he delivered the traditional commencement address.
Taylor advised the graduates that the world pays a lot of attention to talent, but
talent alone does not make a good lawyer.
Martin, who is incarcerated, brought First Amendment retaliation, equal protection
and due process claims against an official in the South Carolina Department of
Corrections (Anthony Martin v. Susan Duffy, Docket Number 16-6132).
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA —
Jennifer Oliva, associate professor of law and public health at WVU, has been
selected a Bellow Scholar by the Association of American Law Schools (AALS).
Only four Bellow Scholars were selected this year and Oliva is the first WVU
professor to be named a Bellow Scholar. The program recognizes and supports the
research projects of clinical law teachers seeking to improve the quality of justice
in communities, to enhance the delivery of legal services, and to promote economic
and social justice.
Oliva is the director of the
Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic at WVU Law. She is conducting interdisciplinary
research to help veterans released from prison return to society and lead productive
lives.
For the next two years, OIiva will receive critical feedback and support for her
research from former Bellow Scholars. In turn, she will present her work at AALS
conferences and workshops throughout the country.
West Virginia University students make a difference in Morgantown in a variety of
ways, but one WVU Law student will make his mark as a decision-maker on City Council.
Ryan Wallace, a rising third-year student, was elected in April and will begin his
two-year term July 1.
Wallace, who plans a career in public interest law, campaigned on improving Morgantown’s
infrastructure, quality of life, and community growth. He wants to help repair
streets, sidewalks and lighting infrastructure, increase the transparency and effectiveness
of the City’s Code Enforcement Department, and encourage a productive and goal-oriented
working environment among city council members.
“After getting to know Morgantown’s politics and hearing concerns from other residents,
I thought I could bring in a new perspective and some valuable skills to our local
government,” he said.
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — Marjorie McDiarmid, Steptoe & Johnson Professor of
Law & Technology, is the recipient of the state’s 2016 Distinguished Pro Bono
Service Award.
The West Virginia State Bar and Legal Aid of West Virginia present the award annually
to an attorney or law firm whose efforts go above and beyond the call of duty.
McDiarmid was recognized for her many years of pro bono work and support for legal
service organizations in West Virginia. She received the award recently at the
annual meeting of the West Virginia State Bar in Charleston.
“Not only is Professor McDiarmid a respected professor at the West Virginia University
College of Law, she is also generous in donating her time to help Legal Aid of
West Virginia as an organization, and to serving our clients as a pro bono attorney,”
said Gretchen Lewis of Legal Aid of West Virginia.
WVU Law professor Joshua Weishart is among
six WVU faculty members selected for the 2017 Foundation Award for Outstanding
Teaching, which honors exceptional professors who go above and beyond to inspire
their students.
Weishart uses a variety of techniques to engage his students in what he calls “the
common enterprise of learning,” challenging them to build for themselves the connections
between abstract legal rules and real world application.
A proud WVU alum and its 14th Truman scholar, Weishart holds dual appointment in
the
Rockefeller School of Policy and Politics and the WVU College of Law, where the Class of 2016 elected him Professor
of the Year and invited him to deliver their Commencement address.
Established in 1985 by the
WVU Foundation, the Outstanding Teaching award honors faculty who are particularly
effective, inspiring teachers or who have established patterns of exceptional innovation
in teaching methods, course and curriculum design and instructional tools.
