Summer 2020 law clerks Ashton Meyers ’21 and Zach Ramey ’22.
The Meredith Career Services Center at the WVU College of Law partners with many law firms and organizations in and out of the state to help students secure their paths in the law.
Every year, the staff works to create programming that highlights different areas of the law, prepare students for interviews, assist with application materials, and host professional networking opportunities.
“We are very fortunate to have great relations with a large number of law firms and other organizations, who truly enjoy giving back to WVU Law in a variety of ways,” said Rosalind Lister, interim assistant dean for Career Services. “These firms have a strong and consistent campus presence and are popular amongst our students when it comes time to apply for internships and jobs.”
One such partner is Oxley Rich Sammons. The Huntington, West Virginia-based civil litigation firm has participated in on-campus interviews at WVU Law for many years.
Perry Oxley, the firm’s managing partner and a 1996 WVU Law graduate, works with Career Services every year to recruit students for both intern and post-graduate positions.
Two WVU Law students worked at Oxley Rich Sammons in summer 2020. They learned about the firm, applied, and interviewed through the Career Services Center.
As summer law clerks, Ashton Meyers ’21 and Zach Ramey ’22 conducted legal research and drafted a variety of civil litigation documents to assist supervising attorneys.
“I wanted to work at Oxley Rich Sammons because of the size of the firm and the type of work they do,” said Meyers, who is pursuing a dual J.D./Online MBA degree. “The attorneys have an abundance of trial experience. There is also a wide range of attorneys, from people who have practiced for years to recent law school graduates. I was able to take something away from each attorney, which has helped me strengthen my legal skills.”
Ramey wanted to work at Oxley Rich Sammons because of his interest in civil litigation and his connection to Huntington.
“It felt like I had a lot in common with the attorneys there,” he said. “Many of the attorneys are from the Huntington area like me so I felt they had a good understanding of my background and I could relate to theirs. Civil litigation is the type of law I would like to pursue when I graduate, so working there felt like a natural step toward achieving that goal.”
In addition to participating in on-campus interview, Oxley Rich Sammons has also sponsored student life activities such as study-break snacks and members of the firm have presented programs.
Last year, Career Services co-sponsored a program during which Oxley Rich Sammons partner David Rich discussed his job as an NFL agent with law students. According to Lister, “It’s Not All Jerry McGuire: Life as An NFL Agent” was a well-attended program that increased student interest in the firm.
“Each student has unique career goals and interests. It is the job of the Meredith Career Services Center to provide as many opportunities to help students discern their interests and then to actually engage in them,” said Lister. “Partnerships, like the one with Oxley Rich Sammons, are absolutely crucial to this endeavor. Enhancing and expanding relationships with other law-related entities can only increase the opportunities for our students and allow them to have breadth and depth in their experiential learning and post-graduate pursuits.”
-WVU-
Meet Ashton Meyers and Zach Ramey
Meyers is from Martinsburg, West Virginia, and graduated from Fairmont State University in 2017 with a degree in physical education. At WVU Law, he is a member of Lugar Trial Association and the founder and treasurer of the WVU Law chapter of the Republican National Lawyers Association.
Ramey is a Bloom Scholar from Kenova, West Virginia. He graduated from WVU with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 2018. At WVU Law, he a member of Sports and Entertainment Legal Society.
