Dear WVU Law Students,
Welcome! As I begin my first year as your William J. Maier, Jr. Dean, I look forward to learning your names and faces as we head out together on a new journey here at WVU Law.
The world we faced a year ago was uncertain and anxious as Covid-19 continued to spread through our communities. I am so glad that the College of Law was able to offer our students everything necessary for an exemplary legal education, albeit with masks and distancing and a less than complete sense of community.
This year, in compliance with WVU’s overall return to campus guidelines , we plan to move back toward our full pedagogical and social operations with no masks required for vaccinated persons in the building. This is important for so many reasons, the least of which is that we can begin to rebuild that sense of community and to develop engaging and collaborative professional relationships with each other.
I’m learning that West Virginia is widely recognized as having a wild and wonderful landscape, but the people of the region define its culture—one of rugged independence and rooted belonging. Those carry over to our University and its Mountaineer spirit and to the College of Law, where our faculty and staff work to offer a legal education program that reflects the needs of people in our state and communities and to set a tone of inclusiveness in every corner of the building. I hope that you’ll join me in continuing that work, not just across the classrooms and on the hill but in your externships, your jobs, and your daily lives as law students.
Please take some time before the semester begins to renew yourself and to set your intentions for the academic year. Your decision to seek a legal education and to choose WVU Law as your academic home for three years remains one of the most important decisions you’ll make in your life. We are humbled and honored that you’ve entrusted us to ensure that you receive an educational experience in which you have access to diverse and exciting opportunities to excel, lead, and serve.
On behalf of our excellent and dedicated faculty and staff, welcome and thank you for being part of our community.
Take good care!
Amelia Smith Rinehart
William J. Maier, Jr. Dean and Professor of Law
Meet Dean Rinehart Save the Date
- Meet Dean Rinehart! Join us Wednesday, August 18, at noon in the Fitzsimmons Event Hall to get to know Dean Amelia Smith Rhinehart.
- You may submit questions in advance here.
