Our very own 3Ls Daniel Kirkland and Shannon Kiser will be arguing before the West Virginia Supreme Court today. The case will be argued as the fifth case on the docket for April 17.
If you would like to listen in, there are two ways to hear oral arguments before the state’s highest court:
1) By listening over the call-in line (304-558-1313), or
2) By watching and listening via this webcast. “(see button for “Argument Webcast on this page).
The case involves the legal question of whether hyphenating a child’s last name should be held to the same burden as a full name-change. Mr. Kirkland and Mr. Kiser are representing that, at this time, the burden is the same, as the current law in West Virginia treats a regular name change no differently than a hyphenated one. The majority of states agree at this point in time, finding that the non-moving parent has a protectable interest in the name given the child at birth.
