LAWYERS ARE LEADERS. CHANGE AGENTS. VITAL TO A FUNCTIONING AND JUST SOCIETY. ARE YOU READY FOR THE CHALLENGE? At the West Virginia University College of Law we are passionate about leadership. We understand the importance of service. And of excelling in all you do. We’re ready to teach you what you need to know. We will prepare you to succeed in a complex world. So get ready to lead the way.
TRAVIS BRANNON Class of 2013 Travis is an associate in the Pittsburgh office of the global firm K&L Gates. His focus is on energy and environmental matters with an emphasis on energy litigation. Travis represents energy production, midstream, and associated companies in multiple areas, including contract disputes, oil and gas leasing, royalty disputes, landowner class actions, real property advising, and environmental compliance. “The robust experiences and curriculum at WVU Law gave me the foundation I needed to start my career. Working on the West Virginia Law Review, being in the Energy Law Association and the Alternative Dispute Resolution society, and taking a wide range of energy and environmental law and policy classes were among the opportunities that helped shape me as a lawyer. I also really enjoyed helping organize the National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition and I still try to come back every year to be a judge. At WVU Law, I learned how to think critically and analyze the intricate issues in energy law. Now, I help clients navigate and adapt to an ever-changing global environment.”
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JUSTICE, ETHICS AND EXPERTISE.
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We prepare 21st-century lawyers and leaders to serve the public, government, and business. Our graduates are practice-ready on the day they graduate. Our vibrant culture of excellence fosters diversity and respect, creating a balanced and supportive academic community within one of the nation’s leading public research universities.
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THE WVU LAW EXPERIENCE. Our graduates excel. After building the essential foundation of core legal knowledge in your first year, you will discover and develop interests through specialized courses in your second and third years. Your classroom knowledge will be enhanced by actual experience.
law.wvu.edu/academics
What You’ll Learn
After your first year, you will complete Appellate Advocacy (preparing an appellate brief and arguing in front of a panel of local attorneys), a research seminar, a professional responsibility course, and a perspective course. Research seminars cover topics from environmental law and healthcare regulations to gender and the law and constitutional litigation. Perspective courses connect your studies to the traditions of the liberal arts (humanities, social sciences, natural sciences). You also will fulfill a capstone requirement such as Trial Advocacy, clinical law practice, a federal judicial externship, or Business Transactions Drafting practicum.
Hands-on Experiences
You can enhance your training with hands-on experiences in a law clinic (we have nine), engaging in moot court, delving into research, studying abroad, serving in a judicial externship, or working on the West Virginia Law Review (the fourth-oldest in the U.S.). You will be prepared to understand your future clients and work environment and ready to provide clinical legal services.
Focused J.D. Concentrations
A concentration is a course of study that enables you to develop skills and competency in a particular area of the law. It’s a signal to employers that you have placed an emphasis — and strong professional interest — in a certain legal field. To earn a concentration, you must complete a set of core courses followed by a number of relevant electives. We offer four concentrations: nergy and Sustainable E Development Law Labor and Employment Law Public Interest Law International Law
Professor Priya Baskaran
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Calvin Thomas '19, Lora Walker '19 and Alexis Jones '19
Distinctive Dual Degrees
A cross-disciplinary law degree means great professional and networking opportunities and is a valuable career advantage. At WVU, you can complete a dual degree in less time than if you pursued both degrees independently. We offer two dual degrees: J.D./Online MBA; usually completed in three years .D./Master’s in Public Administration (M.P.A); usually J completed in four years J.D./LL.M. in Energy and Sustainable Development Law; usually completed in three-and-a-half years
A Distinct Advantage
Being the only law school in the Mountain State is a distinct advantage. It means we give our students exceptional and meaningful opportunities and unparalleled access to leaders in the legal community. Our clinics, pro bono programs, and externships give our students exclusive opportunities to perform important legal services that make a real difference in the lives of many across the state. Most of the state’s judges and attorneys are WVU Law graduates. That is an automatic professional connection for our students that can lead to valuable educational and career-building opportunities. Our professors are the state’s collective source for legal knowledge and expertise. They have written, argued, explored, analyzed, and helped define the law like no others in West Virginia. 6
YOUR GUIDES. Our distinguished faculty are the backbone of WVU Law. You’ll learn from a diverse group of accomplished attorneys and practitioners, outstanding teachers and scholars, and well-connected mentors. They are respected leaders in legal education who share a common mission: preparing competent and ethical lawyers for a wide range of careers and service to the citizens and communities of West Virginia, the nation, and the world.
law.wvu.edu/faculty-staff
Jennifer D. Oliva Professor Jennifer Oliva joined the WVU Law faculty in 2016 and was selected Professor of the Year by the Class of 2018. In addition to teaching, she directs the Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic. Professor Oliva is currently one of only four national Bellow Scholars chosen by the American Association of Law Schools for legal scholarship that promotes social justice. In spring 2019, Professor Oliva will be a visiting research scholar at Harvard Law School's Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics. Professor Oliva is a veteran and a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where she was a Rhodes and Truman Scholar. An honors graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Professor Oliva also earned an MBA from Oxford University. Professor Oliva’s work has been published in the Northwestern Law Review, the North Carolina Law Review, the George Mason Law Review, The Conversation, and the Oxford Human Rights Hub. COURSES TAUGHT: Torts, Evidence, Health Care Law and Policy, Science and the Law, Law and Forensic Science, Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic
Matthew Titolo Prior to joining the WVU Law faculty in 2009, Professor Titolo practiced complex commercial litigation at Latham & Watkins LLP, in Silicon Valley, California. His current research focuses on the history of American public-private contracts and the outsourcing of core public functions to the private sector. Professor Titolo's book Privatization and Its Discontents: Infrastructure, Law and American Democracy is forthcoming from Cambridge University Press. His essays and articles have been published in the Richmond Law Review, Buffalo Law Review, Southwestern Law Review, and Unbound: Harvard Journal of the Legal Left, among others. In spring 2019, Professor Titolo will be in residence as a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the Universidad de La Laguna in Tenerife, Spain. Professor Titolo earned his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Berkeley Business Law Journal and Associate Editor of the California Law Review. He holds a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of California, Los Angeles. COURSES TAUGHT: American Legal History, Contracts, Commercial Law, Remedies
Priya Baskaran Professor Baskaran is director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Law Clinic (EILC). Under her leadership, the clinic has greatly expanded its work to support economic development throughout West Virginia, particularly in under-served communities. Professor Baskaran's scholarship and research focuses on the nexus between public interest law and social justice principles and transactional legal work, both in practice and in experiential education. She was previously a supervising attorney in the Social Enterprise & Nonprofit Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to that, she was a staff attorney with the Community and Economic Development Clinic at the University of Michigan Law School. Professor Baskaran has also worked on international land use issues as a research fellow for the East West Management Institute, focusing on vulnerable populations in Cambodia. She earned her J.D. from the University of Michigan and an LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center. COURSE TAUGHT: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Law Clinic 7
LEARNING LEADERSHIP The WVU Law faculty includes David C. Hardesty, president emeritus of West Virginia University, Rhodes Scholar and experienced attorney. He developed the popular Lawyers as Leaders class. Professor Hardesty doesn’t just give theoretical instruction in leadership, he shares his experiences and own brand of leadership. The course helps you develop effective leadership skills. Lawyers lead private practice firms, public interest law organizations, government and corporate law departments, law schools, and reform movements.
WVU Law professors will challenge your assumptions, demand well-reasoned positions, and insist that you achieve more than you ever imagined.
John Taylor, the Jackson Kelly Professor of Law
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SUPPORT. WVU Law supports your every step — from the time you arrive on Law School Hill until you graduate into a successful career.
law.wvu.edu/academic-excellence-center law.wvu.edu/lrrw
Just for You
All first-year (1L) students are assigned to small groups before classes start. Your group takes every class together and is mixed in with the other 1L groups. The result? You end up having a class with every other new student by the end of the first week.
Learn to Thrive
The Academic Excellence Center offers all law students opportunities to enhance their academic performance through for-credit courses, workshops, study groups, tutoring, and individual counseling. As a 1L, the Center will help you integrate “how to learn” with “what to learn” so you thrive, not just survive, in law school.
Make Your Words Count
The Legal Reasoning, Research and Writing program helps you master a variety of written and oral communication tasks, while the WVU Law Writing Center will help you become a better writer. The Center provides an encouraging atmosphere in which to discuss, refine, and experiment with writing and the teaching of writing.
The George R. Farmer, Jr. Law Library is the largest law library in the state, making it an invaluable resource for our students and attorneys. 9
Karissa Blackburn '19 and Mark Baker '19
CLIFTONSTRENGTHS WVU Law uses CliftonStrengths to help students succeed in law school. The skills-assessment program, introduced at Orientation, helps student identify and use their individual top talents to achieve academic, professional, and personal goals. As Stephen Scott '19, President of the Student Bar Association, puts it: “CliftonStrengths provides reflective insight into your personal strengths and how they can be maximized to their fullest potential. Also, CliftonStrengths shifts your thinking away from dedicating energy to improve your weaknesses to dedicating energy to capitalize on your strengths. I have used it to effectively communicate my strengths during job interviews and to efficiently collaborate with others." in group settings.
THE GEORGE R. FARMER, JR. LAW LIBRARY Professor Kendra H. Fershee
Jordan West '18 and family
Research is a core tenet of legal education, and law students spend a lot of time in the library. The George R. Farmer Jr. Library is a hub of activity, day and night. The Farmer Library is the largest public law library in the state. It offers access to a full complement of legal databases, including Bloomberg Law, Environmental Law Reporter, FastCase, Foreign Law Guide, LexisNexis, and Westlaw. Four of our librarians have law degrees, and they are happy to help in any way they can. law.wvu.edu/library
Our rigorous curriculum is balanced by our collegial and supportive community. 10
TAKE THE LEAD. Make the most of your time at WVU Law. Seize life-changing opportunities. Forge connections that will shape your career and learn from outstanding mentors.
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Brad Wright '17, Assistant Public Defender, Berkeley County, West Virginia
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STUDY ABROAD OPPORTUNITIES. Comparative law — the study of laws of other countries — leads to a deeper understanding of the global community and provides a valuable perspective on U.S. laws. What better way to understand another country’s laws and culture than by studying there? It’s also a great way to make friends and professional contacts. All our courses are taught in English by WVU and local faculty.
law.wvu.edu/study-abroad
Switzerland
WVU Law offers students a unique opportunity to study international trade law in Geneva, Switzerland. The course includes behind-the-scenes visits to the United Nations and the World Trade Organization (photo right).
Mexico
In Mexico, students visit legal institutions and take classes at the University of Guanajuato, one of the oldest universities in one of the oldest cities in Latin America.
Brazil
The Brazil study abroad trip includes exploring the rainforest while learning about environmental law and property rights before attending lectures at the University of Vila Velha in Vitoria.
WVU Law students study migration issues from a Mexican legal, cultural, and social perspective in historic Guanajuato.
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"I learned about the differences between Mexican law and American law in areas such as finance, banking, property, and elections. Further, I learned about traveling abroad and how to adapt to different surroundings. At a more basic level, the experience showcased the common elements of humanity that exist despite the stark cultural and linguistic differences which we share. Overall, studying abroad helps to make one’s legal education more complete and worthwhile." – Imad Matini, Class of 2014 Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP Washington, DC Study abroad in Mexico, Summer 2012
WVU Law students can spend three weeks in Brazil, studying environmental and property law.
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A CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE. WVU Law students come from a variety of backgrounds and hold a variety of interests that contribute to a quality law school experience in and out of the classroom. Exemplary students and 30 student organizations show excellence in a number of ways, including volunteerism, random acts of kindness, and outstanding co-curricular or extracurricular performance. We recognize — and foster — that effort, which contributes to our culture of excellence.
law.wvu.edu/student-life
Student Bar Association
The Student Bar Association is affiliated with the American Law Student Association, the student division of the American Bar Association. As the student government of WVU Law, it furthers cooperation and maximizes student input into the academic and administrative processes as well as administers the honor system. The SBA hosts the annual Barrister’s Ball.
Public Interest Advocates
The Public Interest Advocates (PIA) raises awareness in public interest law. It sponsors an annual speaker series, promotes student awareness of public interest employment opportunities, and funds summer public interest fellowships. The annual PIA Spring Auction is attended by students and faculty and regional judges and lawyers. Auction proceeds help underwrite fellowships granted by the West Virginia Fund for Law in the Public Interest.
Moot Court
Moot Court encourages the development of practice-ready skills in brief writing and oral advocacy. Moot Court hosts the annual George C. Baker Cup competition and sends a team to the National Moot Court Competition. The Moot Court Traveling Team has gone to competitions in New Orleans, Fort Lauderdale, Boston and New York. Founded in 1968, the Baker Cup competition is a highlight of the academic year. The final round is held each spring before the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, and the justices select the winner.
OUTlaw
OUTlaw fosters open communication and networking between the LGBTQ and straight communities. Recent OUTlaw guest speakers include marriage equality lawyers Evan Wolfson and Jaci Gonzales Martin '10, who was co-counsel in Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage.
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Jamie Crestfield '18 and Abbey Stafford '19
Black Law Students Association
The Black Law Students Association is dedicated to increasing the number of lawyers sensitive to the unique problems and needs of minority communities and is a forum for the discussion of issues and problems that confront law students of color.
Alternative Dispute Resolution Society
The Alternative Dispute Resolution Society hosts experts and participates in local mediation trainings and competitions. The group is instrumental in maintaining the Magistrate Court Mediation program in West Virginia by organizing and volunteering for monthly mediation.
Family Law Quarterly Allyson Chandler '19
West Virginia Law Review The West Virginia Law Review was founded in 1894 and is the fourth-oldest law review in the United States. Published three times a year by a student editorial board, it is a professional, student-governed legal journal. Each issue includes notes, comments and articles of scholarly and practical value.
Marlyn E. Lugar Trial Association
The Marlyn E. Lugar Trial Association furthers academic excellence and professional competence in trial advocacy and hosts the Lugar Cup, our annual in-house trial competition. Lugar members receive three credit hours by participating in two outside trial competitions and competing in the Lugar Cup.
Students have the opportunity to work on the American Bar Association’s Family Law Quarterly, a scholarly journal currently based at WVU Law.
Our culture of excellence includes students like Ryan Marshall, Class of 2019. Member, Public Interest Advocates and OUTlaw Extern, Uniform Law Commission Legal Research Assistant, West Virginia Law Institute WVU Law Teaching Assistant, Civil Procedure Law Director of Community Relations/ Professional Development, WVU Student Association of Public Administrators Board of Directors
The personal and professional connections you make at WVU Law will last a lifetime. 16
LAW CLINICS. WVU Law’s award-winning Clinical Law program, founded in 1976, helps students develop practice-ready skills while providing an important legal service to clients in need.
law.wvu.edu/clinics
Litigation and Advocacy
The General Practice Law Clinic concentrates on legal services in family law (including violence protection, custody, support, divorce, and adoption), social security and other public benefits, property issues, consumer debt relief, bankruptcy, and cases taken by court appointment. Students often appear in state and federal courts throughout West Virginia. Student attorneys in the clinic recently represented in court two clients on business-related disputes and seven clients in property-related matters. They also represented 50 domestic violence petitioners.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Law Clinic gives students the opportunity to provide legal services to start-up companies, small businesses, nonprofits, and individuals. The Clinic works with clients in counseling for a product plan or business organization; licensing; employee and contractor agreements; intellectual property; financing and venture capital; planning and negotiation; dispute resolution; and generalized assistance in business formation, planning, and strategy. Clinic students recently secured four science and technology related patents, filed eight trademark applications, and provided structuring assistance for several early stage enterprises.
Taxpayer Advocacy
Taxpayer Advocacy provides free legal representation in federal tax matters. Students appear before the U.S. Tax Court when it sits in Charleston, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They represent clients in a wide range of tax matters. Students recently won a case in the U.S. Fourth Circuit and earned a partial victory in the U.S. Tax Court.
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"My oral argument at the U.S. Fourth Circuit court was a collaborative effort. The entire clinic worked on the case and helped me, and I think that's critical as an attorney. It's incredibly important in the legal profession to be able to work in a team. Even though I was nervous, I felt I was going into it well-prepared. It was an incredible experience, and I feel honored to have been selected to do it."
— Kylie Barnhart Class of 2017 Associate, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC
CLINICS Students, under faculty supervision, provide more than 40,000 hours of free legal aid a year through our clinics. This effort helped WVU Law recently earn the #2 spot on The National Jurist's Honor Roll of Law Schools with the Greatest Community Impact. The Clinical Law Program is structured by practice, like an actual law firm, and operates out of a 5,500 square foot office suite. Clinic students assist, pro bono, more than 200 clients a year on the domestic violence docket in the Monongalia County Family Court. In 2016, four clients of the Clinical Law Program were granted clemency by President Barack Obama as part of the national Clemency Project 2014.
“The Clinic helped do something for me in six months that I had been trying to do by myself for years. Some veterans give up on trying to get their benefits because the VA makes it such a long and confusing process, but the Clinic gave me a huge relief because I knew I wasn't doing it alone anymore.” — U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army Veteran
Veterans Advocacy The Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic provides civil legal services to qualified veterans in family law (including violence protection, custody, support, divorce, and adoption), estate planning, property issues, and consumer debt relief. It is the first-of-its-kind initiative in the nation between a law school and a VA hospital. Clinic students recently won appeals for benefits for three veterans and settled two pending civil cases involving veterans.
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LAW CLINICS. West Virginia Innocence Project
The West Virginia Innocence Project serves to free people who are in prison for crimes they did not commit. It’s affiliated with the national Innocence Network. It also works to reform faulty practices that lead to wrongful convictions, including eyewitness identification procedures. Student attorneys in the clinic successfully advocated for a client who was granted parole after serving 20 years of a life sentence.
Land Use and Sustainable Development
The Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic provides legal services to local governments, landowners, and nonprofits to develop land conservation strategies and practices. This clinic provides an opportunity to gain practical experience in land use law and policy. In this transactional and policy-based clinic, students develop research, drafting, negotiation, and client counseling skills. Under the guidance of experienced attorneys and professionals, students contribute to land and water conservation efforts. The clinic’s many recent projects include developing the state’s first regional strategic comprehensive plan for three adjoining communities and helping conserve land to establish a new recreational area.
Immigration
The Immigration Law Clinic has served scores of clients facing deportation, asylum, and other immigration proceedings for almost two decades. It has won political asylum for clients from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, Guinea, and Russia. Clinic students often have to push the law creatively in circumstances related to today’s most pressing issues, such as gender persecution, social turmoil during democratic transition, and conflict in the Middle East. The Immigration Law Clinic is co-directed by Robert S. Whitehill, a partner with Fox Rothschild, LLP, in Pittsburgh. Students in the clinic successfully represented a family of Sunni Iraqis in an asylum case before the Board of Immigration Appeals.
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JENNY THOMA Class of 2016 Law Clerk, Judge Michael Aloi U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia West Virginia Innocence Project “ Standing up for the rights of the wrongfully convicted and wrongfully imprisoned was incredibly meaningful and fulfilling. After working relentlessly all year on a client's habeas case and representing him in an omnibus hearing, we prevailed and his conviction was vacated by the Court. The absolute highlight of my year was witnessing our client's release from prison, after serving almost 11 years for a crime he did not commit, and his long-awaited reunion with his family.”
“The Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic provided me with the invaluable opportunity to work on important real-world projects. I was able to help local Fayetteville (West Virginia) develop legal solutions, such as local ordinances and zoning plans, to address issues unique to its community's needs.” — Susan Waldie '16 Attorney Appalachian Mountain Advocates Lewisburg, West Virginia
U.S. Supreme Court
The United States Supreme Court Law Clinic is one of a handful of SCOTUS law clinics in the nation. Students research and draft briefs for clients, working primarily on criminal, immigration, prisoner, and civil liberties appeals. It provides practical experience on some of the most significant legal cases facing the nation. The Clinic is directed by Lawrence D. Rosenberg, a partner in the firm Jones Day, who has been lead counsel for numerous matters before the U.S. Supreme Court. Clinic students recently helped write a petition for certiorari for a U.S. Supreme Court tax immunity case that could affect millions of federal retirees around the nation.
Child and Family Advocacy Clinic with Medical-Legal Partnership
The Child and Family Advocacy Clinic with Medical-Legal Partnership works with children and families of limited income in order to promote their health, security, and future success. The Medical-Legal Partnership operates in cooperation with WVU Medicine Children’s and WVU Medicine Chestnut Ridge Center. During visits, clinicians identify potential legal issues, such as lack of health insurance, inadequate housing, unemployment, or child custody. If a legal problem is identified, the families are given the opportunity to consult with WVU Law students. Students recently worked on several custody cases involving substance abuse issues, bullying and adoption, and individualized education programs for students with special needs.
Michael Koribanick '18
You can make a real difference in people’s lives — before you graduate. 20
CENTER FOR LAW AND PUBLIC SERVICE. WVU Law has a distinguished history of public service. The Center helps students develop key professional skills and an understanding of public interest law. It also engages students by fostering a dialogue about current legal services and issues, and by encouraging students to become leaders who seek creative solutions toward achieving equal access to justice in society.
law.wvu.edu/public-service
Externships
The College offers a wide variety of externships in nonprofit, government, and judicial settings, locally and around the country, to help students with valuable career-building experience while serving the community. Facilitated by the Center for Law and Public Service, externships are available during the school year and the summer. Qualified students may also apply for a Federal Judicial Externship with a U.S. District Court or Circuit Court Judge.
PIA Fellowships
The Center coordinates with the West Virginia Fund for Law in the Public Interest and the Public Interest Advocates (PIA) student organization to provide fellowships to students interested in full-time summer work at legal service agencies throughout West Virginia. The Fund and the Center also work together to provide a postgraduate fellowship program for students pursuing careers in public interest law.
Pro Bono Community Service
The Pro Bono program provides opportunities for students to dedicate time outside of the classroom to perform legal assistance to people in need. Pro bono opportunities include mediating cases in magistrate court, serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in circuit court on behalf of children, and volunteering with the Appalachian Prison Book project.
WVU Law students participating in a site build for Habitat for Humanity in Morgantown, WV.
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MICKI BIGGS Class of 2016 PIA Postgraduate Fellow West Virginia Senior Legal Aid Morgantown, WV “ When I can help people work their way through their legal problem and just make an effort to understand them better, it’s really rewarding.”
MAKING A DIFFERENCE Twenty-two WVU Law students were awarded fellowships in summer 2018 to serve in public interest law throughout West Virginia. They provided muchneeded help in agencies such as Legal Aid of West Virginia, the Rural Legal Corporation, Equal Justice Works, Childlaw Services, and Mountain State Justice. Three graduates were awarded year-long fellowships to work in public interest law.
Paige Diggs '17 gained valuable work experience in an externship with WVU Athletics. She now works in employee relations and compliance at California State University, Fullerton.
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CENTER FOR ENERGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. Energy, environmental, and sustainability law is an exciting and fast-developing field with a lot of opportunities. West Virginia is at the center of energy production for the country, and there is no better place to learn about the intersecting laws and policies governing energy resources.
energy.law.wvu.edu
Shaping Policies
Founded in 2011, WVU Law’s Center for Energy and Sustainable Development is committed to playing a prominent role in shaping the energy and environmental policies of the future for the state, the nation, and the world.
Unbiased Research
The Center conducts objective, unbiased research, and policy analyses, provides a forum for issues to be explored by various stakeholders, and promotes policies that balance the demand for energy resources alongside the need to reduce environmental impacts.
Focusing on the Future
Training for the next generation of energy and environmental attorneys
Promotion of sustainable practices Training of local officials in sustainable land use policy practices Encouragement for the development of clean energy technologies Advancement for the role of utilities in pursuing clean energy
National Energy Conference
The Center hosts an annual energy conference that explores topics and policies with national experts from industry, government, and environmental organizations. A recent conference, co-hosted with WVU's John D. Rockefeller IV School of Policy and Politics examined the future of coal communities in West Virginia and Appalachia.
Creating Firsts
The Center for Energy and Sustainable Development established and hosted the nation’s first Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition in 2011. The competition promotes development of appellate advocacy skills, with a particular emphasis on the convergence of energy, environmental, and sustainability issues. It is coordinated by the student Moot Court Board.
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J.D./LL.M. DUAL DEGREE WVU Law offers a fast-track dual degree J.D./LL.M. in Energy and Sustainable Development Law. Focusing on the intersecting laws and policies governing natural resources, this dual degree can be completed in 3-1/2 years. Visit law.wvu.edu/jd-llm-energy to find out more.
“West Virginia is at the center of energy production. As a result, the College of Law is able to play a significant role in the national dialogue on energy, the environment, and sustainability.” — Joyce McConnell, WVU Provost
Law students from around the country compete in WVU Law's annual National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition. The final round is held in the Marlyn E. Lugar Courtroom.
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CAREER SERVICES CENTER. A successful legal career — it’s why you’re going to law school. In and out of the classroom, WVU Law’s focus on the development of practice-ready skills provides solid preparation for a career.
law.wvu.edu/career-services
Your Options
The Meredith Career Services Center is committed to successful employment outcomes for graduates, which means helping you find the career of your dreams. We offer: Access to Symplicity, an online career services management system On-campus interviews and candidate-employer contacts Individual and group career counseling Mock interviews Individual résumé and cover letter review Professional attire and etiquette dinner workshops Workshops on traditional and nontraditional career opportunities Career resource library Job fairs Access to additional job search tools
Goals and Outcomes
The Center is committed to successful employment outcomes for graduates, which means helping students find a path to satisfying employment — not just a job. Students receive individual attention from the Career Services Center. Through a variety of resources and programs, the Center helps students assess their career goals, explore the many job opportunities a law degree makes available, and transition from law school to the professional world seamlessly.
Opening Up Opportunities The staff provide career counseling, workshops for résumé preparation and cover letter writing, and individual practice interviews. The Center also brings recruiters to campus and reaches out to employers to encourage the hiring of WVU Law graduates.
Heather Spielmaker, assistant dean for career services
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Alan Wilson ’14, WilmerHale, LLP, Washington, D.C.
WVU President E. Gordon Gee and Rachael Ketchem '18
YOUR FUTURE The reality is that a law degree does not define you, you define it. You determine what your law degree will do for you. Where will it take you? 26
LIFE AT WVU LAW. It’s no secret that law school is a serious commitment. Classes, reading, studying, research, meetings, and more reading; when you have free time, it has to make a difference.
Guest Speakers and More
Engaging guest speakers, usually during the noon hour, range from human rights lawyers and experts in patent law to lawyer-authors, federal attorneys, and judges. There are also symposiums, films, luncheons, exhibits, and informal nights out hosted by student organizations.
Take a Break
The student lounge is a convenient place to relax and eat. The lobby is a very popular stop between classes, and it is home to a Barnes & Noble bookstore and café. The rooftop garden offers picnic tables, benches, and great views of the surrounding area. Throughout the year, programing addresses student well-being, including the stress-busting Puppy Day.
Former U.S. Senator John D. Rockefeller
Where You’ll Learn
In 2016, WVU Law completed a $26 million, 30,000-square foot expansion and renovation to benefit the student experience. The sweeping project included clinical law offices, classrooms, an additional courtroom, student organization offices, common areas, library improvements, and conference rooms. We’ve raised the bar on law school facilities.
Gabrielle Marcum '20 and Haley Robb '20
The John W. Fisher II Courtroom. 27
“While WVU Law is outstanding academically, the real reason I chose to come here was because of its emphasis on community. Everyone here is so friendly and welcoming and it is apparent that they genuinely care about our success. Although I am not originally from West Virginia, I have always felt at home here, and after my first year at WVU Law I know that this is where I want to practice law in the future.” Anna Wilson Class of 2020 West Virginia University, 2016
“I was drawn to WVU Law because of the excellent programs and opportunities it provides its students. Not only does WVU Law provide its students with the skills required to excel but also the opportunities to thrive after law school. I came to WVU Law on a gut feeling, and I will be forever grateful for everything it has done for me.” Sean Thomas Class of 2019 Kutztown University, 2014
SOME NOTABLE ALUMNI Irene C. Berger, Judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia Stephanie D. Thacker, Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Marty Becker, Chairman, QBE Insurance Group Robert B. King, Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit John T. Chambers, former Chairman, CEO of Cisco Systems, Inc. William J. Ihlenfeld II, Partner, Bailey & Glasser LLP Michael T. Escue, Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, NY Joseph Robert Goodwin, Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia Robert M. Steptoe Jr., Member, Steptoe and Johnson, PLLC Irene Keeley, Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia John Thomas Copenhaver Jr., Judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia Robin Jean Davis, Justice, Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
“I chose WVU Law because West Virginia holds a special place in my heart, and it was the best decision I ever made. From my classmates to the amazing professors and staff, WVU Law has given me the tools and education I need to go out into the world and succeed.” Blair Wessels Class of 2019 Editor-in-Chief, West Virginia Law Review Wake Forest University, 2016
Charles M. Love III, Partner, Bowles Rice Margaret L. Workman, Justice, Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia Dwane L. Tinsley, Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia Thomas B. Bennett, former Chief Judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Alabama Jon D. Levy, Judge, U.S. District Court of Maine Scott Segal, Partner, The Segal Law Firm Ellen S. Cappellanti, Managing Member, Jackson Kelly, PLLC Marvin Masters, The Masters Law Firm, L.C.
“From student organizations, to study abroad experiences, to networking events, WVU Law gives students a wide array of opportunities to choose from and empowers them to make the most of their time here. The faculty and staff will do whatever they can to help you out in doing so. Because of this support, I have been able to work hard, to achieve my goals, and to aspire towards excellence in the legal profession.” Stephen Scott Class of 2019 President, Student Bar Association, 2018-19 W.E.B DuBois Fellow West Virginia University, 2016
R obert C. Skaggs Jr., former President and CEO, NiSource Inc. Gene Irisari, Director Government Relations, Texas Instruments Jeffrey Rockwell, Lt. General, Judge Advocate General, U.S. Air Force Ola Adekunle, Patent Counsel, Google Richard A. Robinson, Chief Justice, Connecticut Supreme Court Carlos E. Mendoza, United States District Judge, Middle District of Florida
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DISCOVER THE MOUNTAIN STATE. Mountains are (literally) a big part of who we are. West Virginia’s incredible natural beauty attracts outdoor adventurers from around the world. Beautiful spots to enjoy camping, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and world-class whitewater are nearby.
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EXPLORE CAMPUS. Your New Hometown #4 "Most Popular Small Cities to Relocate" — moveBuddha.com (2018) #25 "Best College Towns To Live In Forever" — CollegeRanker.com (2018)
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#43 "Best Places To Live" — Livability.com (2018) #58 "Best Small Places For Business And Careers" — Forbes (2017)
MORGANTOWN CAMPUSES 220 BUILDING 1,899 ACRES
HEALTH SCIENCES
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WVU LAW
Enjoy Nature
Our region’s natural beauty is famous, and people around the world sing “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” West Virginia has 37 state parks, nine state forests, and two national forests for you to explore.
Facilities
You can take advantage of WVU’s campus-wide facilities and amenities — from the Student Recreation Center with its pools, courts, and climbing wall to concerts, performances, and the excitement of Big 12 Conference athletics.
EVANSDALE
DOWNTOWN
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FAST FACTS
WVU LAW AT-A-GLANCE
West Virginia University was founded in 1867 as a public, land-grant institution. Today, the Morgantown campus has over 28,000 students in 360+ degree programs within 14 colleges and schools (including WVU Law).
The WVU College of Law was founded in 1878 and has been ABA accredited since 1923.
6:1
STUDENT-TOFACULTY RATIO
80+
FEDERAL AND STATE JUDGES ARE ALUMNI
72%
OF THE CLASS OF 2020 RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS
78%
BAR PASSAGE RATE (July 2017, first-time takers)
WE’RE WORLDWIDE 5,900+ Law alumni worldwide 138 students studied law in Brazil, Mexico, and Switzerland (2014 - 2018) 33
82%
CLASS OF 2017 EMPLOYMENT RATE
40,000
HOURS PRO BONO SERVICE BY OUR LAW CLINICS
WVU LAW IS ON TOP #2
LAW SCHOOL FOR GREATEST COMMUNITY IMPACT (The National Jurist, 2017)
Number of students: 109
BEST LAW SCHOOL FOR LOW STUDENT DEBT
Average age: 24
(Student Loan Hero, 2017)
Age range: 20-58
BEST LAW SCHOOL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
Female: 49%
#34 A A
LAW PROFILE: CLASS OF 2020
(preLaw Magazine, 2018)
A #31
BEST VALUE LAW SCHOOLS
West Virginia Resident: 67% Diversity: 11%
(preLaw Magazine, 2018)
Median LSAT score: 153
TOP PROGRAM: PUBLIC INTEREST LAW
Median GPA: 3.31
(preLaw Magazine, 2018)
LAW SCHOOLS FOR FEDERAL CLERKSHIPS
(ABA data, independent research, 2018)
RAISING THE BAR WVU Law students consistently find full-time/long-term Bar Passage Required and J.D. Advantage jobs at rates higher than the national average.
CLASS OF 2017 EMPLOYMENT DATA Bar Passage Required
77.3%
J.D. Advantage
4.7.%
Other Professional
1.8%
Pursuing Degree F/T
3.7%
Unemployed Seeking
2.8%
Unemployed Not Seeking
2.8%
AREAS OF PRACTICE Private Practice
50%
Government
8.3%
Judicial Clerkship
17.7%
Business
6.25%
Public Interest
6.25%
Academic
UBE
West Virginia is one of 33 jurisdictions that have adopted the transferable Uniform Bar Exam.
$112,776
Average national law student debt
$80,343
Average WVU Law student debt
3%
SALARY RANGE $21,800 – $122,000 * Ten months after graduation (March 2018) Class size: 115 (source: ABA, NALP) * Class of 2016
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JOIN US ON LAW SCHOOL HILL. We’re ready to help you decide if WVU Law is the right fit for you. We hope you’ll join the WVU Law community on Law School Hill.
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WVU Law strives to bring the best and brightest students from a variety of backgrounds into our community. We view the admissions process holistically, so we consider your academic achievements along with your personal interests, contributions, and experiences.
HOW TO APPLY Start your application process at lsac.org. After you apply, you will be able to monitor your status and even see your decision online. The following are essential requirements to apply: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report WVU Law Application for Admissions (available through LSAC) Please explore the many resources available on our website to help with the admissions and application process, including FAQs, How to Apply, and more. Please contact the Admissions office with any questions. We look forward to the opportunity to assist you. law.wvu.edu
ADMISSIONS TIMELINE SEPTEMBER 1
First day applications accepted
OCTOBER 1
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available online at fafsa.ed.gov
MARCH 1
A dmissions and financial aid application deadlines
JULY 1
Transfer application deadline
FIRST-YEAR ESTIMATED COSTS TUITION AND FEES
$24,084 (WV residents/Loyalty Tuition Program) $39,870 (Non-WV residents)
BOOKS AND SUPPLIES $3,400 LIVING EXPENSES
$11,970 (estimated)
COMPUTER PURCHASE
$1,500
*2018-19 figures
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WVU LAW COURSE LIST LAWYERING AND SKILLS TRAINING Appellate Advocacy Business Transactions Drafting Child and Family Advocacy Clinic General Practice Clinic Entrepreneurship and Innovation Clinic Family Law Quarterly Federal Agency Externship Federal Judicial Externship Immigration Law Clinic Innocence Project Jessup International Moot Court Land Use and Sustainable Development Clinic Law Review Lawyers and Legislation Legal Interviewing, Counseling and Negotiating Lugar Trial Advocacy Pretrial Litigation Professional Responsibility Taxpayer Advocacy Clinic Trial Advocacy U.S. Supreme Court Clinic Veterans Assistance Project
BUSINESS AND COMMERCIAL LAW Advanced Labor Law Analytical Methods for Lawyers Bankruptcy and Advanced Bankruptcy Business Organizations Business Torts Business Transactions Drafting Coal, Oil and Gas Commercial Law (seminar) Comparative/International Workplace Law (seminar) Contracts II Corporate Governance (seminar) Employment Discrimination Employment Law Entrepreneurship and Innovation Clinic Federal Income Taxation Health Care Law Insurance Law International Business Transactions Labor Law Nonprofit Organizations Payment Systems Sales and Secured Transactions Securities Law State and Local Tax Taxation of Business Entities Trade Regulation (anti-trust)
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ENVIRONMENTAL, ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY LAW Agriculture and Food Law Coal, Oil and Gas Energy Law Survey Energy Regulation, Markets and the Environment Environmental Justice Seminar Environmental Litigation Seminar Environmental Protection Law Hazardous Waste Law International Environment Law and Arbitration Land Use and Resilience Law Land Use and Sustainable Development Clinic Natural Resources Law Nuclear Law and Policy Permitting and Siting of Energy Facilities Renewable Energy and Alternative Fuels Sustainable Development Seminar The Energy Business: Law and Strategy The Science and Technology of Energy
FAMILY LAW Child and Family Advocacy Clinic Child Protection and Law Domestic Violence Law Elder Law Estate Planning Family Law Health Care Law Sexuality and the Law (seminar) Wealth Transfers
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Art Law Business Torts Copyright Law Cultural Property Cyber Law Entrepreneurship and Innovation Clinic Genetic Property and Law (seminar) Intellectual Property Law Patent Law Patent Prosecution Trademark Law
INTERNATIONAL LAW Comparative Law in Brazil (summer study abroad) Comparative Law in Geneva (summer study abroad) Comparative Law in Mexico (summer study abroad)
Immigration Law International Business Transactions International Environmental Law International Human Rights International Law International Trade Law Jewish-Islamic Comparative Law
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT Comparative and International Workplace Law (seminar) Employment Discrimination Employment Law Entertainment Law Labor Law Law and Socioeconomics (seminar) Sports Law Workers Compensation Law
LITIGATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION Advanced Torts (seminar) Alternative Dispute Resolution Appellate Advocacy Civil Rights Conflict of Laws Criminal Procedure I: Investigation Criminal Procedure II: Adjudication E-Discovery Evidence Federal Courts Health Care Torts Pretrial Litigation Post-Conviction Remedies Property Law Remedies Trial Evidence
PUBLIC LAW/PUBLIC INTEREST LAW Administrative Law Civil Disobedience (seminar) Civil Rights Constitutional Law II Consumer Law Education Law Election Law Energy Law Environmental Justice (seminar) Environmental Protection Law Income Taxation I Natural Resources Law Privacy Law Public Service Externship State and Local Government Law Taxation Trade Regulation (anti-trust) West Virginia Constitutional Law
PERSPECTIVES Advanced Criminal Law: Case Studies American Legal History Analytical Methods for Lawyers Dying and the Law International Law Jurisprudence Law and Economics Law and Psychology Lawyer as Storyteller Lawyers and Film Lawyers as Leaders Lawyers and Literature Psychology for Lawyers
ADDITIONAL SEMINARS American Constitutional History Animal Law Comparative Constitutional Law Corporate Governance Constitutional History Constitutional Litigation Election Law Intellectual Property International Trade Regulation Issues in Energy Law Land Transactions Lawyers and Legislation Race/Racism and American Law Religion and the Constitution
FIRST-YEAR COURSES (REQUIRED) Civil Procedure Jurisdiction Civil Procedure Rules Constitutional Law Contracts Criminal Law Intro to Legal Research Legal Reasoning, Research and Writing (two semesters) Legislation and Regulation Property Torts
UPPER-LEVEL COURSES (REQUIRED) Appellate Advocacy Perspective course Professional Responsibility Research seminar One of the following: Trial Advocacy Law Clinic Business Transactions Drafting Federal Externship Program Federal Agency Externship Federal Judicial Externship
Note: Some courses are not offered every year. This list includes principal courses only and is not a substitute for the College of Law Catalog. 38
101 Law School Drive P.O. Box 6130 Morgantown, WV 26506
law.wvu.edu Founded in 1878, the West Virginia University College of Law was accredited by the AALS in 1914 and the ABA in 1923.
air miles
m.
m.
QUESTIONS? Baltimore Washington, D.C.
The WVU Law Admissions Office is your first resource on the path to receiving a top legal education and achieving your dream of becoming a lawyer. Go to law.wvu.edu to learn more.
VISIT US. Visiting us is the best way to determine if WVU Law is right for you. Come to Law School Hill and sit in on a class, meet our current students, faculty and staff, and tour the College. We want to meet you! Go to law.wvu.edu/visitus for more information.
The WVU Board of Governors is the governing body of WVU. The Higher Education Policy Commission in West Virginia is responsible for developing, establishing and overseeing the implementation of a public policy agenda for the state’s four-year colleges and universities. WVU is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer. Underrepresented class members are encouraged to apply. This includes: minorities, females, individuals with disabilities and veterans.