News

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. –West Virginia University has named Greg Bowman the permanent dean of the College of Law, effective May 1.

Bowman has been serving as interim dean since the previous dean, Joyce McConnell, was appointed provost of the university by President E. Gordon Gee in June 2014. Bowman has been a member of the faculty since 2009 and served as associate dean for academic affairs for a year before his interim appointment.

“I’ve worked with Greg for several years and have always known that he is an exceptional legal scholar, teacher, and leader,” McConnell said. “We conducted a national search for our next dean at the College of Law and Greg just rose naturally to the top of the pool.”

President Gee, who was dean of the College of Law for two years before he first became president of West Virginia University in 1981, applauded Bowman’s appointment.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA—West Virginia University College of Law student Ben Hogan has been selected by his peers to serve as editor-in-chief of the West Virginia Law Review (WVLR) for the 2015-2016 academic year.

Founded in 1894, the WVLR is the fourth oldest law review in the country. It is a professional, student-governed legal journal that publishes articles of interest to legal scholars, students, legislators, and members of the practicing bar.

“The law review has been around for more than 100 years, and with that legacy comes great responsibility. Not only is the West Virginia Law Review beneficial to practitioners and academics, but it also really hones the skills necessary to be a practice-ready lawyer,” said Hogan. “It is a great honor to be selected the next Editor-in-Chief, but I also recognize that there are 40 of us. I’m merely a cog in a very capable wheel surrounded by wonderful, smart, dedicated, and creative people.”

As editor-in-chief, Hogan will be responsible for publishing three issues of the law review that lend practical and theoretical value to the legal community. In addition, Hogan and his fellow editors will continue work on the WVLR Online, which was launched in March.

Every year, the West Virginia University Foundation celebrates a special class of teacher.

The kind that nudges students toward their dreams. The kind that you remember and keep in touch with decades after graduating.

These professors leave a lasting impact, and are recipients of the WVU Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching. The Foundation selects just six WVU professors for this recognition. This year, the honorees include the College of Law’s Elaine Wilson .

After graduating from Boston University’s Six-Year Law Program in 1993, she began her career as an associate in the Estates & Personal Department at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York City. She then moved to Barnes & Thornburg in Indianapolis, where she made partner in 2002.

In 2007, she joined the Chicago office of Quarles & Brady as a partner in the Tax-Exempt Organizations Group. In 2009, Wilson was named among the “40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 To Watch” by Chicago Lawyer Magazine and, in 2012, was named “Lawyer of the Year” in Chicago for Non-Profit/Charities Law by The Best Lawyers in America. While in practice, she was listed in The Best Lawyers in America every year since 2007.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – Professors Shine (Sean) Tu and Elaine Wilson are winners of the West Virginia University College of Law 2014-15 Faculty Significant Scholarship Award.

The award is given annually by a faculty committee to a law professor whose written work addresses an important public issue through research and clear and concise writing.

Tu was recognized for his article “Patent Examiners and Litigation Outcomes” that was published by the Stanford Technology Law Review in 2014. The award committee commended Tu for his “innovative and creative work” that “pierces the fog that envelopes the patent system” and “advances the discussion of how the system might better operate.”

Wilson won for her tax article “Better Late Than Never: Incorporating LLCs into Section 4943” that explores the entanglement of business and charity. She was praised by the award committee for the article’s “rigor, organization, and focus” and contribution to the understanding of “an important emerging area of tax law.” Publication of Wilson’s article is forthcoming in the Akron Law Review.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA—Richard F. Griffin, Jr., general counsel for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), will deliver the annual Charles L. Ihlenfeld Lecture on Public Policy and Ethics on Monday, April 13, at 12 p.m. in the event hall at theWest Virginia University College of Law. 

Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. A reception follows the lecture.

Griffin was sworn in as General Counsel of the NLRB on November 4, 2013 for a four year term. Prior to becoming General Counsel, he served as a board member from January 2012 to August 2013. 

Griffin previously served as General Counsel for International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE). He also served on the board of directors for the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee. Since 1983, Griffin has held a number of leadership positions withIUOE, including Assistant House Counsel and Associate General Counsel. From 1985 to 1994, Griffin was a member of the board of trustees of the IUOE’s central pension fund, and from 1981 to 1983, he served as a Counsel to NLRB Board Members.

Griffin holds a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.

The Charles L. Ihlenfeld (1908-89) Lecture annually brings to the WVU College of Law distinguished speakers in public service and ethics. A prominent lawyer for 56 years and a former mayor of Wheeling, W.Va., Ihlenfeld devoted much of his life to public service. These lectures, established in his memory, honor a life and career marked by significant contributions to the practice of law, to the legal profession, and to civic affairs of his state and community.

-WVU-