News

A scholarship at WVU Law, endowed by The BrickStreet Foundation and honoring Charleston attorney Thomas V. Flaherty, was announced October 27 at the University’s  Board of Governors meeting. 

The $100,000 gift was announced by W. Marston Becker, a member of both the BrickStreet and WVU boards. Flaherty, also a member of both boards, is immediate past chair of the BrickStreet board and immediate past president of the WVU board. 

“The gift is modest recognition of all that Tom has contributed to both boards,” said Becker, a 1977 WVU Law graduate.

“This gift announced today is a way to honor a great West Virginian who has given so much of his time and effort to make a significant difference both at BrickStreet and WVU,” said Greg Burton, BrickStreet executive chairman. “It has been an honor and privilege to work side-by-side over the past 10 years with such an outstanding leader.” 

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — West Virginia native Elliott Portnoy, the global chief executive officer of the world’s largest law firm, Dentons, will speak at the West Virginia University Erickson Alumni Center at 4 p.m. on November 6.

Portnoy will reflect on how his Mountain State roots and WVU connections have contributed to his professional success and continue to help him lead a $2 billion business. The title of his speech is “Go Big and Go Home!”

Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. There will be a reception at 3:30 p.m. Please RSVP to alumni@mail.wvu.edu.

“My current success has everything to do with where it all started,” said Portnoy, who graduated from Morgantown High School in 1983, “including selling sodas at Mountaineer Field.”

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA - The Appalachian Justice Initiative (AJI) at West Virginia University is hosting a discussion about mass incarceration on November 1 at 5 p.m. in the Event Hall at the WVU College of Law.



Panelists for “Mass Incarceration in Appalachia” include Jeri Kirby, assistant professor of criminal justice at Fairmont State University; Betsy Jividen, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia; Rich MacAllaster, president of the re-entry organization Recidivism Zero (RZero); and Raymond Thompson, a WVU multimedia producer and freelance photographer.

WVU law professor Valena Beety , director of the West Virginia Innocence Project, will serve as moderator.  



 “AJI is about recognizing and listening to the voices of all of our community members, including those most stigmatized, such as Appalachian prisoners and former offenders,” said Beety, a founding member of AJI.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA— The National Jurist and preLaw Magazine have once again named WVU Law a best value.

WVU Law scored an A-, which is a higher grade than 160 other law schools approved by the American Bar Association.

The publications selects Best Value Law Schools based on bar passage and employment rates, tuition, cost of living and average student indebtedness upon graduation.

“WVU Law’s consistent recognition as a Best Value Law School, year after year, shows just how deeply committed we are to providing students with affordable, high quality legal education that leads to meaningful careers,” said Gregory W. Bowman, dean of the College of Law.

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – William J. Powell '85 has taken the oath of office to become the United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia. Powell was nominated by President Donald Trump on August 3, 2017 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 3, 2017. 

Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh '89 administered the oath of office to U.S. attorney Powell today.

“I am honored and humbled to be named as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia. I’m excited to start working with the very fine staff and attorneys in the district on the very important work that needs to get done,” said Powell.

As U.S. Attorney, Powell is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Northern District of West Virginia, which includes offices in Wheeling, Martinsburg, Clarksburg, and Elkins. He oversees a staff of 45 employees, including 21 attorneys and 24 non-attorney support personnel. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms, and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — The immediate past president of the American Civil Liberties Union and law school professor will speak at West Virginia University on October 24. 

Nadine Strossen, currently the John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law at the New York Law School, will speak at the JG Theater in the WVU Mountainlair at 4:00 p.m.  

The event is co-hosted by the WVU College of Law and the Center for Free Enterprise at the College of Business and Economics. WVU students, the West Virginia University community and the public are invited to attend the free event.

“No cause is more important than the defense and preservation of our constitutional rights,” said Gregory W. Bowman, dean of the WVU College of Law. “Organizations such as the ACLU and dedicated lawyers like Nadine Strossen fight for our rights every day.”

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — Oxford University law professor Hugh Collins will deliver this fall’s  C. Edwin Baker Lecture for Liberty, Equality and Democracy at the  West Virginia University  College of Law.

Collins will discuss “Private Law, Fundamental Rights, and the Rule of Law” on October 23 at 1 p.m. in the Event Hall at the College of Law.

Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.

The lecture will address the impact of fundamental human rights on legal disputes between companies or private individuals, particularly in cases of contract, tort and property law.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — The sixth annual National Energy Conference at West Virginia University will look at the state’s the emerging energy economy.

The free, one-day conference will be held on October 20 beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the WVU College of Law. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. Registration for lunch is required via the conference website .

The energy conference will feature experts from industry, public policy organizations, environmental groups, and academic institutions. It is being hosted by the WVU College of Law’s Center for Energy and Sustainable Development and the Appalachian Stewardship Foundation.

“Our goal is to bring together policy makers and practitioners, with a focus on sound science, to help lead West Virginia into an environmentally responsible and economically viable energy future,” said Shanda Minney, executive director of the Appalachian Stewardship Foundation.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — Professor James Van Nostrand, director of WVU Law's Center for Energy and Sustainable Development, has issued the following statement about the Trump administration's repeal of the EPA's Clean Power Plan:

The rollback of the Clean Power Plan will have little, if any, effect in bringing coal jobs back. The adoption of the Clean Power Plan had virtually no effect on the coal industry — it was years away before the regulations would have been implemented, in any event — and thus revoking the rule will have no positive impact on coal jobs. 

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — Within days of starting his new job in Northern Virginia, Jonathan Heath ’17 was recognized by the Points of Light Foundation.

Heath was recently sworn in as a magistrate for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s 31st Judicial District, which encompasses Prince William County outside of Washington, DC. 

As a magistrate, Heath will conduct probable cause and bail hearings and will issue a wide range of criminal and civil processes including warrants and emergency protective orders.

“I credit the opportunities and experiences I had at WVU Law with preparing me for this position,” Heath said. “I feel that courses such as interviewing, counseling and negotiation as well as the experience I gained both as a member of the Immigration Law Clinic and as a mediator gave me some invaluable hands-on experience.”