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MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — WVU Law awarded degrees to the Class of 2018 at Commencement on May 11 at the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre at the WVU Creative Arts Center.

“You have mastered the academic challenges of law school. And now you take your rightful place in the world as lawyers fighting for justice. That is a noble cause and you should be proud; we are certainly proud of you,” Gregory Bowman, dean of the College of Law, told the graduates.

Jennifer Oliva, associate professor of law and public health, delivered the Commencement address. She was selected Professor of the Year by the Class of the 2018.

Oliva, director of the Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic, praised the graduates for their accomplishments in and out of the classroom, including providing much-need legal services to West Virginians.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — The employment rate for WVU Law 2017 graduates is higher than the national average.

According to data gathered by the American Bar Association (ABA), 82 percent of the WVU Law Class of 2017 secured full-time, long-term jobs that require passing the bar exam or where a J.D. is an advantage. The national average is 75.3 percent.

WVU Law’s 2017 employment rate places it in the top 60 of the 203 law schools in the country approved by the ABA.

“It is a clear sign that employers value a law degree from WVU,” said Gregory W. Bowman, dean of the College of Law. “We work hard to prepare our students to succeed in a very competitive job market.”

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — Judge Michael J. Aloi and attorney Bruce E. Stanley are the recipients of the 2018 Justitia Officium Award presented by the WVU Law faculty

The Justitia Officium recognizes outstanding contributions and service to the legal profession. Founded in 1978, it is the highest award presented by the law faculty. Aloi and Stanley will receive their award at the College of Law’s Commencement on May 11.

Aloi is the United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia in Clarksburg.

He serves on the board of the West Virginia State Bar’s Judicial and Lawyer Assistance Program and he is a member of the bar’s Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being. He is also an Instructing Judge for Basic Criminal Advocacy at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina, and a faculty member at the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, DC.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – Nathan Bennett and Sarah Petitto are recipients of the first scholarship at WVU Law meant to increase the number of lawyers practicing in the state’s rural communities.

Established by the West Virginia State Bar, the Rural Practice Scholarship pays tuition and fees for three years of law school in exchange for the student’s commitment to three years of post-graduate legal practice in a rural county.

Bennett and Petitto were chosen for their academic performance and strong commitment to practicing law in the state’s under-served areas after they graduate in 2020. The inaugural Rural Practice Scholarship was offered only to members of the WVU College of Law’s Class of 2020.

“I applied for the scholarship because I want to dedicate my career to serving those who are in need of affordable, equal access legal representation in rural West Virginia,” said Bennett. “As a single parent, this scholarship will also allow me to concentrate less on the financial cost of law school and more on my family and my studies as I obtain my legal education.”