News

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The House of Delegates elected Roger Hanshaw '12 (R-Clay) as the 58th Speaker of the West Virginia House on August 29.

Speaker Hanshaw succeeds former Speaker Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, who resigned last week. He becomes just the second Republican to serve as leader of the House of Delegates since the current state Capitol was built in the 1930s.

“With great humility, I accept this opportunity to help make West Virginia a better place to live, work and raise a family,” Hanshaw said. “We have made great strides in the past four years under Speaker Armstead’s leadership, and I hope to build on that foundation so we can continue to improve our economy, inspire business investment and help create jobs for all West Virginians.”

Hanshaw, 38, is currently serving in his second term in the House of Delegates. The Vice-Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, he also serves as Chairman of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Flooding.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — A new class of West Virginia Lawyers and Leaders has been recognized at WVU Law.

WVU Law and West Virginia Executive magazine established the Lawyers and Leaders Awards in 2017 to recognize lawyers who have made a positive impact on the state and the nation.

Award winners have dedicated their career to serving others and their communities. Recipients must practice in West Virginia and/or be graduates of WVU Law.

“The professionals chosen for these awards demonstrate exemplary leadership, a commitment to service and, of course, an unbreakable bond with the state of West Virginia. We are proud to showcase them and their wonderful accomplishments,” said   Gregory Bowman, dean of the College of Law.  

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — With classes underway, first-year students at the West Virginia University College of Law have officially begun their legal careers.  

There are 113 students in the WVU Law Class of 2021, which is an increase of almost four percent over last year. First generation college students make up one-third of the class.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – The West Virginia Innocence Project Law Clinic at WVU Law has helped free a client from prison after proving he was convicted of a crime he did not commit.

The Circuit Court for Tyler County, West Virginia, recently vacated the conviction of Christopher Dodrill. In 2016, Dodrill was found guilty of child abuse with serious bodily injury and unlawful assault after a child under his care became injured. He was sentenced to 3-15 years in prison.

Dodrill consistently testified that the child fell and hit her head, and that he took her to the hospital. The child fully recovered, but because she had brain swelling and a subdural hematoma, the hospital diagnosed her with Shaken Baby Syndrome without eliminating other possible causes of her injuries.

At his trial, Dodrill had no doctors or expert witnesses to consult or testify on his behalf, making it his word against the hospital’s diagnosis.