News

Update 3/7/20: Congratulations to the University of Virginia School of Law for winning the 2020 National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition, and to the University of North Dakota for finishing in second place.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—Law students from across the country will be in Morgantown, West Virginia, March 5-7 for the 10th annual National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition at the West Virginia University College of Law.

Twenty four law schools are sending a record 36 teams to this year’s competition, which is organized by the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development at WVU Law.

The moot court problem this year involves the construction of a large pipeline to transport natural gas from a shale play to surrounding markets. The three issues involved are whether the pipeline developer complied with the requirements of the Clean Water Act; the extent of eminent domain authority under the Natural Gas Act;  and the authority of a federal agency to grant a right-of-way across a property near a trail that is part of the National Park System.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—The Center for Consumer Law and Education will present a free public workshop on student debt relief on March 4 at 6 p.m. in Marshall University’s Drinko Library. 

The CCLE is a joint partnership between Marshall University and the West Virginia University College of Law.

The March 4 workshop will offer information about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and other student loan topics. It is part of the West Virginia People’s Law School series, a statewide community outreach effort by CCLE to educate consumers about their rights.

Research by Marshall University found that 99.5% of applications for Public Service Loan Forgiveness in 2018 were rejected. Because of this lack of success, the Government Accountability Office conducted a review of the program and found that borrowers simply do not understand the program.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—West Virginia University’s John Chambers College of Business and Economics and the College of Law are holding a joint Distinguished Speaker Series featuring Kimberly A. Reed, president and chairman of the Board of Directors of the federal Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM).

The event will be held on March 2, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Marlyn E. Lugar Courtroom at the WVU College of Law.

“Kim Reed’s leadership is vital to the economic growth of the United States and the world,” said Gregory Bowman, William J. Maier, Jr. Dean of the WVU College of Law. “We are proud of her many accomplishments and honored that she is taking the time to visit WVU and her home state. This is an exceptional opportunity to hear from a WVU Law graduate who is making a difference on the global economic stage.”

Reed is recognized as one of the “100 Women Leaders in STEM” and is the first female chair of the Republican National Lawyers Association. In 2019, she became the first woman and the first West Virginian to lead EXIM, confirmed by a vote of 79 to 17.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.— Across the United States, municipalities are responding on their own to pressing issues such as anti-discrimination, the environment, gun regulation and consumer protection. In West Virginia, the Home Rule Pilot Program was launched in 2007 and made permanent in 2019.

At a symposium on February 27 and 28, the West Virginia Law Review will explore home rule topics and challenges with a range of national experts.

“ Home Rule: A State and Local Law Symposium” will be held at the West Virginia University College of Law. The program starts at noon on February 27 and at 8:45 a.m. on February 28.

Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. Practicing attorneys can register for continuing legal education credit at WVCLE.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—The West Virginia University College of Law recently received a gift from attorney Douglas Kilmer '76 that will help prepare future bankruptcy lawyers.

The Douglas Kilmer Bankruptcy Law Fund will cover costs associated with establishing an advanced bankruptcy course at WVU Law. The fund will also provide a scholarship each year to a student who demonstrates excellence in bankruptcy law, either by receiving the American Bankruptcy Institute Medal of Excellence or by excelling in bankruptcy-related classwork and extra-curricular activities.

“It is an honor to be able to provide this opportunity to encourage and reward students who may be interested in the practice of bankruptcy law,” Kilmer said. “It is my hope that this program will enhance the practice of bankruptcy law in West Virginia and inspire students to participate in this challenging but rewarding area of the law.”

Based in Charleston, West Virginia, Kilmer specializes in bankruptcy law. He is also a certified mediator in bankruptcy and debtor-creditor disputes.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—The public interest law program at West Virginia University College of Law has been ranked fifth in the nation.

PreLaw Magazine named WVU Law among the 2020 Best Schools for Public Service: Public Interest. Lawyers who practice public interest law help those who cannot afford legal services and the underrepresented, including the poor, the elderly, children and victims of domestic violence.

WVU Law has a long history of commitment to public interest law. It offers a concentration in the field and, every year, students are funded to work in public interest agencies, including Legal Aid of West Virginia, Mountain State Justice and ChildLaw Services. The college’s clinical law program provides more than 40,000 hours of pro bono legal services a year to those in need. Since 2009, the college has operated a Center for Law in Public Service.

“Excellence in public service is in our DNA, and it’s an integral part of our mission as a land-grant law school,” said Gregory Bowman, dean of the College of Law. “We are committed to helping our students excel in public interest law while providing a much-needed service to our state and nation.”

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.— A new book by folklorist Rosemary Hathaway explores the history and potent symbolism of the iconic West Virginia University Mountaineer.

The book launch for “Mountaineers Are Always Free: Heritage, Dissent, and a West Virginia Icon” ( WVU Press, 2020) will be held in the Event Hall at the WVU College of Law on February 24 at 4 p.m. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.

Hathaway, an associate professor of English, will lead a discussion about the Mountaineer with Travis Stimeling, associate professor of music, and Emily Hilliard of the West Virginia Folklife Program.  

For more than 80 years, the WVU Mountaineer has been alternately a rabble-rouser and a romantic embodiment of the state’s history. While being the subject of ongoing reinterpretation, the Mountaineer has consistently conveyed the value of independence.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Lauren McCartney has been named director of Continuing Legal Education at the West Virginia University College of Law.

McCartney will develop and implement seminars for the professional development of lawyers who practice in the Mountain State. She will also lead strategic planning, assessment and evaluation of WVCLE initiatives in alignment with the college's strategic plan.

“I look forward to serving the members of West Virginia’s Bar in designing a curriculum of timely topics and engaging speakers to help each of them move forward with their professional goals,” McCartney said. “Legal professionals hold themselves to the highest standards of integrity and professional responsibility, and the Bar self-regulates through the fulfillment of continuing legal education requirements.”

McCartney has worked as an attorney with Jackson Kelly PLLC and Huddleston Bolen, now Dinsmore & Shohl LLP.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University College of Law is hosting an admissions open house aimed at increasing diversity in the classroom and the legal profession.

WVU Law’s inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Day will be held on February 22 from 9:00 a.m. (check-in) to 1 p.m. on Law School Hill. It is free and lunch will be served. To register, visit bit.ly/wvulaw-diversity-day.

Beginning at 9:30 a.m., guests will hear from law students and alumni about how WVU Law set them up for success in law school and their careers. Members of the College’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee will also highlight programs and opportunities offered to diverse law students to help them get the most out of their legal education.

“Diversity is important in law school and the legal profession because it leads to better representation for all members of society,” said Beth Pierpont, assistant dean for Enrollment Management. “We are committed to inclusive excellence at the WVU College of Law because it will ultimately ensure greater access to justice.”

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—The West Virginia Innocence Project, a clinic at the West Virginia University College of Law, has received an award from the Morgantown Human Rights Commission.

The award is given annually to an organization in recognition of International Human Rights Day on December 10.

Marjorie McDiarmid, director of the clinical law program, and Melissa Giggenbach, director of the West Virginia Innocence Project, accepted the award from Jacob Powers, chair of the Morgantown Human Rights Commission.

“It requires painstaking work on the part of the students first to identify and then to advocate for clients who have been wrongfully convicted. This award goes to those students and the faculty and staff who work with them,” McDiarmid said.