News

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.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.— A free public education workshop to be held in Charleston, West Virginia, will explore how the state’s communities can respond to the world’s transition to new energy sources and technology.

“Leaving No One Behind: Ensuring a Fair Transition for Workers and Communities” will be held on February 5 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center. Admission is free, but registration is required for seating. Please visit energy.law.wvu.edu/transition for more information.

The workshop is hosted by the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development at the West Virginia University College of Law, the West Virginia Center on Climate Change, and the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy.

“The nation’s energy industry is undergoing a major transition, and West Virginia is bearing the brunt of it through the loss of coal jobs and the adverse economic impacts in the southern part of the state,“ said James Van Nostrand, director of the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development. “This program will give attendees the chance to learn from top national experts about the economic and political opportunities and obstacles for creating a fair transition for all.”

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—WVU Law has nominated 3L Amanda Demmerle for the prestigious Burton Distinguished Legal Writing Award for Law Schools.

Demmerle was chosen for her Note, “Pain in the Ash: How Coal-Fired Power Plants are Polluting Our Nation’s Waters Without Consequences,” which was published in the December 2019 West Virginia Law Review (122 W. Va. L. Rev. 289).

A Note is a student-authored academic article that discusses and analyzes a legal issue.

In her Note, Demmerle argues that the Clean Water Act is currently the best way to regulate water pollution caused by coal ash impoundments in the United States. She discusses options within the Clean Water Act, and each option's likelihood of success, to hold coal ash impoundment operators liable and reduce water pollution.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—A team from the West Virginia University College of Law recently won the best brief award on the way to a quarterfinal finish in a regional round of the National Moot Court Competition.

The college’s National Moot Court Team is made up of third-year law students Britany Dolan, Emily Ford, Julian Pecora, Garrett Spiker and Chris Weed. They competed in two groups at the National Moot Court Competition Region IV Round held at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Virginia, in November.

Ford, Weed and Pecora won the best brief award, beating teams from 18 law schools from Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia. It is WVU‘s first best brief award at this competition in more than 20 years.

Spiker and Dolan were among the top eight teams to reach the regional’s quarterfinal round. They are the third WVU Law team in 10 years to advance that far in the National Moot Court Competition.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—Students at the West Virginia University College of Law have helped a U.S. Navy veteran receive a discharge upgrade.

“Our client now qualifies for a range VA benefits including healthcare, disability compensation, pension, and home loans,” said Jed Nolan, director of the Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic.

The client was discharged unfavorably in 1986 after being diagnosed with a mental health condition. Nevertheless, he experienced success in school and work following the discharge, according to Nolan

The clinic requested the veteran’s discharge status be upgraded to “General, Under Honorable” because the behavior that led to his discharge was a direct result of service-related issues. Students in the clinic also argued that the discharge upgrade was in the interest of justice because the Navy had failed to provide him with adequate treatment, which impacted his ability to serve. This fall, the Board of Naval Corrections concurred.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.— West Virginia University is expanding its presence in Charleston, leasing two floors in Equities House, a central downtown office building that will become home to several University offices in the state’s capital city.

“Charleston is the business and cultural heart of West Virginia,” said President Gordon Gee. “While West Virginia University has always been in the Charleston region in some capacity, this new venture provides a consolidated and multi-faceted presence that will allow the University to serve its constituents better and create a base of operations that will greatly benefit the region and the state.”

The University’s College of Law, WVU Extension Service and John Chambers College of Business and Economics will occupy the 19,000 square foot space.

Gregory Bowman, the William J. Maier Jr. dean of the College of Law, sees a lot of potential for an expanded WVU location in Charleston.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—The law firm of Bailey, Javins, & Carter, L.C. has given $200,000 to the Moot Court Board at WVU Law.

The gift will benefit law students who are preparing for their careers by competing in moot court competitions. It will help pay for expenses such as training, programming and travel.

“Lee Javins, J.R. Carter and I received wonderful legal educations at the WVU College of Law and we wanted to give something back,” said attorney Tim Bailey. “By competing at the highest levels of moot court competition, students gain valuable experience they will take with them as they begin their careers. Sponsoring the Moot Court Board is a unique opportunity for Bailey, Javins, & Carter to help our law school.”

Bailey is a member of the WVU Law Class of 1991; Javins is a member of the Class of 1994; and Carter is a member of the Class of 2005.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – For the next two years, Tanya Karwaki will teach and mentor law students and conduct legal research in health care issues as the first Health Law Fellow at WVU Law.

“I am excited to work in this position because it permits me to share my experience in health law and policy with WVU law students,” said Karwaki. “Health law is a dynamic, complex, heavily regulated and important subject area with broad societal impact and potential for rewarding legal careers. It is important to consider and develop legal frameworks that may facilitate the contemporary practice of pharmacy and increased access to quality health care.”

This semester, Karwaki is teaching a seminar on law and policy of medical drugs for second- and third-year students. While on Law School Hill, Karwaki is also continuing her research on the role of law in improving access to health care, the legal challenges created by the globalization of health care, and innovations in pharmacy law. 

Karwaki comes to WVU Law from the University of Washington, where she taught in the school of law and in the pharmacy program. She holds expertise in drug law, health care professionalism, pharmacy law and health policy.