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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.”

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — On September 15, 2017, the White House Press Office announced that President Donald J. Trump had nominated Kimberly Reed to serve as First Vice President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

Reed, a 1996 graduate of WVU Law, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 3.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States is the official export credit agency of the United States. It is an independent, self-sustaining agency of the Executive Branch with a mission of supporting American jobs by facilitating the export of U.S. goods and services.

From the White House Press Office:

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — WVU Law is hosting “The Defamation Experience,” an interactive live performance dealing with diversity issues and the law, on Monday, October 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Marlyn E. Lugar Courtroom.

Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. Due to limited seating, a free e-ticket must be downloaded at http://bit.ly/defexpwvu.

An old fashion courtroom drama, “The Defamation Experience” addresses issue of race, class, religion, gender and the law. It focuses on a legal case in which an African-American woman sues a Jewish real estate developer who has accused her of theft.

Through polls, deliberations and post-show discussions, the play’s audience serves as the jury, determines the outcome of the case, and engages in a civil discourse that challenges preconceived notions and promotes self-examination. Written by Todd Logan, “Defamation” premiered in 2010.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — Professor Alison Peck has been appointed director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the West Virginia University College of Law.

“Alison has the background and the passion to ensure that our immigration clinic continues to serve clients in need and provide our students with valuable legal experience,” said Gregory Bowman , dean of the College of Law.

The Immigration Law Clinic serves foreign citizens who are facing deportation, seeking asylum, or need help on other immigration proceedings. Legal services are provided for free by student attorneys working under faculty supervision.

Recent clients of the Immigration Law Clinic include asylum seekers from Honduras, Iraq, Kenya and Libya who faced discrimination or violent persecution for their religious and political beliefs or sexual orientation.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — A new scholarship established at West Virginia University by the West Virginia State Bar is designed to increase legal services in rural communities across the Mountain State.

The Rural Practice Scholarship at the WVU College of Law will be awarded to two members of the Class of 2020 who commit to practicing law in under-served areas.

In exchange for a student’s commitment to three years of post-graduate practice in a rural county, the scholarship will pay tuition and fees for three years of law school at WVU. The scholarship will match in-state tuition and fees and be given in the form of a forgivable loan. At current tuition levels, each scholarship is worth more than $22,000 a year.

One year of loans will be forgiven for each year of qualifying post-graduate rural practice. If the recipient chooses to stop practicing in a rural community, he or she will be required to pay back the outstanding scholarship amount.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — The members of the WVU Law Class of 2020 have officially started their legal careers.

There are 108 of these future lawyers; 49 percent are female and 11 percent self-identify as minority. About 28 percent of the class are first generation college students. The average age is 24 (with an age range of 20 to 58).

The median LSAT score is 153 and the median undergraduate GPA is 3.31. 

Out-of-state students comprise 33 percent of the WVU Law Class of 2020. These students come from Alabama, California, Colorado, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — WVU Law and West Virginia Executive magazine established the Lawyers and Leaders Award this year 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. Nominees for the award must be actively practicing in West Virginia and/or graduates of WVU Law.

"The honorees are a group of hardworking, generous individuals, and their success is evident in their accomplishments and their community involvement," said  Gregory Bowman, dean of the College of Law. 

UPDATE: WVU will host a public memorial for Justice Franklin D. Cleckley on Sunday, September 24 at 2 p.m. in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre at the Creative Arts Center.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — Justice Franklin D. Cleckley, the Arthur B. Hodges Professor of Law Emeritus, passed away in Morgantown on August 14, 2017.

“Frank was a giant in legal education and in law practice,” said Gregory W. Bowman, dean of the College of the Law. “He had one of the keenest intellects I have ever known, and he was admired and loved as a friend and colleague across the state and the country. He will be missed. Please keep his family in your thoughts.”

Cleckley taught at WVU Law from 1969 to 2013,  mentoring future judges, lawyers, state and national legislators, educators, and business and community leaders for more than four decades.