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Every year, the West Virginia University Foundation celebrates a special class of teacher.

The kind that nudges students toward their dreams. The kind that you remember and keep in touch with decades after graduating.

These professors leave a lasting impact, and are recipients of the WVU Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching. The Foundation selects just six WVU professors for this recognition. This year, the honorees include the College of Law’s Elaine Wilson .

After graduating from Boston University’s Six-Year Law Program in 1993, she began her career as an associate in the Estates & Personal Department at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York City. She then moved to Barnes & Thornburg in Indianapolis, where she made partner in 2002.

In 2007, she joined the Chicago office of Quarles & Brady as a partner in the Tax-Exempt Organizations Group. In 2009, Wilson was named among the “40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 To Watch” by Chicago Lawyer Magazine and, in 2012, was named “Lawyer of the Year” in Chicago for Non-Profit/Charities Law by The Best Lawyers in America. While in practice, she was listed in The Best Lawyers in America every year since 2007.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – Professors Shine (Sean) Tu and Elaine Wilson are winners of the West Virginia University College of Law 2014-15 Faculty Significant Scholarship Award.

The award is given annually by a faculty committee to a law professor whose written work addresses an important public issue through research and clear and concise writing.

Tu was recognized for his article “Patent Examiners and Litigation Outcomes” that was published by the Stanford Technology Law Review in 2014. The award committee commended Tu for his “innovative and creative work” that “pierces the fog that envelopes the patent system” and “advances the discussion of how the system might better operate.”

Wilson won for her tax article “Better Late Than Never: Incorporating LLCs into Section 4943” that explores the entanglement of business and charity. She was praised by the award committee for the article’s “rigor, organization, and focus” and contribution to the understanding of “an important emerging area of tax law.” Publication of Wilson’s article is forthcoming in the Akron Law Review.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA—Richard F. Griffin, Jr., general counsel for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), will deliver the annual Charles L. Ihlenfeld Lecture on Public Policy and Ethics on Monday, April 13, at 12 p.m. in the event hall at theWest Virginia University College of Law. 

Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. A reception follows the lecture.

Griffin was sworn in as General Counsel of the NLRB on November 4, 2013 for a four year term. Prior to becoming General Counsel, he served as a board member from January 2012 to August 2013. 

Griffin previously served as General Counsel for International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE). He also served on the board of directors for the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee. Since 1983, Griffin has held a number of leadership positions withIUOE, including Assistant House Counsel and Associate General Counsel. From 1985 to 1994, Griffin was a member of the board of trustees of the IUOE’s central pension fund, and from 1981 to 1983, he served as a Counsel to NLRB Board Members.

Griffin holds a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.

The Charles L. Ihlenfeld (1908-89) Lecture annually brings to the WVU College of Law distinguished speakers in public service and ethics. A prominent lawyer for 56 years and a former mayor of Wheeling, W.Va., Ihlenfeld devoted much of his life to public service. These lectures, established in his memory, honor a life and career marked by significant contributions to the practice of law, to the legal profession, and to civic affairs of his state and community.

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. —The 2015 National Energy Conference at the West Virginia University College of Law will examine issues affecting the use of water in energy production, including quality and supply, federal regulations, and climate change.

The fourth annual conference takes place on Friday, April 10, in the College of Law’s Event Hall. It features experts from government, the private sector, and policy, academic, and environmental organizations. The conference is organized by the College of Law’s Center for Energy and Sustainable Development and it is sponsored by Steptoe & Johnson PLLC.

Among the issues that panelists will explore are the Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of the “Waters of the United States” and its October 2014 cooling water intake rule. Both are part of the Clean Water Act.

Panelists will also examine how developers and environmental regulators are addressing issues in managing water use in shale gas development, and how climate change is expected to affect water supply and its impact on energy industries.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – LGBT civil rights attorney Beth Littrell will speak at the West Virginia University College of Law on Wednesday, April 1, at 7 p.m. in the event hall.

Admissions is free and the public is invited to attend. A reception will follow the lecture.

Littrell, who helped win marriage equality in West Virginia, will address the next big advocacy issues in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions, and a reception follows the program. 

As a senior attorney for Lambda Legal in Atlanta, Georgia, Littrell has been involved in a wide variety of litigation for same sex couples, including marriage, custody rights, First Amendment disputes, and employment and disability discrimination.

Founded in 1973, Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest national legal organization whose mission is to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.

Littrell’s lecture at WVU is hosted by OUTlaw, a student organization at the College of Law that fosters open communication between gay and straight communities while educating individuals on gay rights issues.

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MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRIGINIA—The West Virginia University College of Law continues to be ranked a top 100 law school by U.S. News & World Report. In its “2016 Best Graduate Schools” guide, the magazine ranks WVU Law #94 out of 198 accredited law schools.

“The national environment for law schools is extremely competitive, so our place among the best schools is very good news,” said Gregory Bowman, interim dean of the College of Law. “Our ranking is the result of the hard work being done by our faculty and staff to ensure a high-quality legal education and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of alumni, friends, university leadership, and the law community.”

To compile its latest law school rankings, U.S. News used statistics from 2013 and 2014, including data on peer assessment, LSAT scores, employment rate, and bar passage rate.

While acknowledging the objective value of rankings like U.S. News, Bowman points out that they are just one tool future law students should use when researching a school.

UPDATE Congratulations to Texas Tech University School of Law, winner of the 2015 National Energy & Sustainability Moot Court Competition, and the University of North Dakota School of Law, runner-up.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA—Law students from across the country are coming to Morgantown March 12-14 to compete in the fifth annual National Energy & Sustainability Moot Court Competition, hosted by the West Virginia University College of Law.

The legal issues in the competition are based on recent court and regulatory cases, and illustrate environmental and sustainability challenges faced by today’s energy companies.

This year, the students in the competition are tackling legal problems faced by a fictitious energy company trying to build a natural gas gathering pipeline system.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia will convene at the West Virginia University College of Law on Wednesday, March 4, to hear five cases. The hearings will begin at 10 a.m. in the Marlyn E. Lugar Courtroom. Admission is free and open to the public. Seating begins at 9 a.m.

The first case to go before the court will be SER Ralph A. Lorenzetti, Jr., Prosecuting Attorney v. Honorable David H. Sanders, Judge; and Elizabeth Shanton. In this case, the prosecuting attorney seeks a writ of prohibition challenging a Circuit Court order dismissing 53 of 54 counts against Elizabeth Shanton. Shanton has been indicted on 53 counts of fraudulent or unauthorized use of a State Purchasing Card and one count of fraudulent schemes.

The second case is Gary W. Rich v. Joseph Simoni, et al. It deals with the following question certified by the District Court: Are the West Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct statements of public policy with the force of law equal to that given to statutes enacted by the West Virginia Legislature?

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI) today named Billie S. McConkey as vice president, human resources.

A practicing labor and employment attorney, McConkey, 44, has provided legal counsel to three different news companies over her 20-year career. Since 2006, she has served as special employment counsel to McClatchy, providing guidance on labor and employment issues. She begins her new role March 9 as the company’s top human resources executive and a member of McClatchy’s senior management team.

“Billie has a long history of working with our markets in the area of employee relations and has a deep understanding of our culture,” said McClatchy President and CEO Pat Talamantes. “Leaders both at corporate and in our markets have tremendous confidence in Billie’s judgment, resourcefulness and work ethic. I couldn’t be happier to have her lead our dedicated team of human resources professionals.”

Born and raised in Charleston, W.Va., McConkey earned a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University and her law degree from West Virginia University’s College of Law, where she graduated first in her class and was executive editor of the West Virginia Law Review. She moved to Arizona in 1995 to begin her legal career, working in private practice and specializing in employment issues.