MORGANTOWN – The West Virginia University College of Law was recognized by National Jurist Magazine as one of the top schools in the country in terms of community impact.
According to a release from the college, WVU Law placed second in the magazine’s law school honor roll. Honorees were ranked in connection with the pro bono services they provided during the 2015-2016 year.
“This is an acknowledgement of the great work our law school does year after year, for free, for the residents of West Virginia,” WVU Law dean Gregory Bowman told The West Virginia Record. “We don’t do it for the recognition - our land grant mission is to serve the state of West Virginia - but it is nice when an honor likes this comes our way.”
Bowman said seeing the recognition lets prospective students know that WVU Law will give them “life-changing opportunities” to make a difference in the world.
“They might give us a first or second look – or even decide that we are the law school experience they are looking for,” Bowman said.
Meanwhile, the dean said the national recognition benefits current students, as well.
“The honor roll tells employers that our students are doing something special here in preparation for their careers,” he said. “It also illustrates that our students are ready to work and ready to serve.”
According to information provided by WVU Law Director of Marketing and Communications James Jolly, 66 third-year students at the school worked in pro bono clinics in the 2015-2016 year serving those in need. These students represented 64 percent of the entire third-year class.
Jolly said legal services are conducted under faculty supervision through WVU College of Law clinics, which include veterans advocacy, entrepreneurship and innovation, immigration, child and family law with medical-legal partnership, land use and sustainable development, the West Virginia Innocence Project, taxpayer advocacy, U.S. Supreme Court and general practice.
“Services include working on cases of wrongful conviction, asylum, domestic violence, child abuse, adoption, bankruptcy and property; researching/writing zoning ordinances and comprehensive plans; researching/writing briefs; low-income taxpayer assistance; and assisting entrepreneurs,” Jolly said.
In addition, 26 third-year law students completed their pro bono service hours under the college’s Center for Law and Public Service.
Through this service, Jolly said WVU Law students perform pro bono projects at nonprofit or government agencies such as Legal Aid of West Virginia, magistrate courts; the Morgantown Rape and Domestic Violence Information Center, Senior Legal Aid and the Appalachian Prison book project.
“Service also includes students who volunteered with state court judges, prosecuting attorney’s offices and public defender offices,” Jolly said. “Service to the Public Interest Advocates student organization also counts as pro bono.”
Jolly said the law clinic faculty and students represented 506 clients or client groups in 2015-2016, including three clients who were granted clemency by former President Barack Obama, three Immigration Clinic clients who were granted asylum and a partial victory earned in a U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals case involving a Honduran client threatened with deportation.
The 2016-2017 school year marks the 40th anniversary of the Clinical Law Program at WVU Law.
