MORGANTOWN – Legal experts from around the country recently gathered at West Virginia University to discuss how to more Appalachia forward.
The Appalachian Justice Symposium featured 80 experts in a variety of fields including federal and state agencies, law firms, the judiciary and the media. It was held Feb. 23-24.
“The Appalachian Justice Symposium brought together a large group of experts: academics, lawyers, legislators, judges, doctors, journalists and more,” Rebecca Trump, editor-in-chief of the West Virginia Law Review, told The West Virginia Record in an email interview.
“It provided a forum for individuals in different fields to discuss their areas of expertise with one another, allowing them to build relationships and collaborate on ideas to help move Appalachia forward,” she added.
Topics that were up for discussion during the weekend event included health care, oil, gas and coal, civil rights, broadband expansion, economic development and criminal justice among others.
Keynote speakers included University of California Davis School of Law's Lisa R. Pruitt, John Deskins from the Bureau of Business and Economic Research and U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Aloi.
As part of the symposium, a panel discussion was held between state Sen. Mitch Carmichael, Sen. Charles S. Trump and state delegates Tim Armstead and John Shott to discuss legislative goals for the region.
Other panel discussions were held with experts from law firms, corporations, U.S. agencies as well as from public interest groups and nonprofit organizations.
Previous Law Review symposiums held by the school examined investigative technology, flawed forensics, and prescription drug abuse, a spokesperson explained, adding that experts from near and far were always a feature of the event.
According to the school, this year’s symposium was the largest, with 18 panels over two days, and the most diverse in terms of topics and issues.
The event was held at the University’s College of Law in Morgantown. It was brought together by the West Virginia Law Review, which is a professional journal founded in 1984. It is one of the oldest student-led publications of its kind in the country.