MORGANTOWN — A Pittsburgh attorney who was raised in West Virginia has received an award for outstanding contributions and service to the legal profession.
Bruce E. Stanley was one of two recipients of the Justitia Officium Award, which was presented by West Virginia University College of Law faculty at the school's commencement ceremony on May 11.
Stanley was born in Logan and raised in Mingo County. His father was the postmaster in Breeden.
Stanley said the award represents the highest honor for a WVU Law graduate.
"It’s a recognition by the faculty at the College of Law of what you’ve tried to accomplish as a lawyer, and, having attended WVU for both my undergraduate and my law degree, I can’t imagine any greater honor that could be bestowed," Stanley told The West Virginia Record.
Stanley graduated from WVU in 1981 with a bachelor's degree and received his law degree in 1989.
Stanley and his wife, Debbie, live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania now, where he is the founding partner of Stanley & Schmitt. His firm practices personal injury law, construction law and commercial litigation.
"We’re high school sweethearts out of Mingo County," Stanley said. "We both attended the old Lenore High School that is part of Tug Valley now."
Stanley and his wife have two grown daughters - Laura Stanley Burns and Emily Stanley Horby.
When he was attending WVU Law, Stanley was the editor-in-chief of the West Virginia Law Review.
Stanley previously worked at the law firm of Reed Smith.
While working with Reed Smith, Stanley represented Hugh Caperton against Massey Energy, which resulted in a landmark opinion regarding campaign contributions and judicial recusal.
Stanley also represented the widows and the estates of the miners who died in the Aracoma mine disaster that occurred in 2006. A book was written by Laurence Learner about Stanley and several other attorneys' efforts to bring justice for the miners and their families.
"In many respects, this award is the honor of a lifetime," Stanley said.
