West Virginia University College of Law

Introduction

The College of Law, established in 1878, is the oldest professional school at West Virginia University. The university is located in Morgantown, West Virginia. Within a 500-mile radius of Morgantown is half of the population of the United States and one-third of the population of Canada. The College of Law has been a member of the AALS since 1914 and was fully accredited by the ABA in 1923. The college has had a chapter of the Order of the Coif since 1925.

Library and Physical Facilities

The College of Law facility measures 131,966 square feet and provides a spacious learning community for law students. The law center is home to six classrooms, two courtrooms, a distance learning center, financial aid, career services, and a law bookstore and café. Ample parking at the law center is available by permit for all law students.

The George R. Farmer Jr. Law Library, a three-story, 32,476-square-foot facility with 40,386 feet of shelving space, is home to the largest law library in the state of West Virginia. The law library is comprehensive in scope with a collection of over 300,000 volumes and equivalents. As part of a sustainable strategy, the library replaced its 42 computers with virtual desktops that significantly reduce power consumption and facilitate more efficient IT maintenance. This system also enhances network security and includes an additional 17 virtual desktops in the library's Carlin Computer Lab.

The Student Recreation Center is a $34-million, 177,000-square-foot facility complete with two swimming pools and a massive 50-foot climbing wall that stretches up through the center of the three-story building. The center also houses a wellness center, a resource library, a study area, a food-service operation, a small classroom, a meeting/conference room, and socialization areas.

Admission

The College of Law admits first-year students only in the first (fall) semester. No specific prelaw curriculum is required for admission. The college subscribes to the suggestions in this book pertaining to prelaw study and stresses the value of college courses that require extensive analytic skills and writing assignments.

Students are admitted to the College of Law on the basis of previous academic performance, scores on the Law School Admission Test, personal statements, letters of recommendation, and other factors that bear upon the potential professional qualifications of the applicant as determined by the College of Law.

Applications are accepted beginning September 1 of each year for the class to begin their studies the following August. The required seat deposit amount for residents is $200 and $400 for nonresidents, which is credited toward tuition and fees for the fall semester.

Expenses and Financial Aid

Although WVU's reasonable tuition and fees are an excellent value, the College of Law recognizes that many students may not be able to afford the full cost of a legal education without financial assistance. Limited funds in the form of tuition waivers, scholarships, and college work-study are available each year through the university. Even if the student has not been accepted to the College of Law, he or she should apply for financial aid by March 1. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be completed in order to receive any financial assistance, including all need-based scholarships. Students must complete the FAFSA each year in order to be considered for financial aid.

More information may be obtained by contacting Eric Meadows, Financial Aid Counselor, PO Box 6130, Morgantown, WV 26506-6130; phone: 304.293.5302; e-mail: eric.meadows@mail.wvu.edu.

Housing

The majority of our students live off campus in private housing. The university's Office of Student Life assists students by providing information about off-campus housing options. You may contact them at 304.293.5611 or visit their website at www.studentlife.wvu.edu.

Student Activities

West Virginia University College of Law has over 30 student organizations. The Student Bar Association is the student government of the school. The West Virginia Law Review is the fourth oldest student-governed law review in the nation, and selects members on the basis of performance during their first year in law school and on performance in a writing competition. A competitive Moot Court Program is conducted at the law school, including the National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition.

Career Services

The Meredith Career Services Center provides career counseling, professional development workshops, interview programs, and job-search strategy sessions as part of a comprehensive career services program. Our graduates work in diverse settings throughout the United States and abroad, including law firms, courts, government agencies, public service organizations, corporations, and colleges and universities. The goals of the Career Services office are to educate students about possible careers in the law, encourage them to identify and set career goals, and assist them in achieving those goals. Please visit law.wvu.edu/career_services for more information.

Opportunities for Minority Students

The College of Law is committed to maintaining a diverse student body by welcoming students who are members of groups traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession. The Meredith Career Services Center assists minority students with securing summer employment through a Minority Clerkship Program. The College of Law also participates in the Southeast Minority Job Fair in Atlanta, a regional job fair that brings together employers and minority students. Student organizations, such as the Black Law Students Association, provide additional opportunities for minority students.

Curriculum

Subject to modification, 91 hours are required for graduation. The 31-hour, first-year curriculum is specified. The second- and third-year programs offer a number of course options and possibilities for concentration.

Students have the option, after being admitted, to request enrollment in the part-time program that offers daytime courses congruently with the full-time program. There is not a separate nighttime track.

Educational Centers

The Center for Energy and Sustainable Development is an energy and environmental public policy and research organization at the College of Law. The Center focuses on promoting practices that will balance the continuing demand for energy resources—and the associated economic benefits—alongside the need to reduce the environmental impacts of developing the earth's natural resources. The Center's activities will focus on training the next generation of energy and environmental attorneys, the sustainable practices in the development of energy resources and land use policies, the development of clean energy resources, and the role of utilities in pursuing clean energy objectives.

The Center for Law and Public Service promotes public service at the College of Law by providing opportunities for students to engage in public interest law, fostering dialogue about current legal services and policy issues, and encouraging students to become leaders who seek creative solutions toward achieving equal access to justice in society. The Center provides multiple avenues for student public service opportunities, including the Public Service Externship program, the Pro Bono program, and, in conjunction with the West Virginia Fund for the Public Interest and the Public Interest Advocates, the summer and postgraduate fellowship programs.

Clinic Programs

Hands-on training is a key component of our Advanced Lawyering curriculum. Clinical experience prepares students for the practical challenges of legal practice and hones the skills they need to best serve their clients, the profession, and society.

Clinic programs offered include:

• Civil Clinic—provides eligible individuals with legal services focused on family law, social security and supplemental security income, and consumer debt relief.
• The Child, Family, and Health Advocacy Clinic—offers legal assistance in collaboration with physicians from the WVU Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center.
• Entrepreneurship Law Clinic—offers start-up companies, small businesses, nonprofits, and individuals legal services in areas of counseling for a product plan or business organization, licensing, employee and contractor agreements, intellectual property, financing and venture capital, planning and negotiation, dispute resolution, and generalized assistance in business formation, planning, and strategy.
• Human Rights and Immigration Clinic—provides legal assistance and representation to foreign citizens across the region who are facing deportation, asylum, and other immigration proceedings.
• Land Use and Sustainability Clinic—provides transactional legal assistance to protect and enhance water quality and promote sustainable land use practices.
• Tax Clinic—offers legal services to taxpayers residing in West Virginia who need to resolve a tax controversy with the Internal Revenue Service.

Applicant Profile

West Virginia University College of Law

This grid includes only applicants who earned 120–180 LSAT scores under standard administrations.

	GPA
LSAT Score	3.75+ Apps	3.75+ Adm	3.50– 3.74 Apps	3.50– 3.74 Adm	3.25– 3.49 Apps	3.25– 3.49 Adm	3.00– 3.24 Apps	3.00– 3.24 Adm	2.75– 2.99 Apps	2.75– 2.99 Adm	2.50– 2.74 Apps	2.50– 2.74 Adm	2.25– 2.49 Apps	2.25– 2.49 Adm	2.00– 2.24 Apps	2.00– 2.24 Adm	Below 2.00 Apps	Below 2.00 Adm	No GPA Apps	No GPA Adm	Total Apps	Total Adm
LSAT score 175–180	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
LSAT score 170–174	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2
LSAT score 165–169	6	6	5	3	2	2	1	1	4	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	20	16
LSAT score 160–164	16	15	13	11	5	4	11	10	11	9	5	4	1	1	2	2	0	0	0	0	64	56
LSAT score 155–159	35	32	54	48	59	56	46	39	27	19	16	10	7	3	4	0	1	0	3	1	252	208
LSAT score 150–154	49	43	94	64	84	47	77	21	50	11	23	6	11	4	8	1	3	0	9	2	408	199
LSAT score 145–149	30	5	59	6	49	2	51	2	34	2	27	0	9	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	262	17
LSAT score 140–144	10	0	11	0	20	0	13	0	23	0	12	0	7	0	4	0	0	0	4	0	104	0
LSAT score 135–139	1	0	2	0	8	0	3	0	7	0	3	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	29	0
LSAT score 130–134	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
LSAT score 125–129	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	5	0
LSAT score 120–124	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	148	102	238	132	229	112	203	73	157	44	89	21	40	8	21	3	7	0	21	3	1153	498

Apps = Number of Applicants
Adm = Number Admitted
Reflects 100% of the total applicant pool; highest LSAT data reported.