2010 Bar Foundation Fellows

          Nineteen individuals were honored as Bar Foundation Fellows during the 12th Annual Bar Foundation Fellows Dinner on Thursday, April 29, 2010, at the Marriott Hotel in Charleston. Fellows are those lawyers and members of the judiciary whose professional, public and private careers have demonstrated dedication to the welfare of their communities and honorable service to the legal profession. The black tie optional reception and dinner were attended by more than 160 lawyers, judges and guests from all parts of the state.
          The 2010 Bar Foundation Fellows class members are:
            Robert  B. Allen-Charleston
            Richard J. Bolen-Huntington 
            Ellen S. Cappellanti-Charleston
           Anita R. Casey-Charleston
           Stephen B. Farmer-Charleston 
           Kenneth D. Gray-Morgantown
           Thomas A. Heywood-Charleston
           The Honorable Gary L. Johnson-Summersville
           William A. Kolibash-Wheeling 
           Timothy J. Manchin-Fairmont  
           Dean Joyce E. McConnell-Morgantown
           Robert W. Minto, Jr.-Missoula, MT
           Dina M. Mohler-Charleston
           Charles S. Piccirillo-Madison 
           William J. Powell-Martinsburg
           Kathy M. Santa Barbara-Martinsburg
           The Honorable Thomas W. Steptoe, Jr.-Charles Town
           William D. Wilmoth-Wheeling
           John D.Wooton-Beckley

March 24, 2010 | Filed Under Tinderbox | Leave a Comment 

Bar Brief-20

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Goodwin presents the winner’s plaque to the students from Herbert Hoover High School, with their teachers, Debi O’Dell and Dennie Duncan, for the We, the People program.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Goodwin presents the winner’s plaque to the students from Herbert Hoover High School, with their teachers, Debi O’Dell and Dennie Duncan, for the We, the People program.

WE, THE PEOPLE PROGRAM
          After regional and statewide competitions, the Herbert Hoover High School team from Kanawha County was selected to be West Virginia’s representative in the We, the People national event in Washington, DC, in April. This program is an excellent opportunity for high school students to learn about constitutional rights and responsibilities and then discuss these issues before panels of judges. A large majority of the more than 35 persons who judged the competition this year were lawyers and members of the state’s judiciary. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Joseph Goodwin and WV Secretary of Education and the Arts Kay Goodwin  made presentations to the students and their teachers during the final event.

BAR FOUNDATION FELLOWS
          Twenty individuals will be honored as Bar Foundation Fellows during the 12th Annual Bar Foundation Fellows Dinner on Thursday, April 29, 2010, at the Marriott Hotel in Charleston. Fellows are those lawyers and members of the judiciary whose professional, public and private careers have demonstrated dedication to the welfare of their communities and honorable service to the legal profession. The black tie optional reception and dinner begins at 6:30 PM and the cost is $75 person or $750 for a table of ten persons. Please contact Tom Tinder (304-343-9823 or tom@wvbarfoundation.org) to make reservations.
          The 2010 Bar Foundation Fellows class members are:
                  Robert Allen-Charleston
                  Richard Bolen-Huntington  
                  Ellen Cappellanti-Charleston
                  Anita Casey-Charleston
                  Steve Farmer-Charleston 
                  Lee Feinberg-Charleston  
                  Ken Gray-Morgantown
                  Tom Heywood-Charleston
                  The Honorable Gary Johnson-Summersville 
                  William Kolibash-Wheeling 
                  Tim Manchin-Fairmont  
                  Dean Joyce McConnell-Morgantown
                  Robert Minto-Missoula, Montana 
                  Dina Mohler-Charleston 
                  Charles Piccirillo-Madison 
                  William Powell-Martinsburg
                  Kathy Santa Barbara-Martinsburg
                  The Honorable Thomas Steptoe-Charles Town
                  William D. Wilmoth-Wheeling
                  John Wooton-Beckley

March 19, 2010 | Filed Under Bar Briefs | Leave a Comment 

Bar Brief-19

A Bar Foundation grant was recently provided to the WV Alliance for Children for a guardian ad litem handbook for foster parents. Alliance Executive Director Scott Boileau, on the left, is pictured with Bar Foundation President John Tinney.
WV Alliance for Children Executive Director Scott Boileau, on the left, with Bar Foundation President John Tinney.
BAR FOUNDATION GRANT
          Recently, the Bar Foundation Board of Directors approved a grant to the WV Alliance for Children to improve the administration of justice. The funds will be utilized to produce and distribute a handbook for foster parents designed to help them understand the role and responsibilities of the guardian-ad-litem. Additional sponsors for this worthwhile project are the WV Court Improvement Board and the WV Department of Health and Human Resources. Bar Foundation grants totaling more than $35,000 have been distributed since June, 2008. 
BAR EXAMINATION
          The National Conference of Bar Examiners has released its 2009 statistical report for persons taking and passing the bar examination which was given in February and July, 2009. The national passage rate was 68% with WV exceeding it with 73%. Surrounding states had the following passage rates—Kentucky (77%), Maryland (69%), Ohio (76%), Pennsylvania (76%) and Virginia (69%). The ten year national average (2000-2009) was 68% and here in WV, it was 73%.
ABA/BAR FOUNDATION FELLOWS
          The WV Bar Foundation Fellows and the American Bar Association Fellows are discussing plans for joint activities and events to benefit the justice system in the state. Both groups consist of members of the judiciary and lawyers who are leaders in the justice system and in their communities. The state coordinator for the ABA Fellows is Robert M. Steptoe, Jr., a Past President of the WV Bar Foundation.  
         

March 9, 2010 | Filed Under Bar Briefs | Leave a Comment