currentthethe magazine of

the Appalachian School of LawFall/Winter 2014

Mission: Accomplished Alumni and students are living the mission of ASL

Image created using words from ASL’s mission

statement.

the current

The Current is published twice a year by the

Appalachian School of Law. Send comments or questions to

current@asl.edu.

Dean’s Corner

The Honorable Stephanie Dawn Thacker of the United States Court of Appeals for

the 4th Circuit will serve as the commencement speaker on May 9, 2015. Judge Thacker became the first West Virginia woman to serve on the Court when appointed in 2012. Nominated by President Obama, she was unanimously confirmed by the Senate. She is a graduate of Marshall University and the West Virginia University College of Law. Before assuming her seat on the Court, she served as a federal prosecutor for 12 years, in both the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West

Virginia and in the Department of Justice, becoming principal deputy chief of the Child Ex-ploitation and Obscenity Section. She prosecuted the first federal Violence Against Women Act case and helped develop the nationwide Innocence Lost initiative to combat child sex trafficking. Thereaf-ter, she joined the Charleston law firm of Guthrie & Thomas where she specialized in complex liti-gation, environmental and toxic tort litigation, and criminal defense. She also served as an Adjunct Professor at the West Virginia University School of Law.

4th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge to Speak at Graduation

Dean Lucy S. McGough

Associate DeanSandra K. McGlothlin

Assistant DeanDerrick Howard

Managing EditorJanie Castle

ContributorsPatrick Baker Mark “Buzz” BellevilleDan CaldwellJanie CastleHon. Sabrina DeskinsRebecca ElswickBecky EnglandKaytlin FieldsStewart HarrisDerrick HowardBryan LaffertyLucy McGoughCapt. Hugh MurrayMarcia OwensRochelle RichardsonKaren SorberDonna WeaverHenry WebbPaula Young

PhotographyAndrew AsbridgeTaylor BurgessSabrina Mullins

Main Number276.935.4349

Admissions276.244.1203admissions@asl.edu

Alumni276.244.1234jcastle@asl.edu

Institutional Developmentand Marketing276.244.1241dweaver@asl.edu

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ASL alumni continue to impress and amaze me. Your stories speak of grit and determi-

nation. Last summer, ASL first‐time takers of the Vir-

ginia and North Carolina bars found tough sled-ding. Typically, exam takers are successful the sec-ond try – if they make a second attempt. Dusting yourself off and taking the exam again is an act of heroism. But ASL graduates do it. Recently I learned of one who finally passed the Virginia Bar on his fifth attempt. Now, that’s impressive. What effort. What desire. Extraordinary courage. For the record, ASL’s “ultimate” bar passage rate is 89.9%. So within five years of graduating, 9 out of 10 exam takers become licensed to practice law. That’s per-sistence. And persistence is a fundamental charac-ter trait for effective lawyers.

We do nourish dreams – indeed, we are “chang-ing destinies.” I’ve proven this to myself after hear-ing many stories of personal transformation. One alumnus re‐invented himself, from a community college student who didn’t do well on standardized tests, to an ASL graduate near the top of his class. He went on to pass the bar the first time and now is a senior partner in a highly successful law firm. That’s determination.

Another alumnus had to drop out of college due to a family financial crisis, returned later to fin-ish, came to ASL, graduated top of his class, passed the bar first time, and now heads a Division of a

Fortune 500 Company hiring lawyers to do the

day‐to‐day company transactions. Amazing.Not atypical for ASL, an alumna waited until

she was 30 to continue her education. She started at a community college, then graduated from a four-year school. Despite low LSAT scores, she con-vinced ASL to give her an opportunity, “to empower a voice that might not have otherwise been heard,” promising she would be a student “that ASL will be proud to have.” She graduated middle of her class, and passed the bar on her second attempt. Promise kept.

We are so proud of these and the many other success stories among our 1,300 alumni. Please share with us your pride in the education you re-ceived at ASL by sharing your post-graduate experi-ence and accomplishments. We’re listening.

To share your ASL story, please email Janie Castle, Director of Career Services and Alumni Re-lations, at jcastle@asl.edu.

Dean Lucy S. McGough

Persistence of ASL Alumni

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Program Updates

New Digital Learning Center PlannedThe growth of online education is robust, and law schools

are adapting. At ASL, plans have been approved for a Digital Learning Center (DLC) to be established in 2015 to fa-cilitate off-campus legal coursework and reach more students.

Up to twelve total hours of online coursework toward the J.D. are permitted by the American Bar Association after the first year of law school. That means an entire semester of classes could be taken online. The Master of Legal Studies can be earned entirely online; the same applies to our professional certificates in Human Resources and Management Regulation, Natural Re-sources and Energy Regulation, and Legal Studies.

Continuing Legal Education courses would also be part of the mix. The newly-appointed Director of Continuing Legal and Community Education, Dan Caldwell, will be developing legal coursework for attorneys, as well as other professionals, such as risk management officers, law enforcement officers, and teachers

who have professional licensing requirements.

The ASL student body will benefit from ASL’s collabo-ration with other institutions of higher education, despite the distance between campuses. ASL envisions offering stand-alone courses in the law for the degree programs of other institutions and developing joint ventures with those institutions to provide even more educational opportunities.

“This is intended to be a win-win adaptation,” said Dean Lucy McGough. “We make it more convenient to complete coursework, and realize new revenue and a larger student body by expanding legal course offerings.” Projected revenue from the DLC could supplant the loss of revenue from the decline in full-time enrollment.

Funding for the equipment and build-out will be loaned to ASL by the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Author-ity (VCEDA), with payback deferred for three years. The balance of costs for software and the operating platform remain to be funded.

ASL Partners with Southwest Virginia Water Purification Company for Externships

Beginning in the spring semester, ASL and Micronic Technologies will launch an educational partnership

that accentuates ASL’s extensive Externship Program and Mi-cronic’s advanced water-cleaning technologies. Micronic’s Chief Executive Officer Karen Sorber visited campus on November 17th to speak with interested students regarding her company’s efforts to reuse waste water and provide increased access to clean water.

Micronic Technologies is a woman-owned small busi-ness established in 2008 to develop, patent, and commercial-ize an advanced state-of-the-art sustainable water desalination and purification technology. The company is located in Wise County, Virginia. Though initially funded by private capital, the company has since received federal grants from the United States Department of Agriculture and U.S. Navy, and more re-cently received a grant from the Tobacco Commission to fur-ther the development of its technology in southwest Virginia.

Micronic has secured its first patent with several continuations

in process, designed and fabricated two bench proto-types, and validated results through independent testing.

Micronic’s water purification technology uses no filters, membranes, or chemicals. Instead, the process involves the passage of water one time through the equipment, which re-lies on mechanical evaporation. The application of the tech-nology to the energy field is substantial. Micronic forsees the use of the technology in fracking, coal mining, and disposal of nuclear waste water. Additionally, because the equipment can be installed on-site, the technology can be used for desali-nation of water in developing countries and for military use.

Sorber seeks to create a mutually beneficial relationship with interns and externs, providing them with meaningful assign-ments that add value to the company. She anticipates the use of ASL interns and externs interested in the fields of environmental, patent, corporate and business, and tax law. For more informa-tion about the company, visit www.micronictechnologies.com.

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Alumni Spotlight

On September 15th, Career Services wel-

comed Capt. Hugh Murray ’06 of Army JAG for a presentation regarding internships and ca-reers after law school. This is the first time an ASL alumnus has returned to campus to re-cruit for the JAG Corps in any branch of the military.

While attending ASL, Capt. Murray was active in the Student Bar Association, serv-ing as a 1L Class Representa-tive, Committee Chair, and as the SBA President. He also

served as the co-director for the ASL Memorial 5K.

Capt. Murray currently serves as the Group Judge Ad-vocate to 8th Military Infor-mation Support Group (Air-borne), United States Army Special Forces Command, a highly deployable unit in sup-port of world-wide strategic special operations missions in over 25 countries. He is responsible for providing the Group Commander and all subordinate unit command-ers legal advice in the areas of military justice, operational law, contract and fiscal law, and regulatory and administrative law.

He also serves the JAG Corps as a Field Screening Of-ficer, recruiting attorneys for service in the U.S. Army JAG Corps. This year he conducted student interviews at both ASL and Wake Forest University Law School.

Alumnus Returns to Campus as JAG Recruiter

On August 15th, Career Services hosted a panel for the Class of

2017, featuring four alumni. Panelists included Michelle Thomas Castle ’02, Gerald Arrington ’04, Heather Gear-heart ’05, and Nick Armes ’13.

Michelle is an associate with Penn, Stuart & Eskridge in the Bristol, Tennes-see, and Prestonsburg, Kentucky, offices. She practices energy and mineral law.

Gerald is the Buchanan County Commonwealth’s Attorney, serving as the lead trial attorney in all of the coun-

ty’s most serious cases. Heather serves as in-house counsel

for InterMountain Cable, Inc., Coalfields Telephone, Inc., and GMedia of Harold, Kentucky. She is also a certified civil and family law mediator.

Nick works an associate with Jud-kins Law Firm in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Nick also represents the Town of Oliver Springs, Tennessee, as City Attorney. Since graduation, Nick has served as an Adjunct Professor at Roane State Com-munity College.

Professor Stewart Harris and Capt. Hugh Murray ’06

Alumna Accepts Position as WV Director of CASA

This fall, Tracy Taylor ’12 accepted a posi-

tion as the full-time Direc-tor of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Association for the state of West Virginia, located in Fairmont. CASA is a pro-gram that provides training and support for volunteers who serve as advocates for abused and neglected chil-dren in the legal system. Judges appoint CASAs to investigate and represent the best interests of children.

Tracy is a native of Fair-mont, having completed her undergraduate education at Fairmont State University. Prior to accepting the posi-tion as Director of the West Virginia CASA program, she worked for the law firm of Wolfe, Williams, Rutherford & Reynolds in southwest Virginia. She also has experi-ence serving as a CASA vol-unteer.

CASA programs can be found in portions of 49 states and the Dis-trict of Columbia. Accord-ing to CASA for Children, a national group providing support for various CASA programs, research indicates that those children who are represented by CASA spend less time in long-term foster care than those who are not represented. Children with assigned CASAs also receive more services and have bet-ter academic and behavioral performance in school.

Appalachian School of Law has partnered with the 29th Judicial District CASA Program for several years to train law students to serve as CASAs in southwest Vir-ginia.

To volunteer or donate to a CASA program in your area, visit www.casaforchil-dren.org.

Alumni Career Panel

Left to Right: Gerald Arrington ’04, Michelle Thomas Castle ’02, Nick Armes ’13, and Heather Gearheart ’05 pictured with Janie Castle ’10, Director of Career Services and Alumni Relations.

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Deskins Appointed as JudgeWest Virginia Governor

Earl Ray Tomblin ap-pointed Sabrina Deskins ’02 to the position of Family Court Judge of the 8th Circuit in September. De-skins was sworn in during a cer-emony held in October. The cere-mony was attended by many family, friends, and colleagues.

Prior to her appointment to the bench, Deskins served southern West Virginia as an assistant pros-ecutor in Logan County for more than a decade. She also served as a guardian ad litem, representing the interests of children in Lincoln, Lo-gan, and Mingo counties for nearly

10 years. Deskins has experi-ence as an academic, having held the position of Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College.

A native of southern West Vir-ginia, Deskins graduated from Mar-shall University in 1998. She then attended law school, graduating in 2002. Deskins is an excellent repre-sentative of the mission of ASL, hav-ing volunteered for numerous com-munity organizations.

Hon. Sabrina Deskins ’02 poses with her children at her swearing-in ceremony.

Alumni Spotlight

Alumnus Travis Joseph ’10 vis-ited campus on September 29th

to speak regarding careers in criminal law. Travis has a long history working in the field of criminal law and criminal justice. Prior to attending law school, he worked as a police officer, which provided him with a unique perspective for the practice of criminal law. Following his graduation, he returned home to Magoffin County, Ken-tucky, to continue serving the public as an Assistant County Attorney.

Travis spoke to students regarding working as a prosecuting attorney, criminal law in general, and his experi-ences during law school. He encouraged students to take advan-tage of the courses available, to observe other attorneys, to ask questions, and to stay current on changes in the law. He urged students to have compassion and understanding whether they are representing the interests of a victim or of a defendant. Travis re-minded students that, despite the competitive nature of the legal field, attorneys should not take what happens in the courtroom personally. Instead, he advised students to develop good working relationships with attorneys on the other side of the case.

Left to Right: Director of Ca-reer Services and Alumni Relations, Janie Castle ’10, with Rochelle Richardson ’03.

Travis Joseph ’10

On September 8th, Career Services hosted Spotlight on Public Service Careers with Rochelle Richardson ’03, as

the guest speaker. Rochelle discussed her own experiences in public service representing veterans, as well as funding available through Equal Justice Works for public service internships and fellowships. She encouraged students to take control of their own careers.

Rochelle is a Washington, D.C., attorney whose practice is dedicated to providing representation to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families, nationwide, in their claims for benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. She began represent-ing veterans on a pro bono basis in 2007. In 2008, she was appointed Associate Counsel to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, U.S. Depart-ment of Veterans Affairs. After serving in this capacity for three years, she entered private practice.

In 2012, she was selected as an Equal Justice Works Ameri-Corps Legal Fellow and, in this capacity, she successfully completed her project of establishing a legal services clinic at the Baltimore VA Medical Center to serve homeless and at-risk disabled veterans. Since then, she has continued to represent and advocate for home-less veterans.

PresentationRegarding

Criminal Law Careers

Serving Veterans

ASL continues to make great strides in Natural Resources Law. This past summer, ASL offered three summer short courses focused on

natural resources and energy law issues. In May, ASL’s Distinguished Visitors in Natural Resources Law — The Honorable Judith Williams Jagdmann, Virginia State Corporation Commission, and William Re-isinger, Assistant Attorney-General — co-taught The Regulation of Energy Markets. Following the May term, Professor Belleville offered The Law of Renewables online from June through July, and finally, in August, Professor Howard taught a course focused on Mineral Title Abstracting. Each course proved to be a huge success.

This summer, ASL plans to expand its natural resources law offer-ings by possibly offering an Environmental Science class for Lawyers, an online course focused on the Federal Energy Regulation Commis-sion involving both local and national natural gas pipeline issues, and once again Mineral Title Abstracting in August. One main goal this summer is to expand ASL’s enrollment by attracting undergraduate students, non-ASL law students, lawyers, and law graduates transition-ing into the area of natural resources law.

In May, for the first time in school history, ASL awarded the Natu-ral Resources Law Certificate to graduates in the Class of 2014. The well-deserved accolade went to Kevin Briscoe ’14, Matthew Hager ’14, Matthew Hardin ’14, Victoria Herman ’14, and Christopher Pe-terson ’14. In order to earn the certificate, students had to maintain at least a 3.0 G.P.A., as well as earn 15 credit hours in their natural resources law classes. Employers in the natural resources and energy field are taking note, and the certificate should pay big dividends for ASL graduates in this growing field of law.

Additionally, the program continues to build momentum toward a clinic and supporting our aspiration to graduate practice-ready law-yers. This past fall, ASL offered its first ever Solar Drafting Clinic, a one-hour general elective offered to Appellate Advocacy students who were studying a legal problem involving utility company opposition to solar power purchase agreements. In Solar Drafting, the students researched barriers to solar energy deployment in the various utility territories in Virginia, and learned how to draft the various contractual documents and regulatory filings associated with a solar installation. In so doing, students began building an institutional base of knowledge and a database that can be used by ASL for clinical opportunities in the future. The course was co-taught by Professor Buzz Belleville and Di-

rector of Continuing Legal and Community Education Dan Caldwell.The Energy Mineral Law Foundation (EMLF) and ASL continue

to forge a strong relationship. The Natural Resources Law Journal once again provided support and its expertise in editing EMLF’s annual publication. In October, EMLF hosted its annual career panel focus-ing on employment opportunities within the mineral and energy field. Several regional practitioners served on the panel including alumni Troy Nichols ’04, with Alpha Natural Resources, and Michelle Thom-as Castle ’02, with Penn, Stuart & Eskridge. Over fifty students and faculty attended the event.

The 2nd Biennial Natural Resources Symposium hosted by ASL planned for fall 2015 has received the endorsement of Virginia Gover-nor Terry McAuliffe.

To find out more about the program, please visit the website at http://www.asl.edu/JD-Program/Natural-Resources-Law.html.

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Natural Resources Law

Natural Resources January Intersession Course

From January 5th to 9th, an Introduction to Natural Resources Course was taught collaboratively by Professors Baker, Belleville, Harris,

and Young. This two-credit course was offered as a one-week intensive course the week prior to the resumption of classes. The course consisted of a broad overview of four related areas of the law — natural resources law, energy law, mineral law, and environmental law. The goal of the course was to familiarize students with the legal, business, and regula-

tory aspects of natural resources law. Although broadly covering natu-ral resources, the course included a basic introduction to the U.S. legal and governmental systems relating to environmental, natural resources, and energy law. Areas of focus included hard mineral law, oil and gas law, water law, environmental law, energy policy, land use law, renew-able energy law, and issues related to climate change and sustainability.

Clockwise from Left: Sabrina Deskins ’02; Max Bridges; Troy Nichols ’04; Frank B. Harrington; Michelle Thomas Castle ’02.

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Twenty ASL students joined Professor Belleville and five ASL alumni at the Energy and Mineral Law

Foundation’s Annual Kentucky Mineral Law Conference in Lex-ington, Kentucky, on October 22nd and 23rd. EMLF is a nation-al nonprofit educational organization which fosters the study of the laws and regulations related to natural resource develop-ment and energy use, and an accredited provider of mandatory continuing legal education programs. ASL has been a member of EMLF for several years, and has a seat on the organization’s Board of Trustees. ASL’s Natural Resources Law Journal provides citation checks for EMLF’s Annual Institute, a legal publication

released at the end of each year.

The Lexington conference is a wonderful network-ing opportunity for both students and professionals. ASL students joined law students from West Virginia University, the University of Kentucky, and other member institutions at both the substantive conference and at a special breakfast EMLF hosts for law students. The editors of the Natural Resources Law Jour-nal had their conference tuition waived as gratitude for their work on the Annual Institute. This past year, ASL’s Energy and Mineral Law Society utilized a generous donation to help defray the costs of other student attendees.

Students, Faculty, and Alumni Attend Energy and Mineral Law Foundation

Annual Conference

Natural Resources Law

Back Row Left to Right: Paul Howard ’15; Heath Chaffin ’12; Michaela Pannell ’17; Troy Nichols ’04; Tracy Justin Dempsey ’15; Jonathan Dennis ’15; Wayne McClanahan ’15; Dan Kostrub ’05.Middle Row Left to Right: Michelle Thomas Castle ’02; Rachel Simpkins ’17; Ashley Sturgell ’17; Jessica Branham ’17; Ashleigh Smith ’17; Annie Pagans ’17; Jessica Lovely ’17; Cathy Houlihan ’15; Jen Shaver ’09; Dominique Ranieri ’13; Sabrina Mullins ’15.Front Row Left to Right: Bryan Polas ’15; Page Mizzell ’15; Tyler Adams ’17; Brett Hall ’17; Lyndon Gullet ’17; Professor Buzz Belleville.

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Health Care Law

Dr. Len Nichols has been selected as the Sutin Lecturer for March 2015. His talk is tentatively

entitled “Health Care Reform: Where Do We Go from Here?”

Dr. Nichols has been the Director of the Cen-ter for Health Policy Research and Ethics and a Professor of Health Policy at George Mason Uni-versity since 2010, where he continues to bridge the worlds of health policy, health politics, health economics, health services research, and to help interpret it all for policy makers, private sector leaders, and journalists.

Dr. Nichols is the PI of a 5-year evaluation study of the CareFirst Patient Centered Medical Home program. He has testified frequently be-fore Congress and state legislatures, and has been an advisor to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation,

the Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative, and to the Pan

American Health Organization. He has worked with the Commonwealth’s official Health Reform Initiative and the new Virginia Center for Health Innovation, as well as with Fairfax County on its own health re-form implementation options.

His past positions include Senior Advisor for Health Policy at the Office of Management and Bud-get, Vice President of the Center for Studying Health System Change, Principal Research Associate at the Urban Institute, and chair of the Department of Eco-nomics at Wellesley College.

He received a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1980, a M.S. in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1978, a M.A. in Econom-ics from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in

1976, and a B.A. in Economics and Business from Hendrix Col-lege, Conway in 1975.

Nichols Selected as Sutin Lecturer

In collaboration with Wellmont Health System and the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia,

ASL presented a symposium de-liberating the legal and practical issues of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which are among the most press-ing challenges facing the U.S. and this region today. “The Future of Health Care: Moving From Policy to Implementation” was the sub-ject of great debate and discourse among nineteen distinguished panelists on Monday, September 22nd, in the Monarch Audito-rium at Bristol Regional Medical Center in Bristol, Tennessee.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Adminis-trator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Marilyn Tavenner delivered the keynote ad-

dress, along with two others. Also speaking were Thomas P. Mill-er, Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and co-author

of “Why Obamacare is Wrong for America,” and Dr. Bill Hazel, Vir-ginia Secretary of Health and Hu-man Resources.

Four panels focused on vari-ous aspects of the ACA: its im-pact on businesses and employers, health care innovations, the status of state health care exchanges in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virgin-ia, and how we move from ACA policy to implementation.

The one-day Symposium was the result of a months-long plan-ning headed by Professor Priscilla Harris, Dan Caldwell, and Donna Weaver, Director of Institutional

Development and Marketing at ASL.

ASL Co-Sponsors Health Care Symposium

Left to Right: Paul Ward ’17; Sabrina Mullins ’15; Sara Campbell ’16; Todd Kudirka ’16; Cathy Houlihan ’15; Staci Shelton Montgomery ’15; and Professor Priscilla Harris.

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Staff News

New Additions to the StaffASL welcomed several new additions to the staff over the course

of the last semester. Becky England accepted the role of

Assistant to the Dean. Prior to accepting this position, Becky served as the director of two group homes for troubled youth in southwest Virginia. She has a Bachelor of Arts from UVA-Wise and a Master of Edu-cational Leadership from Georgia South-ern University. She and husband Mark have two children, Jacob (age 16) and Isa-bel (age 12).

Kaytlin Fields joined the ASL Library staff as an Acquisi-tions Assistant. Kaytlin was born in Abing-don and raised in Clintwood. She graduated from Clintwood High School in 2009. She and husband Doug currently reside in Grun-dy with their two children, Ethan and Logan, and a boxer mix named Rocky. Before com-ing to ASL, she worked as a receptionist and a benefits counselor for the Black Lung Pro-gram with Stone Mountain Health Services. Her desire to come to ASL was fueled by the positive involvement that ASL has in the community, as well as her love of books and the opportunity to expand her horizons. She plans to con-tinue her education through Southwest Virginia Community College and Old Dominion University. She enjoys hiking, swimming, reading, and expanding her collection of “I Love Lucy” DVDs and memorabilia.

Rebecca Elswick joined the staff as a Writing Specialist, assist-ing students part-time in the Writing Center. Rebecca was born and raised in Buchanan County, graduating from Grundy High School. She

obtained a Master of Education in English from East Tennessee State University. She recently retired from teaching high school advanced placement English. In addition to her position at ASL, she currently works as an adjunct English faculty member for Southwest Virginia Community College and a teacher consultant for the Appala-chian Writing Project at UVA Wise. As a teacher consultant, she travels to schools across southwest Virginia, presenting teacher workshops on best practices of teaching writing. She is also an award-winning author. Her fiction and nonfiction pieces have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including A Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers, The New Southerner, The Literary Journal of the Virginia Writing Project, and The Sweet Bay Review: Anthology of Virginia. Her debut novel, Mama’s Shoes, was published in 2011. Mama’s Shoes re-ceived the Writer’s Digest Mark of Quality Award and was a finalist for Book of the Year by ForeWord Magazine. Rebecca lives at Big Rock with her husband and five dogs. The couple has three children.

Marcia Owens accepted a position as Assistant to the Registrar. Prior to working at ASL, Marcia worked in an attorney’s of-fice for more than 20 years and also worked with the Head Start Program in Buchanan County. Marcia enjoys talking with ASL stu-dents and wants to see them succeed. She is married to a man whom she calls her soul mate and best friend. She has been blessed with two sons, a step-son, a granddaughter, and three step-grandsons.

Caldwell Appointed Director of Continuing Legal and Community Education

Attorney Daniel Caldwell joined ASL in January 2012 as Counsel to the Natural Re-

sources Law Program, where he works with the Di-rector to implement and oversee the program. He has practiced law in southwest Virginia for 36 years and is a partner in the Abingdon firm of McElroy, Hodges & Caldwell where he handles litigation mat-ters and represents business clients on general cor-porate and transactional matters.

Mr. Caldwell was recently appointed Director of Continuing Legal and Community Education. He will lead ASL’s efforts to establish a multi-state continuing legal education program and a regional

community outreach education program.

Continuing Legal and Community Education Center

ASL has been awarded a substantial donation by the B.F. Fowler Foundation for the initial endow-ment of a Continuing Legal and Community Edu-cation Center. The Center would offer continuing legal education for the lawyers in the states in ASL’s immediate service area. The Center would also of-fer law-based professional training for non-lawyers, such as law enforcement personnel, human resourc-es personnel, and state and local government em-ployees. Additionally, the Center would host pub-

lic debates of important community issues.

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Webb Joins Faculty as Director of Legal Writing

Henry Webb joined the faculty during the fall semester as the Director of Legal Writing. He teaches the Legal Process I and

II courses. He received his J.D. from the Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, where he focused on environmental and natural resources law. He also has an M.B.A. from the University of Georgia and a B.B.A. from Ole Miss.

Following law school, Professor Webb practiced with law firms in Seattle and Atlanta, where he specialized in environmental litiga-tion. He was also Assistant Regional Counsel with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, in Atlanta, where he was responsible for enforcing federal hazardous waste and clean water regulations.

In 2007, Professor Webb moved to Ho Chi Minh City, Viet-nam, where he began teaching with RMIT International University Vietnam. He taught a number of law courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and also managed all of RMIT’s law courses across the university’s Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi campuses.

In 2011, Professor Webb moved to Doha, Qatar, where he taught legal writing and advocacy skills courses with the Qatar University College of Law.

Professor Webb lives in Grundy with his wife, Thao, and their three-year-old son, Cousteau. They are enjoying exploring Appala-chia and especially the abundance of outdoor activities in the area.

Assistant Dean for Student Services Named

Professor Derrick Howard was recently named Assistant Dean for Student Services. Professor

Howard joined ASL’s faculty in 2008. During his tenure at ASL, he has taught several doctrinal courses includ-ing Property I and II, Evidence, a practicum in Real Estate Transactions, a seminar on Natural Resources Law, and a practicum in Law Office Management. He has also designed and implemented the school’s first distance learning course and has served as a faculty advisor to several school organizations including the Black Law Students Association, Phi Alpha Delta, Out-law, the rugby team, the basketball team, and mock trial competitors.

In July 2011, Professor Howard was appointed the Director of the Externship Program. Currently, he serves as the Chair of the Externship, Practica and Ca-reer Development Committee. During the 2012-2013 academic year, the Committee expanded the Extern-ship Program to include experiential learning oppor-tunities for all students throughout their three years of education at ASL. Professor Howard was promoted to Assistant Dean for Student Services in 2014.

Professor Howard received his B.A. from the Uni-versity of Pittsburgh and his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Faculty News

Ken Russell, a shareholder with Penn, Stuart & Eskridge in Bris-tol, Tennessee, joined the faculty as an Adjunct Professor of

Law during the spring semester. Professor Russell will offer Funda-mentals of Income Taxation with an aim toward the preparation of law-yers for a general practice in small law firms.

Mr. Russell is a graduate of the University of Tennessee Law School and a member of the Tennessee, Georgia, and Virginia bars. He is an expert in all taxation matters, having practiced in the Atlanta law firm of Troutman Sanders LLP before moving to Bristol.

Russell Joins Faculty as Adjunct Professor

At the PodiumPatrick Baker spoke on October 24th on the Virginia News Net-work AM-1140 as an invited guest discussing energy markets and economics nationally and in Virginia.

Stewart Harris makes weekly news appearances on WJHL-TV, the CBS affiliate in Johnson City. Readers may view the videos here: http://www.wjhl.com/category/266461/your-weekly-constitutional. In July, he was interviewed by WKPT-TV, the ABC affiliate in King-sport, regarding the four proposed amendments to the Tennessee Constitution. On May 1st, he spoke regarding “The Importance of the Rule of Law” at the Northeast Tennessee Federal Bar Associa-tion’s Law Day Luncheon; on June 13th, he presented an ethics CLE for the Tennessee Association for Justice’s Annual Meeting; on June 25th, he presented to the faculty of the University of Tennessee’s Col-lege of Law regarding the “State Secrets Doctrine”; on July 15th, he spoke to the Tellico Lion’s Club regarding the Hobby Lobby and Sibe-lius decisions; on July 17th, he presented at Montpelier regarding the Bill of Rights; on September 10th, 11th, and 22nd, he made multiple presentations regarding the Constitution and constitutional history for the Institute for the Public Trust, in Charlotte, Wilmington, and Chattanooga; on September 17th, he spoke at the Constitution Day celebration at Southwest Virginia Community College; on Septem-ber 17th, he presented an ethics CLE for the Tennessee Bar Associa-tion in Johnson City; on September 18th, he presented at the Consti-tution Day celebration for ASL; on September 22nd, he presented at the Health Care Symposium; on September 24th, he taught a semi-nar on the Bill of Rights to law enforcement officials at Montpelier; and on September 30th, he presented to the entire Virginia Court of Appeals regarding the British Constitution.

Dean Lucy McGough served as the keynote speaker on legal schol-arship in the new age at the biennial conference of the Central States Law Schools Association, October 10th, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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Quotations & CitationsStewart Harris was quoted in June on WCYB.com, the website for the NBC affiliate in Bristol, regarding the Hobby Lobby decision: http://www.wcyb.com/news/phil-roe-responds-to-supreme-court-birth-control-ruling/26737202. Paula Young is one of twenty-three graduates featured in the Uni-versity of Missouri’s alumni magazine, Transcript. Professor Young received her LL.M. from the University of Missouri in 2003. The ar-ticle is available here, with Professor Young’s portion on page 22: http://law.missouri.edu/alumni/transcript.html.

Noted AccomplishmentsPaula Young designed and launched the first commercial, web-based training program for mediators seeking to work in court-con-nected mediation programs. The 40-hour training program is called “Mediation with Heart: Web-Based Training for Change Agents.”

Stewart Harris’ radio show, Your Weekly Constitutional, now has over 56,000 Facebook fans and over 1,000 Twitter followers. The show now broadcasts on stations from New York to Texas.

Faculty News

LSAT Prep CoursesASL offered two Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) Prep Courses this fall to college students for a nominal fee. “Many of the students in

our region do not have access to an LSAT prep course,” said ASL Dean Lucy McGough, “and we offer this course to any graduate in this area no matter where he or she decides to attend law school.”

The courses included a morning and afternoon practice exam, instruction, breakfast and lunch, and an LSAT test prep workbook for home study. The LSAT is administered four times a year. It tests law school applicants’ analytical and logical reasoning skills and reading compre-hension skills. LSAT scores affect eligibility for scholarships as well as law school admissions decisions.

Skills instruction for the prep course was taught by ASL professors. “Based on results from the last four prep courses we have conducted, we know that nearly all students improve their scores on the two practice exams we give,” said Professor Paula Young. “Taking a prep course and practice exams can make the difference between being admitted to the law school of choice or qualifying for scholarships.” Professor Mark “Buzz” Belleville instructs college stu-

dents during one of the LSAT Prep Courses held on cam-pus during the fall semester.

Paula Young spoke at the Fall Conference of the Virginia Media-tion network. The program was entitled “What You and the Par-ties Bring into the Room: Having Greater Self-Awareness with the Enneagram.” VMN is the largest organization of mediation prac-titioners, scholars, and trainers in Virginia. Professor Young serves as the Conference Co-chair for VMN’s Spring 2015 conference. She continues as a member of its Board of Directors.

Scholarships AwardedThe Appalachian School of Law awarded $600,000 in merit

scholarships for the 2014-15 academic year to thirty-six law stu-dents, about one-quarter of the student body. Fifteen merit scholar-ship recipients are from Virginia and eleven of those from southwest Virginia. Recipients also included eighteen students from Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Four other students are from South Carolina, Texas, Indiana, and California.

An ASL scholarship in natural resources is awarded to students pursuing a career in natural resources law who have an undergradu-ate GPA of at least 3.25 and a law school GPA of 3.0. Eight ASL stu-dents received natural resources scholarships for the upcoming year.

Since 1998, the Grundy Woman’s Club Scholarship has been awarded each year to any female student in good academic standing, with preference given to those who have resided in Buchanan Coun-ty at least five consecutive years or a former resident of Buchanan County who left the area for educational purposes.

The Susan Belcher Scholarship is awarded to a female student from either Buchanan County, Virginia, or Floyd County, Kentucky. The scholarship is funded by friends and family of Susan Belcher who benefited from changes made by laws, including school equal-ity and inclusion, epilepsy medication approvals, and the removal of physical barriers. The scholarship is also in honor of Ms. Belcher’s sister, Julia M. Belcher.

Five students were awarded the Thomas F. Blackwell Scholar-ships in honor of former Professor Thomas Blackwell who was dedi-cated to community service and was instrumental in the early suc-cess of ASL. Professor Blackwell was a victim of the 2002 campus shooting.

Trustees, Dean, and Faculty Scholar awards were given to twenty-eight law students.

More and more, the availability of scholarships is vital to attract students, retain students, and reduce student debt, all critical to the School’s success. ASL merit scholarships and need-based awards ap-proached $1 million for the upcoming academic year.

ASL merit scholarships are made possible through ASL’s Natural Resources Law Center, and by friends and family of Susan Belcher, members of the Grundy Woman’s Club, the B.F. Foundation, and proceeds from the annual Gala and Golf Tournament events, which raise nearly $100,000 each year. Contributors to these events include more than one hundred “friends” of ASL, including staff, faculty, trustees, individuals, and businesses in our community.

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Student News

Natural Resources Scholars. Left to Right: Catherine Houlihan ’15, Clovis, CA; Caitlin Flanagan-Morgan ’15, Princeton, WV; Jason Fannin ’16, Abingdon, VA; Dean McGough; Erin Taylor ’15, Virgie, KY; Kelsea Wagner ’16, Elizabeth, PA; Holly Stiltner ’16, Big Rock, VA. (Not pictured: Seth Allen ’16, Abingdon, VA; Shonda Wells ’15, Swords Creek, VA.)

Grundy Woman’s Club and Susan Belcher Award. Left to Right: Mary Belcher, Glen-na Owens, Grundy Woman’s Club members; Susan Belcher Scholarship recipient Sabrina Mullins’ 15, Prestonsburg, KY; and Grundy Woman’s Club Scholarship re-cipient Holly Stiltner ’16, Big Rock, VA; Ginger Robertson, Grundy Woman’s Club member.

Thomas F. Blackwell Scholars. Left to Right: Caitlin Flanagan-Morgan ’15, Princeton, WV; Dean McGough; and Lawrence “Scott” Shults ’15, Unicoi, TN. (Not pictured: Jonathan Arnold ’15, Salt-ville, VA; David Rivard ’15, Chesapeake, VA; Trenton Tackett ’15, Grethel, KY.)

ASL Trustees Scholars. Left to Right: Erin Taylor ’15, Virgie, KY; Greg Nor-ris ’15, Elizabethton, TN; Brett Hall ’17, Coeburn, VA; John Page ’16, North Myrtle Beach, SC; Kelsea Wagner ’16, Elizabeth, PA; Adam Perkinson ’16, Petersburg, VA; Jeremy Vanover ’16, Belcher, KY; Jason Fannin ’15, Abing-don, VA. (Not pictured: Seth Allen ’16, Abingdon, VA.)

ASL Dean Scholars Left to Right: Michael Watts ’16, Letcher, KY; Heather Thomas ’15, Indianapolis, IN; Tanner Beck ’17, Lawrenceburg, TN; Laura Bowen ’15, Ca-tasauqua, PA; Ross Chapman ’15, Austin, TX; Sarah Perrin ’16, Spotsylvania, VA; Sheikh Afzal ’16, Morton, PA. (Not pictured: Mark Church ’16, Bluefield, VA; Timothy Lindstrom ’16, Johnson City, TN; Christopher McGlone ’16, Hun-tington, WV; Kristen Roberts ’17, Coeburn, VA; Ashley Sturgell ’17, Varney, WV; Barry Hamilton ’16, Beaver, KY; Shonda Wells ’15, Swords Creek, VA.)

Faculty Scholars. Left to Right: Paul LaBarr ’16, Claudville, VA; Tyler Adams ’17, Oakwood. (Not pictured: Matthew Arnold ’17, Glade Springs, VA; Maxwell Har-doby ’16, Johnson, City, TN; Taylor Hay ’16, Blacksburg, VA.)

Intraschool Moot Court Competition

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Student News

Professor Belleville’s and Professor Parsons’ Appellate Advocacy students presented their oral arguments on November 18th and 19th in the annual intraschool moot court competition. From those arguments, the intraschool finalists were chosen, including:

Laney Comer ’16, Morgan Droke ’16, Taylor Hay ’16, Esohe Igbinedion ’16, John Page ’16, Jennifer Polk Pack ’16, Heather Thomas ’16, and Daniel Williams ’16. On November 20th, the final round of arguments took place. The judges for the final round were Rich-lands attorney Chris Plaster, Judge Henry Barringer of the 29th District Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court of Virginia, Abingdon at-torney and ASL alumna Jen Shaver ’09, Grundy attorney Ben Street, and Virginia Court of Appeals Judge and ASL Trustee Teresa Chafin. Ultimately, Heather Thomas ’16 was named the winner and Jennifer Polk Pack ’16 the runner-up of this year’s competition.

Students and Alumni Make Strong Showing in Eastern Kentucky

ASL students are benefitting from the strong alumni base in the eastern Kentucky region. Pictured below is a photo submit-

ted by Bryan Lafferty ’16, featuring the five students and seven alumni who were present at the Floyd County Justice Center in July 2014. These alumni are living the mission of Appalachian School of Law by serving small communities in the Appalachian region.

Many of these alumni are employed in public service positions. Emma Jones ’04, Carla Tackett ’05, and Matthew Michalovic ’13 are public defenders, while Meka Hall ’12 is an Assistant County Attorney. Alumni Eugene Sisco, Jr. ’00 and Zach Ousley ’13 are both employed in private practice.

Judges of the Final Round. Back Row Left to Right: Jen

Shaver ’09; Hon. Teresa Chafin; Hon. Henry Barringer; and Chris Plaster. (Not pictured: Ben Street.) Finalists Front Row Left to Right: Taylor Hay ’16; Morgan Droke ’16; Jennifer Polk Pack ’16; John Page ’16; Daniel Williams ’16; Esohe Igbinedion ’16; Heather Thomas ’16; and Laney Comer ’16.

Left, Jennifer Polk Pack ’16, runner-up. Right, Heather Thomas’ 16,

winner.

Left to Right: Sabrina Mullins ’15;

Neil Borders ’14; Bryan Lafferty ’16; Meka Hall ’12; Carla Tackett ’05; Eugene Sisco, Jr. ’00; Trenton Tackett ’15; Emma Jones ’04; Mat-thew Michalovic ’13; Zach Ousley ’13; John Hunt ’16; and Barry

Hamilton ’16.

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New jobs, promotions, weddings, babies — share the news with your ASL family! E-mail your news to current@asl.edu.

Photos are welcome, too — please send high-resolution files, if available.

2002Michelle Thomas Castle re-cently accepted a position as an associate with Penn, Stu-art & Eskridge in the Bris-tol, Tennessee, office and in the new Prestonsburg, Ken-tucky, office. Her practice in-cludes energy law, mineral law, and title work. PHOTO A

2004Yasmeen Gumbs-Breaken-ridge and husband Joseph wel-comed daughter Saige Olivia on St. Patrick’s Day at Long Is-land Jewish Hospital in New Hyde Park, New York. Saige weighed 8 lbs., 6 oz. and was 21.5 inches long. PHOTO B

2005Chris Fortier was recently promoted from the National Hearing Center to the Office of the Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Social Se-curity Administration, which oversees all disability hear-ing operations in the country.

2006Brian C. Greco has been serv-ing in the Army as an active duty Officer in the Judge Advo-cate General Corp at Fort Hood since 2010. He spent 2013 de-ployed to Qatar as the Brigade Judge Advocate for the Army Defense Artillery represent-ing all of southwest Asia. He is currently serving at Fort Hood as Special Assistant U.S. Attor-ney in U.S. Magistrate Court.

Roberta Paluck Perko re-cently celebrated one year working with Lucas & Kite in Roanoke, Virginia. She repre-sents employers and self-in-

sured clients in workers’ com-pensation matters and handles appellate matters before the Virginia Court of Appeals. On September 20th, she mar-ried Dennis James Perko, Sr.

Dustin R.T. Sullivan and wife Erin are expecting their second son January 27th. Dustin opened his own law practice, Sullivan Law, PLLC, on January 1st.

2007Captain Artie Vaughn has been selected to attend the Army JAG school in Charlot-tesville, Virginia, in the fall of 2015 to begin study in the ABA-approved LL.M. in Military Jus-tice. He and his family are cur-rently at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California, where he serves as the Senior Area Defense Counsel in the Western and Pacific Regions for the Air Force Legal Operations Agency Defense Division. PHOTO C

2008Alexander H. Ayers married Erin Swann on March 22nd at Coan Baptist Church in Heathsville, Virginia. The re-ception was held at the bride’s family farm, Bearcroft Farms, in Lottsburg, Virginia. The happy couple is pictured with their dog Daisy. PHOTO D

Amy Lawrence-Lovely was fea-tured as a woman leader in the law in Fortune magazine. She and husband Justin Lovely ’09 continue filming episodes of Teen Mom 2 as Jenelle’s attor-neys in South Carolina. Both Amy and Justin were named to the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers and were included in the Top 40 Under 40. Amy has been

rated AV Preeminent by Mar-tindale-Hubbell. PHOTO E

2009Robert Black and Andrea Ke-tron Black welcomed a baby boy on June 12th. PHOTO F

Joshua S. Ferrell and Na-than D. Brown ’13 combined their solo practices to form Ferrell & Brown, PLLC in Williamson, West Virginia.

Jacob Lauser and wife Wendy welcomed their third child, Samuel Christian Lauser, on Ocotber 8th at 9:25 p.m. Samuel weighed 8 lbs., 4 oz. Big sisters Hannah and So-phie are very excited to have a new baby brother. PHOTO G

Tiffany Morgan and husband B.J. welcomed their second child, a son, Oaklee Monroe Morgan, on September 22nd at 5:28 a.m. He weighed 7 lbs., 15 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. Oaklee joins big sister Paisley who is now 2 years old. Tiffany has a solo practice in Marion, North Carolina. PHOTO H

2010Juan C. Velasquez partnered in July with David Carnright to start the firm of Carnright Velas-quez, P.A. Attorneys at Law in Miami, Florida. Their prac-tice areas include foreclosure defense, personal injury, first party property insurance litiga-tion, criminal defense, and em-ployment litigation. PHOTO I

2011Tara Bartosiewicz-Blom ac-cepted a position in October as Staff Counsel for GEICO in West Orange, New Jersey.

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The Lovely Law Firm

804 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 ph: 843.839.4111 | www.justiceislovely.com Left: Justin M. Lovely, Amy S. Lawrence

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criminal defense lawyer at The Lovely Law Firm, Amy Lawrence has achieved an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell®—the organization’s highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards—in recognition of a practice that covers everything from misdemeanors to felonies.

“My approach has been to take cases that I’ll be proud of,” says Lawrence, who also handles personal injury, civil litigation,

and workers’ compensation matters. “And the fact that I’ve been able to build a substantial criminal defense practice and still hold true to that mission has been very rewarding.”

In addition to her AV-rating, Lawrence has been named as one of the top 100 lawyers and one of the top 40 under 40 lawyers in South Carolina by the National Trial Lawyers. Given her preeminence in the legal community, she frequently provides commentary on criminal defense matters for local television stations and has appeared on “The Dr. Phil Show.”

Lawrence and her partner at the firm, Justin Lovely, also have an “ask a lawyer” radio show Mondays on WRNN, and they can cur-rently be seen on MTV’s “Teen Mom 2.”

“One of the reasons Amy is so esteemed in the community here is because she is always looking out for the best interest of her clients,” Lovely notes. “People aren’t born criminals—something has affected them along the way, whether it’s a drug problem or an alcohol prob-lem; and we understand that if we can help them with that, then we can help them in the long run.”

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Send your birth announcement to current@asl.edu.

2012Jennifer Jones was selected for the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. She is stationed at Fort Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. PHOTO J

Samantha LaRoche and Brent Bohannon ’13 were married on October 25th. Several alumni were in attendance, with the ceremony officiated by Associ-ate Dean Sandy McGlothlin. Brent was recruited by Riley and Wells based out of Rich-mond after spending six months as a volunteer Common-wealth Attorney in New Kent County, Virginia. PHOTO N

2013David Snyder started a new job as an associate attorney at Mar-cello & Kivisto, LLC in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in July. The firm handles all matters in trans-portation litigation, predomi-nantly accidents and personal injury defense. PHOTO K

Gregory Deemer started the firm Deemer & Associates, P.C. with three other attor-neys, including one fellow ASL alumnus. The firm attorneys are licensed in California, Mis-souri, Maryland, and Ontario,

Canada. The firm is focusing on estate planning and business formation. The firm will also be expanding operations to Colo-rado, the District of Columbia, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming dur-ing the fourth quarter of 2014 through the third quarter of 2015. More information can be found at www.deemer-law.com or you may contact Gregory at gdeemer@deemer-law.com.

Melissa Louthen and Cory Owens ’14 were united in marriage on September 20th. Melissa is currently employed as an Associate Attorney at Dupler Law in Knoxville, Tennessee. The couple re-sides in Knoxville. PHOTO L

2014Westley Ketron recently be-gan working as an Associate at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, in the firm’s Charleston, West Virgin-ia, office. He focuses his prac-tice in the areas of mineral title and real estate law. PHOTO M

Ryan James recently accepted a position working as an at-torney in his uncle’s law firm, Theo Mitchell and Associates, in Greenville, South Carolina.

New jobs, promotions, weddings, babies — share the news with your ASL family! E-mail your news to current@asl.edu.

Photos are welcome, too — please send high-resolution files, if available. Alumni News

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Left to Right: Lance Vest ’14; Justin Criner ’13; Bethany Long ’13; Associate Dean Sandra McGlothlin; Samantha LaRoche ’12; Brent Bohannon ’13; Jennifer Fer-rara ’12; Tara Bartosiewicz-Blom ’11; Bryan Ragland ’12; Elena Patarinski ’12; and Marc Anderson ’13.

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currenttheAppalachian School of Law

1169 Edgewater DriveGrundy, Virginia 24614

www.asl.edu

The Annual Memorial 5K will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2015.

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