http://www.wellmont.org/futurecare/

ASL Co-Presents Health Care Law Symposium

09/22/14, 8:00am
Monarch Auditorium at Bristol Regional Medical Center

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ASL, in collaboration with Wellmont Health System and the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at UVA, will present a symposium that will deliberate the maze of legal and practical issues of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), one of the most pressing challenges facing the U.S. and this region today. 

"The Future of Health Care: Moving From Policy to Implementation" will be the subject of great debate and discourse among nineteen distinguished panelists Monday, September 22, 2014 in the Monarch Auditorium at Bristol Regional Medical Center in Bristol, Tenn.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Marilyn Tavenner will deliver a keynote address, along with two others. Also speaking will be Thomas P. Miller, Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and co-author of "Why Obamacare is Wrong for America," and Dr. Bill Hazel, Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources.

Four panels will focus on various aspects of the ACA: its impact on businesses and employers, health care innovations, the status of state health care exchanges in Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia, and how we move from ACA policy to implementation.

The one-day Symposium is the result of a months-long collaboration between the Appalachian School of Law (ASL),Wellmont Health System, and the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at UVA.

CLE Credit (6.0 hours) has been approved in Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky.

Read more about the symposium here.

If you have questions about the Healthcare Symposium and need to speak with a representative, please contact Beth Rhinehart at Beth.Rhinehart@wellmont.org or (423) 230-8405.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Contact Donna Weaver at ASL for information. dweaver@asl.edu or call 276.244.1241.

Reserve your spot today. Register for the 2014 Future of Health Care Symposium.



 

Appalachian School of Law’s 18th Annual Golf Tournament to Tee Off August 16, 2014

Appalachian School of Law’s 18th annual Golf Tournament will be held Saturday morning and afternoon, August 16, 2014, at the Willowbrook Country Club, Breaks, Virginia.

The Tournament will be Captain's Choice and is open to all guests who wish to play. In order to reserve a place in the field of 130 players in six flights, three each session, please send your check made payable to "Appalachian School of Law," memo "Golf Tournament" in the amount of $200 per person/$1,000 per five-member team no later than August 8, 2014 to the attention of Tonya Moore. Click Here for a signup sheet

Your donation to ASL's golf tournament, less benefits such as greens fee and meals, is tax deductible. ASL is a 501 (c) (3) organization.

Up to five member teams will tee off with a shotgun start at either 7:30 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. If you have less than a five-member team, your players may alternate as the fifth player, but no more than five will be allowed. Mulligans, red tee advantages and free throws are included in the $200 entry fee. Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Places will be reserved in the order in which they are received.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Tonya at 276-244-1201 or tmoore@asl.edu

ASL Offers Mineral Title Search and Examination Course

August Intersession 2014 - Mineral Title Search and Examination

 

 

06/16/14
On-Campus Summer Course:

Mineral Title Search and Examination - 2 cr.

Professors Howard and Baker

August 4-7 9am - 4pm

August 8 9am - Noon

This 2 cr. course will familiarize and provide the students with an overview of the process of examining mineral titles and rendering legal opinions on title in the context of mineral production and development. Students will gain hands-on experience by conducting mineral title examinations in regional courthouses as well as drafting title opinions. The course will focus on examining title to Appalachian mineral properties, including natural gas and coal. The course will include a hands-on title search component where students will research the title from public records, learn how to identify conveyances and exceptions, and how to construe a mineral severance deed. The course will cover examining the title and identifying potential problems with the title, such as mortgages, easements, inadequate legal descriptions, improperly acknowledged documents, powers of attorney, foreclosures, bankruptcies, unpaid taxes, deed restrictions and reverters.

For ASL 2L's and 3L's

Also available for Non-ASL students.

Registration open until July 28. For more information, contact the Registrar at 276.244.1297 or email ekleist@asl.edu.

 

Photographs of the Women's Suffrage Movent in the U.S. from 1890-1920 on Display in the Booth Center Art Gallery

A Record Year for ASL's VITA Volunteers

            For seven years, students at the Appalachian School of Law have provided free income tax preparation for low-to-moderate income residents at a People Incorporated sponsored VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) site.  Although the VITA site location has varied over the years from ASL’s library to the basement of the Courthouse to a class room at the college, one thing hasn’t changed and that is the commitment of the students who provide this service. 

            During this past tax season, 16 volunteers studied and completed the required IRS training to be certified as a VITA volunteer.  This is more volunteers than has participated in any previous year.  Along with the increase in the number of the volunteers, there has been a gradual increase in the number of residents accessing this service. This year’s increase was the largest in the site’s history.  The number of federal income returns prepared this year at 127 nearly doubled the number done last year.   
 

            ASL volunteers saved taxpayers approximately $15,200 in professional tax preparation fees while helping taxpayers get back federal tax refunds in excess of $50,000.  Additionally, the volunteers prepared and submitted 56 state income tax returns that netted another $14,000 for the individuals that they helped. The average adjusted gross income of individuals or households using the site was $11,792.

            Any student interested in being part of this worthwhile community service project can contact Laney Comer at lcomer16@my.asl.edu or Cathy Houlihan at choulihan15@my.asl.edu.  Cathy was the 2013-2014 ASL VITA President and Laney is the upcoming 2014-2015 president of ASL’s VITA club.   

ASL Community Saddened by Passing of Gaynell Street Fowler

We at Appalachian School of Law are sorrowed by the loss of longtime Grundy resident and ASL benefactress Gaynell Street Fowler.  Mrs. Fowler passed away Thursday night, April 17, 2014 in Florida.

"Mrs. Fowler was a one-of-a-kind person, a friend, and generous supporter of the School," said Dean Lucy McGough.  "She was the first person I met when arriving in Grundy and was immediately welcoming and helpful to me as I began my tenure as Dean of ASL. Her financial support was instrumental in assuring a successful start to the Appalachian School of Law."

 Mrs. Fowler's continued contributions to the law school are many and varied.  She supported fundraising efforts, like the Annual Golf & Gala, gave financial support to law programs, such as the Natural Resources Law Center and Distinguished Visitors series, and to numerous scholarship funds for law students.

Mrs. Fowler is the mother of our Trustee, Dawneda Fowler Williams, and grandmother of Lucy Williams Bowman of the Street law firm in Grundy.

A portrait of Mrs. Fowler was commissioned by the School and unveiled at her 95th birthday in 2013. The portrait hangs on the east wall next to the Dean's Office on the second floor in the main building of the School. The brass plate reads "Devoted Friend of the Appalachian School of Law."

Visitation services for friends and family will be held at the Buchanan First Presbyterian Church in Grundy, Wednesday, April 23 from 4-6 p.m.

Funeral Services will be held at the church the next morning at 11 a.m., Thursday, April 24.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire family.

 

 

ASL Hosts Virginia State Bar President Sharon Nelson and John Simek

The Appalachian School of Law Career Services Department was pleased to host Virginia State Bar President Sharon Nelson and her husband and business partner, John Simek on Monday, April 14th. The title of their presentation was “The Future of Law and How to Prepare For It.” Ms. Nelson and Mr. Simek discussed the current state of the legal profession and provided students with advice on how they can “reinvent law using technology” to be competitive and successful in the changing legal market.

Ms. Nelson is the President and Mr. Simek the Vice-President of Sensei Enterprises, a digital forensics, information technology, and information security firm in Fairfax. 

Chris and Brittany Fortier visit ASL for Janie Castle’s Career Service Speaker Series

 

Chris Fortier visited ASL April, 7th 2014, to speak about networking, and his career with the federal government as an attorney advisor for the Social Security Administration in D.C. Chris was the 2013 recipient of the Virginia State Bar R. Edwin Burnette Jr. Young Lawyer of the Year Award. His wife, alumna Brittany Fortier, spoke afterwards to interested students regarding health care law.

ASL Hosts Distinguished Alumni & Practitioners Panel

The annual Distinguished Alumni & Practitioners Panel was presented at ASL in connection with its first-year externship program.  The panelist included (from left to right) Professor Derrick Howard, Director of ASL's Externship Program; the Honorable Deanis Simmons of the 28th Circuit Court of the Commonwealth of Virginia; James Leffler, Executive Director of Lawyers Helping Lawyers; Alumni Blair Wood (Valedictorian Class of 2010) Attorney at the Creekmore Law Firm; and Alumni Gary Holland (Class of 2007) Of Counsel at Steptoe & Johnson. 

These highly accomplished individuals shared with first-year students the panelists' unique insights into achieving an educational and successful externship this summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASL Energy Law Moot Court Team Make Semifinals at West Virginia Energy Law Competition

The ASL community can be so very proud of the teams they sent to the West Virginia Energy Law Competition – 2Ls Greg Norris and Catherine Houlihan, and 2Ls David Rivard and Pedro Gonzalez. They all received high praise, and represented ASL ...with both class and substance. In addition, the Norris/Houlihan team advanced to the semifinals where they were eliminated by eventual champion Duquesne. Mr. Norris was also recognized as one of the top 10 oralists for the preliminary rounds. And, perhaps most impressively, that team won the Best Brief award, which earned them a nice plaque which they say we can put in the ASL trophy case.

 

Amanda Kash and Amanda Coop will be representing ASL at the Wagner Labor and Employment Law National Competition in NYC

3L students Amanda Kash and Amanda Coop will be representing ASL at the Wagner Labor and Employment Law national competition this week in Manhattan.  46 law schools will be represented at the competition.  The problem involves whether interns should be compensated for their work.  Amanda Coop will discuss whether interns should actually be classified as employees and thus should be compensated for their services rendered, and Amanda Kash will discuss whether the interns should be allowed to come together to form a class and/or collective action.  There is no doubt they will do an outstanding job!  Special acknowledgment also goes out to assistant coaches Nick Kalagian, Jason Morgan and Professor Kendall Isaac.

Dr. Michael E. Karmis, From Virginia Tech, Kicks Off the Inaugural Sutin Endowed Lecture Series at ASL

The Appalachian School of Law welcomed Dr. Michael E. Karmis from Virginia Tech for the inaugural Sutin Endowed Lecture yesterday, March 18, 2014.  Dr. Karmis is an internationally renowned scholar and the Director of the Virginia Center for Coal & Energy Research at Virginia Tech.  He is an expert on, among other things, sustainable development of mineral and energy resources and carbon sequestration.  He has authored and co-authored over 160 scientific papers and has directed 60 major research projects funded by federal and state agencies, foundations and private companies.  The title of his lecture is: Clean Coal-Dirty Coal: The Current Status of Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage and the Role of Unconventional Reservoirs. 

 

The Appalachian School of Law Career Services Department welcomes West Virginia Delegate Justin Marcum to campus

The Appalachian School of Law Career Services Department welcomed West Virginia Delegate Justin Marcum to campus on Monday, March 17^th to speak to students regarding studying for the bar exam and his career as an attorney and legislator.  Delegate Marcum is a 2011 graduate of Appalachian School of Law, having also received a Bachelor’s in Economics and Finance from Marshall University.  Following his graduation from law school, Delegate Marcum took a position as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Mingo County, West Virginia, a position he still holds.  He also opened his own solo practice in 2012. 

Delegate Marcum represents the 20^th District of West Virginia, comprised of portions of Logan and Mingo counties.  He serves on various committees in the House of Delegates, including the Energy, Judiciary, and Roads and Transportations committees. He is the Vice-Chair of the Rule-Making Review Committee. 

Having worked as an underground coal miner prior to attending law school, Delegate Marcum prides himself on serving as an advocate for West Virginia coal miners in the legislature.  Delegate Marcum urged ASL students to develop good character, be disciplined in their bar studies, and develop connections with potential employers early in their law school careers.

The Appalachian School of Law Career Services Department host Virginia Delegate Terry Kilgore and attorney Frank Kilgore

The Appalachian School of Law Career Services Department was pleased to host Virginia Delegate Terry Kilgore and attorney Frank Kilgore on Tuesday, March 11^th. Delegate Kilgore and Attorney Kilgore addressed students regarding lobbying for legislation as young attorneys. 

Attorney Frank Kilgore spoke regarding his experience lobbying for legislation to benefit southwest Virginia, including his experience garnering bipartisan support for various bills.  Attorney Kilgore urged students to seek out internships, working unpaid if necessary, to develop connections for potential post-graduate employment. Frank Kilgore has a solo practice in St. Paul, Virginia.  He is the founder of the Appalachian College of Pharmacy and a long-time friend of ASL.

Delegate Kilgore spoke primarily regarding his career as a legislator, having served as a delegate for more than 20 years.  Delegate Kilgore also entertained questions from the audience regarding proposed legislation in southwest Virginia, as well as what characteristics he believes are effective for lobbyists. Delegate Terry Kilgore represents the 1^st District of Virginia, including Lee, Scott, and portions of Wise and Washington counties. He is the Chair of the Commerce and Labor Committee, and a member of the Courts of Justice and Rules committees.  Delegate Kilgore also serves as the Director of Institutional Development at the Appalachian College of Pharmacy.

 

 

2014 ASL Barrister's Ball (Photos by Sabrina Mullins)

Click link for photos:
https://plus.google.com/photos/102220115898421547777/albums?banner=pwa&gpsrc=pwrd1#photos/102220115898421547777/albums/5984048711126818609

ASL Students Compete in the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition

ASL’s team of Jessica Conway, Tessa Neal and C.J. Roberts competed this past week in the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition at Pace University Law School.  Although they did not bring back a team trophy, both CJ Roberts and Jessica Conway were recognized for individual arguments during preliminary rounds, each receiving a ‘top oralist’ designation among the six students who compete in each preliminary round room.  The team worked exceptionally hard, and represented ASL with class and substance.  They were ably assisted by assistant coach Cathy Houlihan, and we’re all grateful to the many students and faculty who helped prepare them for competition.

 

Everyone in the ASL community can take pride in the performance and accomplishments of Ms. Conway, Ms. Neal and Mr. Roberts. 

The Appalachian School of Law is hosting an exhibit of paintings entitled, “Surrounded by Paintings” by David Lucas

The Appalachian School of Law (ASL) is hosting an exhibit of paintings entitled, “Surrounded by Paintings” by David Lucas, a self-taught Kentucky artist described by Matt Collinsworth as “one of the most important artists working in Appalachia.” Lucas’ brightly colored images depict rural life in small towns, Biblical images and architectural studies. ASL Trustee Joe Wolfe, Esq., has donated two Lucas paintings to the Law School, “Modern Coal Miner” and “Day Dreaming.”

 At the opening reception on Friday, Feb. 21, Collinsworth explained that the Kentucky Folk Art Center, a cultural and educational service of Morehead State University, has been collecting and promoting Lucas’ work and that of other self-taught artists whose work is also described as “primitive” or “naive.” The exhibit, co-hosted by the Southwest Virginia Community College’s Art Department, is at the second-floor gallery in the Booth Center on ASL’s campus through April 2.

 

Click link to view photos:

 

https://plus.google.com/photos/102220115898421547777/albums/5983989697668658097#photos/102220115898421547777/albums/5983989697668658097

 

 

 

Senator Mark Warner to Visit Professor Barger’s Criminal Law and Procedure Classes

Professor Barger and ASL are proud to host Senator Mark Warner via video conference on Thursday, February 27, 2014.  Senator Warner will be giving a presentation on the state of affairs in Washington and then engaging in a question and answer session with students.

 Senator Warner was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2008, and serves on the Senate Banking, Budget, Commerce and Intelligence committees.  Senator Warner has established himself as a national leader in efforts to find bipartisan consensus to create balanced solutions to reduce the federal debt and deficit. He has been a champion for military men and women, their families, and our military veterans. Senator Warner is also a leader in Congress in efforts to promote private-sector innovation and to help our nation's small businesses and start-up companies succeed. 

From 2002 to 2006, Senator Warner served as Governor of Virginia, where he worked in a bipartisan way to turn record budget deficits into a surplus. Governor Warner also focused on improving public education and expanding economic opportunity in every region of the state. He recruited 135,000 new jobs to Virginia during his four-year term. When Governor Warner left office in 2006, Virginia was consistently recognized as the nation’s “best-managed state," the “best state for business” and the state offering the best educational opportunities to its young people.

 

2014 ASL Apollo Night

Click link for pictures:

https://plus.google.com/photos/102220115898421547777/albums/5982221235439203729#photos/102220115898421547777/albums/5982221235439203729

Receive Volunteer Income Tax Assistance at ASL

Appalachian School of Law is the site again for the annual VITA Program (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance).  Volunteer students at ASL have had extensive IRS training to be prepared to prepare income taxes free of charge for Buchanan County residentsand students with the help of Peoples, Inc.  VITA is under the direction of Cathy Houlihan, president and Staci Shelton Montgomery, Vice President.  It is located in Booth Center room 223 Monday through Thursday.  For more information, including qualifications please email choulihan15@my.asl.edu  or sshelton15@my.asl.edu 

Jerry Grantham visits ASL Professor Pat Baker's Class

On Wednesday, Febuary 5th in Professor Pat Baker's Oil and Gas class, Jerry Grantham, Vice President of Range Resources, discussed the technology, geology and science behind natural gas production in Central Appalachia. He also discussed the geology of oil and gas and hydrofracturing.

A native of southwest Virginia, Mr. Grantham has 30 years of experience in the gas and oil industry throughout the United States. He currently holds the position of Vice President of Range Resources’ Southern Appalachia Division, which explores for natural gas -- both conventional and coalbed methane -- in southwestern Virginia. He has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia and a Masters’ degree in Geology from Michigan State University.

Clean burning natural gas currently represents 99% of the hydrocarbon production in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Coalbed methane makes up the majority of this production, and Virginia is now ranked 5th in coalbed methane production in the nation. All of the gas in Virginia is produced from a 7-county area in the very southwestern corner of the state (also home to ASL). The development of this resource by the gas industry benefits the region and the Commonwealth by creating high paying jobs, generating revenue through royalty and tax payments, and providing the cleanest burning fossil fuel available. According to Grantham, “Natural gas clearly should be part of the solution of meeting the future energy needs of both the Commonwealth and our nation."

Chris Fortier to speak at ASL

Chris Fortier, Class of 2005, will be addressing our students on Monday, April 7^th at 11:30 in the Appellate Courtroom.  Lunch will be provided. This is a new date added for the Career Services events this semester.

Chris was the 2013 recipient of the Virginia State Bar R. Edwin Burnette Jr. Young Lawyer of the Year Award. He is employed by the Social Security Administration as an Attorney Advisor. Please RSVP with Janie Castle ( 276-935-4349 ext.1209 jcastle@asl.edu) if you plan to attend this event, so that she can get a head count for catering purposes.

 

For more information on Chris Fortier see ASL Professor Paula Young's Blog:

 

http://the-red-velvet-lawyer.blogspot.com/2013/11/distinguished-alumni-chris-fortier.html

 

ASL Profile: Peggy Street

ASL Profile: Peggy Street

Peggy Street was born and raised in Buchanan County, Virginia. She graduated from Council High School in 1996. Peggy has been married for 16 years, and has worked since she was 16 years old. She has three children, one of whom is a United States Marine, private first class.  Her daughter is 12, and her youngest son is 4. She resides on Garden Creek. In her spare time she enjoys crocheting and spending time with family and friends.  Peggy is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and then plans to get a Masters in legal studies

“Peggy is an extremely important component of the Natural Resources Law Center,” said Dan Caldwell, Counsel to the ASL Natural Resource Program.  “She has a very positive attitude, great work ethic, and a can-do mentality, the trifecta of team work.  She is great to work with and has a wonderful sense of humor.  She is an outstanding member of the law school community and we are all better for knowing her.  The Energy Law Symposium would not have been the success it was, without her.  Bottom line, she makes ASL a better place.  We are truly fortunate to have such a great colleague.”

ASL Professor and Director of the Natural Resources Center, Patrick Baker added, “She is also a great cook, a wonderful mother and a canner (she even cans deer meat).  She is a fierce competitor, refusing to let a simple face plant and bloody mouth keep her from finishing a tennis tournament. Peggy's attitude is why wait ‘til tomorrow if we can get the job done today. She is an asset to ASL and we are fortunate to have her.”

 

ASL Professor Pat Baker Quoted in Gas Royalties Article

click link for article:

http://www.tricities.com/news/local/article_df95e7fa-84c0-11e3-ab57-001a4bcf6878.html

DMV Mobile Office Partners with Appalachian School of Law

DMV Mobile Office Partners with Appalachian School of Law

DMV 2 Go to Serve ASL Students, Faculty, and Staff on Campus and the Grundy Community.

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) mobile customer service center, called DMV 2 Go, is again partnering with the Appalachian School of Law (ASL) in Grundy to offer another convenient location for students, college faculty and staff to conduct their DMV business. DMV 2 Go will be open for business at ASL on Thursday, February 6, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (weather permitting).   

DMV 2 Go is a handicapped-accessible full service office on wheels that provides all DMV transactions including buying hunting and fishing licenses, and applying for and renewing driver’s licenses and ID cards. In addition, if Virginians have recently moved, which is often the case in a college community, they can stop in to update their address on their DMV record, and update their voter registration address and organ donor status.   Customers are encouraged to research and bring the proper documents to complete their transactions by using the interactive document guide at www.dmvNOW.com. For more details, scheduling information, and a calendar of upcoming locations visit www.dmvNOW.com/DMV2GO.

 

 

ASL Professor Stuart Harris Quoted in tricities.com Article

 

http://www.tricities.com/news/local/article_46d81d6e-80bd-11e3-b357-0019bb30f31a.html

 

 

Woman's Club Presents Scholarship Check to ASL

Glenna Owens (r), Education Chair of the Grundy Woman’s Club, presents a scholarship check to the Appalachian School of Law’s Director of Institutional Development, Karen Harvey, and Dean Lucy McGough. The scholarship will benefit a female Buchanan County law student.

ASL 2013 A Year in Review

Click link for photos:

https://plus.google.com/photos/102220115898421547777/albums/5968490599260770577?authkey=CPSyxe6MsuGvmwE

Professor Belleville To Present On Wind Energy At Virginia Bar Annual Meeting

Professor Buzz Belleville will be presenting on incentives for wind energy at the 124^th annual meeting of The Virginia Bar Association on January 24, 2014.  The annual meeting runs from January 23 to January 25, at the Williamsburg Lodge and Conference Center in Colonial Williamsburg.  Professor Belleville’s panel – “Tilting at Windmills: An Introduction to Wind Energy in Virginia” – is at 9:15 on Friday, January 24.  For more information, or to register for the event, go to https://m360.vba.org/event.aspx?eventID=85596&instance=0.    

 

Professor Belleville plays a key role in developing the natural resources law program at ASL.  He teaches Sustainable Energy Law and Policy, the Law of Renewables and the Natural Resources section of Appellate Advocacy at ASL, as well as Natural Resources Law and Policy at Virginia Tech.  He has presented and written extensively on wind energy, incentives for renewables and energy efficiencies, the ‘Appalachian Wind Wars,’ climate change and carbon regulation.  He is currently working on a grant from Dominion Power to study barriers to wind energy development in Virginia.  He also advises the ASL Natural Resources Law Journal, the Environmental Law Society and the Energy and Mineral Law Society, and coaches moot court teams at energy law and environmental law competitions.

 

ASL's Glenna Owens has been chosen as the 2013 Buchanan County Chamber Volunteer of the Year

Glenna Owens has been chosen as the 2013 Buchanan County Chamber Volunteer of the Year.  This award is given to a Chamber member who goes above and beyond to give of their time and energy to help with Chamber functions and to help promote Buchanan County.  She has served as on the Annual Banquet Committee for several years, is Co-Chair of the Silent Auction Committee, serves on the newly formed Chamber Scholarship Committee, and assisted this year with the annual Christmas Parade lineup.  She is also active in Grundy Woman’s Club and many Church activities.  Glenna is the Associate Director of the Law Library and has worked at ASL for 16 years.