WYOMING COUNTY, W.Va. (WVVA) – Westside High School’s auditorium became a courtroom Tuesday morning as the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals held a session in Wyoming County as part of the Legal Advancement for West Virginia Students program, known as LAWS.
Deirdre Cline, interim superintendent of Wyoming County Schools, said the event gave students interested in law a chance to see the process firsthand.
“For those that have an interest in law, this is the peak experience to get to witness this in real time and in person,” Cline said.
The court traveled from Charleston to give students a hands-on learning experience.
Emma Endicott, a senior at Westside High School, said the session showed her the level of formality involved in court proceedings.
“I have learned about how formal they are. Like, I always knew that, but I realize it’s to a whole other level,” Endicott said.
Students heard arguments from attorneys. According to the American Bar Association, the legal profession is in high demand in West Virginia.
Chief Justice Haley Bunn said the state is short on attorneys.
“There are not enough lawyers to represent folks the way that they need represented. We’re losing lawyers quicker than we’re gaining lawyers,” Bunn said.
Bunn said almost all of the state is a legal desert, and she hopes exposure to events like this will change that.
“That’s something that the court is really interested in finding ways to help out and just really inspiring young folks who are from here to maybe go into the legal field and come back here and practice,” Bunn said.
Bunn is a Wyoming County native.
“It just shows what one person from a small town can do and how far they can go in this state,” Endicott said.
Endicott said she may not go into law, but the session inspired her in a different way.
“This just encourages me to be more in education so that I can have this establishment in my school and I can encourage people to step up and do things like how Chief Justice Bunn is,” Endicott said.
More information on the LAWS program is available at courtswv.gov.
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