WVU College of Law Class of 2021 By Meredith Aliff Originally from Gerrardstown, WV, Emily Neely finished her undergraduate education as a fourth generation West Virginia University (WVU) graduate after receiving her bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy. In May 2021, she became the first person in her family to graduate from law school.…
WVU College of Law Class of 2021 By Maggie Hatfield Ever since his first day at the West Virginia University (WVU) College of Law, Austin Longnecker made sure to take every opportunity that came his way. His hard work and commitment to seizing opportunities paid off—he graduated in May with a labor and employment concentration…
Assistant Vice President & Senior Litigation Counsel, West Virginia University Health System By Ken Magill To Christine Vaglienti, balance is not something to be achieved but something to be adjusted on an ongoing basis. “I think of balance not as a noun, not as a state to be achieved if I can just get myself…
In-House Counsel, Encova Insurance By Emily Rice As a self-proclaimed nontraditional law student, Toney Stroud, in-house counsel at Encova Insurance, enrolled in law school when he was 31 years old. A Marshall University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business information systems, Stroud worked as a claim’s adjuster for several years until he made the…
Attorney, Pill and Pill, PLLC By Shannon Wells Rick Pill’s path to becoming a revered real estate attorney in Martinsburg, WV, started—somewhat improbably—in pursuit of the military life. Graduating from West Virginia University (WVU) in 1974 during the waning days of the Vietnam War era meant the Morgantown native’s passion was a bit out of…
Managing Partner, Charleston Office, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP By Lori Kersey Ashley Pack, managing partner for Dinsmore & Shohl LLP’s Charleston office, became an attorney the way some people go to work for their family’s restaurant. Pack’s father was an attorney with his own firm, while her mother managed law firms for decades. “Law was…