Class of 2017, WVU College of Law
Photo by Tatsu Johnson.
By Maggie Matsko.
When Elizabeth Stryker graduated with her bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University (WVU), she accepted a banking position in Columbus, Ohio, intentionally distancing herself from the possibility of following her parents into the field of law. “It was during that time at the bank that I realized I was looking for something more,” she says. “Both of my parents are lawyers, and they’ve always suggested that I become a lawyer too. After years of protest, I finally realized they were right, and I enrolled.”
Stryker returned to Morgantown as a nontraditional student, which required a nontraditional mindset. “I went back to school with the mindset that I needed to treat my time in law school as a three-year networking and practical learning opportunity because my goal was—and still is—to be the best attorney I can be,” she says.
In her second year of law school, Stryker was elected to the position of chief justice of the Moot Court. In that role, she was responsible for selecting and budgeting for interscholastic traveling competitions, selecting new members for the board, organizing the logistics for in-house competitions and re-writing bylaws. She also helped rebrand the Moot Court, which resulted in WVU Law students excelling in more challenging rounds of competition at the Wagner National Labor and Employment Competition in New York City (NYC) and the NYC Bar National Moot Court Competition regional round in Richmond, VA.
For Stryker, Moot Court not only allowed her to represent WVU at interscholastic competitions but also prepared her for the future. “I could see how I had benefited from Moot Court when I joined the WVU Law Clinic for my 3L year,” she says. “I was very confident in the courtroom. I was able to deliver an oral argument to a judge and win a favorable ruling for my client.”
Stryker will be joining Steptoe & Johnson PLLC as an associate attorney in Morgantown in September 2017, where she plans to get involved in the local community. For her, it’s as much about being a great Mountaineer and helping other West Virginians as it is being the best lawyer she can be.
“It’s difficult for me to express just how much I love this state,” she says. “Being a West Virginian has created in me a fierce loyalty for my colleagues, clients and state. It makes me committed to seeing the people of our state succeed.”
