Class of 2017, WVU College of Law
Photo by WVU College of Law.
By Maggie Matsko.
A native of Oklahoma City, OK, Jackson Butler had never visited the campus of West Virginia University (WVU) prior to packing up his car and moving to Morgantown. Not a day passes, though, that he isn’t reassured that enrolling in the WVU College of Law was the right decision for him.
After receiving his undergraduate degrees, Butler spent several years working in a variety of fields before deciding to attend law school.
“Working in those fields helped me understand the significance of law and how it dictates the framework of society,” he says. “I quickly realized not only that those who are versed in the law wield a powerful tool but that I needed to become one of those versed people.”
Butler’s time spent in Morgantown was most notably marked by his service as president of the Student Bar Association (SBA). In this role, he acted as the liaison between the student body and school administration.
“I saw SBA as a way to be involved with all facets of the school,” he says. “It was an opportunity to help shape my own environment rather than just have it shape me, to help improve things at the law school and to immerse myself in the culture.”
Under Butler’s direction, the SBA held several fundraisers to support local organizations. They organized a 5k that raised more than $1,000 for the Rape and Domestic Violence Information Center; a toy drive for families impacted by last year’s flood; a blood drive for the American Red Cross; and the first annual WVU College of Law Alumni Golf Scramble, which benefited Legal Aid of West Virginia.
His involvement in the SBA made him a better professional. “First and foremost, I perfected my time management skills,” he says. “Additionally, I was forced to learn to communicate across a massive group of people, focus a message and advocate for the interests of everyone.”
In the fall, Butler will pursue his LL.M. in taxation at Georgetown Law. As he continues his education, he will not soon forget the imprint WVU has left on him.
“Law school is challenging, but those challenges reach new heights when undertaken in a new place without any of your family or friends,” he says. “The people of WVU all welcomed me and became my support system. My success was largely because these people made me feel at home.”
