Olivia Giacono-Wright

By Sophia Dodson

Olivia Giacono-Wright, a graduate of the West Virginia University (WVU) College of Law Class of 2026, started off a long way from the hills of West Virginia. She was born in Willingboro, NJ, about 40 minutes from Philadelphia. She is the granddaughter of a U.S. Army veteran and third-generation immigrant, with her grandmother being from South Korea.

“My halmeoni—or hama, as we called her—immigrated to the U.S. from South Korea in the 70s,” Giacono-Wright says. “She struggled when she got here, but she was able to build a life for herself. She had no American education. Before she passed away in 2018, she always pushed me to be academically successful and made sure I knew how proud she was.”

After spending a year studying forensic science at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA, Giacono-Wright transferred to Temple University in 2020. There, she graduated with a degree in criminal justice and a minor in corporate compliance and regulatory policy.

During her time as an undergraduate student, her career plans began changing. She decided law school was the right path during her part-time job working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden, NJ, as a desk assistant. During the summer of her 1L year, she worked in Philadelphia for a solo practicing criminal defense attorney, which made her realize she wanted to be a litigator.

She soon started law school and experienced West Virginia for the first time. This proved to be an interesting experience for her, as the Mountain State is very different from the urban setting she was used to.

“Moving to West Virginia exposed me to an entirely different culture,” she says. “I have never been so connected with nature, and I have learned so much about the history of Appalachia and the battles the rural communities in West Virginia face every day.”

Giacono-Wright wishes to help the community while in West Virginia, something she’s already started doing while at WVU College of Law. She was president of Moot Court, participated in the Baker Cup Competition and helped organize 1L tryouts and the National Energy and Sustainability Competition. She was a member of the Women’s Leadership Club and part of the West Virginia Innocence Project Clinic and Club.

“The Innocence Project Clinic allowed me to attend the Innocence Network Conference in Chicago, IL,” she explains. “There, I was able to learn about post-conviction innocence work and got to meet and hear stories from freed people and exonerees. Being involved in these organizations helped me improve my time management and grow in my leadership skills.”

As part of the National Moot Court Competition, Giacono-Wright traveled to Richmond, VA, to argue at the Fourth Circuit, then visited New York City. While competing in the Baker Cup Competition, she got to argue in front of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.

She received awards for her pro bono work during law school, having accumulated over 200 hours. She won the Baker Cup Competition in 2025 and graduated as a member of the Order of the Barristers.

Giacono-Wright will soon begin working at Linkous Law, PLLC in Morgantown, practicing civil defense and medical malpractice. She also hopes one day to be published in a law review journal. She looks back fondly at her time at WVU College of Law, where she met lifelong friends and made an impact on her peers. She credits the school with getting her where she is today.

“I am grateful that I was able to get my legal education from such a supportive institution,” she says. “I truly do not think I would have accomplished all that I have so far if I did not attend WVU.”