WVU College of Law Class of 2022
Photo by Chelsi Baker.
By Arianna Whitehair
“Law school was a dream for me since middle school. It was easy for me to pay attention in class and take my readings seriously because I genuinely loved the material,” says Shawn Hogbin, a 2022 graduate of the West Virginia University (WVU) College of Law.
Hogbin was born and raised in Hedgesville, WV, and received bachelor’s degrees in political science, philosophy, business administration and communication studies from WVU in 2018.
An avid outdoorsman and lover of hiking, biking, climbing and rafting, Hogbin is always up for a challenge—only the challenge of attending law school came with a lot more time spent reading and a lot less time exploring.
“I don’t think it is any secret that law school is difficult. It demands a lot of your time, patience and certainly puts some strain on your eyes,” Hogbin says. “What is more, it asks you to make difficult decisions between schoolwork and time with family, friends and significant others. In a lot of ways, your support network bears the burden of law school because you trade time with them for time with your reading.”
During his time at WVU College of Law, Hogbin certainly made his mark.
“By the beginning of my 2L year, I found myself as the vice president of the Class of 2022, secretary of the WVU Environmental Law Society, treasurer of the WVU Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and an associate editor for the West Virginia Law Review,” Hogbin says. “By the end of my 2L year, I was fortunate enough to be elected the president of the West Virginia Student Bar Association and named the executive notes editor of the West Virginia Law Review.”
Aside from working for two summers with Skinner Law Firm, he had a Student Note published through the West Virginia Law Review, served as co-advisor in a Title IX proceeding and graduated with the following honors: Order of the Coif, Order of the Barristers, Pro Bono Distinction and Bloom Scholar.
“I’m the result of the hard work and earnest dedication of those around me,” he says.
Understanding that success is a team effort, Hogbin credits his parents—Clint and Chris Hogbin—professors Charles DiSalvo and Jena Martin and mentors Stephen and Andrew Skinner for helping him get to where he is today.
After the bar exam, Hogbin will begin term clerking for the Honorable Irene C. Berger in the Southern District of West Virginia.
“With the information and experience I get from clerking, the plan is to return to the Eastern Panhandle to work for the Skinner Law Firm in Charles Town,” he says.
Having been actively involved with the Alternate Dispute Resolution Society—a student organization that focuses on informing and training law students about procedures for settling disputes by means other than formal litigation—Hogbin was able to expand his passion for helping the people of his beloved home state.
“The training, coupled with the ability to see real cases while still in law school, was invaluable to me,” he says. “Those cases were a consistent reminder of how the law interacts with the daily lives of West Virginians.”
Hogbin also has plans to co-author a book with WVU professor and mentor, Jena Martin.
With his family’s residency in West Virginia spanning eight generations, it comes as no surprise that Hogbin’s love for this state and its people runs deep.
“Simply put, I would not have been able to go law school if it wasn’t for the people of this state,” he says. “My teachers, mentors, coaches, friends and community invested immense amounts of time into making me who I am today. In order to repay their investments, I want to practice in West Virginia and help the people of this state.”
