On June 21, the Honorable Dwane L. Tinsley was sworn in as a U. S. Magistrate Court Judge for  the Southern District of West Virginia. He   is pictured above, without his robe, with WV Bar Foundation Past President Carl Harris at the reception immediately after the ceremony that was held before an overflow crowd at the Robert C. Byrd Federal Courthouse in Charleston. Both Judge Tinsley and Past President Harris are Bar Foundation Fellows.

All the Southern District Judges, as well as 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Judges Robert King and Stephanie Thacker, were present for the outstanding ceremony with Judge Irene Berger administering the Oath of Office. Excellent remarks were made by Anita Casey, David Hendrickson and Kitty Dooley with Judge Tinsley making exemplary comments regarding his family, his legal career and his forthcoming work in the federal judiciary.

Judge Tinsley assumes the judgeship that was held by Judge Mary Stanley, who served admirably for many years. Judge Tinsley actually began his important responsibilities several weeks ago.

THIS PAST YEAR, THE BAR FOUNDATION MOVED FORWARD THROUGH A THIRD YEAR OF MAJOR CHANGE AND SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS AS THE PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATION FOR WEST   VIRGINIA’S LEGAL PROFESSION AND JUSTICE SYSTEM.

FIRST, FOR MANY YEARS, THE BAR FOUNDATION WAS THE OWNER AND THE LANDLORD OF THE STATE BAR CENTER AND THE OFFICE OF DISCIPLINARY COUNSEL/LAWYER DISCIPLINARY BOARD BUILDING WHICH WERE BOTH LOCATED RIGHT BESIDE THE STATE CAPITOL IN CHARLESTON. HOWEVER, BY JANUARY, 2012, BOTH BUILDINGS WERE VACANT AND FOR SALE AS THE LAWYER DISCIPLINARY BOARD HAD MOVED TO OTHER OFFICES SHARED WITH JUDICIAL AGENCIES, AS ORDERED BY THE SUPREME COURT, AND THE WV STATE BAR HAD MOVED TO A NEW LOCATION.

THE BAR FOUNDATION’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS, A DIVERSE GROUP OF JUDGES AND LAWYERS FROM ALL PARTS OF THE STATE AND ALL TYPES OF LAW PRACTICE, PUT BOTH PROPERTIES ON THE MARKET FOR SALE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT THE BEST ECONOMIC SITUATION. HOWEVER, BOTH BUILDINGS WERE SOLD WITHIN EIGHT MONTHS. THEREFORE, THE BAR FOUNDATION IS NO LONGER IN THE REAL ESTATE AND LANDLORD BUSINESS AND ABLE TO FOCUS ITS FULL ATTENTION TO PROVIDING GRANTS TO IMPROVE THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES TO OUR CITIZENS.

IN THE AREA OF GRANTMAKING, THE BAR FOUNDATION HAS MADE GREAT STRIDES FORWARD IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. DURING JUST THE PAST FIVE YEARS MORE THAN $175,000 HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO VARIED PROGRAMS, INCLUDING, TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT, INCREASE LAW RELATED EDUCATION EFFORTS IN OUR SCHOOLS AND FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, EXPAND MOCK TRIALS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, PROVIDE BULLYING PREVENTION PROGRAMS IN OUR SCHOOLS AND TO PROVIDE A PUBLIC SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP FOR A DESERVING STUDENT AT THE LAW SCHOOL AT WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY.

IN   ADDITION, TO INCREASE THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR MAKING GRANTS, THE BAR FOUNDATION INITIATED A NEW ENDEAVOR TWO YEARS AGO-“LUNCH AND LAUGHS WITH A LEGAL LEGEND”. THERE HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL “FRIENDLY” ROASTS OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT EMERITUS DAVID C. HARDESTY, JR. AND LAW   SCHOOL DEAN EMERITUS JOHN FISHER, II IN MORGANTOWN. LARGE CROWDS HAVE BEEN IN ATTENDANCE TO HEAR JUDGES AND LAWYERS TELL HUMOROUS STORIES AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE FORMER PRESIDENT AND THE FORMER DEAN, AS WELL AS LISTENING TO THEIR APPROPRIATE REBUTTAL. MORE THAN $40,000 HAS BEEN DIVIDED BETWEEN THEIR CHOICE OF WVU LAW SCHOOL STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AND BAR FOUNDATION GRANTS.

IT IS CLEAR THAT LAWYERS ARE LEADERS IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND IN STATEWIDE ENDEAVORS. TO HELP DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF LAWYER LEADERS, THE BAR   FOUNDATION HAS HOSTED ALPS LAWYER LEADERSHIP INSTITUTES FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. A DIVERSE GROUP OF LAWYERS, WHO HAVE BEEN ADMITTED TO PRACTICE FOR 10 YEARS OR LESS, RECEIVED OUTSTANDING PRESENTATIONS FROM EXPERT JUDGES AND   LAWYERS ON ALL ASPECTS OF LEADERSHIP DURING THE TWO DAY WEEKEND SESSIONS. ALPS-THE ATTORNEYS LIABILITY PROTECTION SOCIETY-HAS GIVEN MAJOR SUPPORT FOR THESE SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP TRAINING ENDEAVORS.

FOR THE 15TH YEAR, DISTINGUISHED JUDGES AND LAWYERS WERE  HONORED AS BAR FOUNDATION FELLOWS DURING THE ANNUAL DINNER IN CHARLESTON IN APRIL, 2013. APPROXIMATELY 170 PERSONS FROM ALL PARTS OF THE STATE ATTENDED THE BLACK TIE OPTIONAL ACTIVITY WHERE NINETEEN LAWYERS AND THREE JUDGES JOINED LESS THAN 300 INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY ACHIEVED THIS HIGH HONOR, OUT OF MORE THAN 5,000 JUDGES AND LAWYERS IN WEST VIRGINIA.

AGAIN, THE BAR FOUNDATION HAD A CLEAN AUDIT FROM THE INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTING FIRM AS WELL AS MONTHLY BANK RECONCILIATIONS BY A SEPARATE ACCOUNTING ENTITY. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS GIVES A HIGH PRIORITY TO ITS FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITIES DURING ITS QUARTERLY MEETINGS AND THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR. A TWICE MONTHLY ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER, KEEPS THE MEMBERS INFORMED OF THE BAR FOUNDATION’S WORK.

The WV Bar Foundation and its Board of Directors are very pleased to announce that U. S. District Court Judge Irene M. Keeley of Clarksburg has been selected as the honored guest for the Third Lunch and Laughs with a Legal Legend event, which will be held on Friday, September 13, 2013, at the Erickson Alumni Center in Morgantown.

This “friendly roast” will begin at 11:30 AM with WVU College of Law Professor Emeritus Jack Bowman serving as the Master of Ceremonies. The “roasters”, who will tell humorous stories about Judge Keeley, are U. S. District Court Chief Judge John P. Bailey (Wheeling), entrepreneur Pat Bibbee (Charleston) and attorney Robert  M. Steptoe, Jr. (Bridgeport).

The proceeds from this worthwhile activity will be shared by Judge Keeley’s designated choice of law student clinics at the WVU College of Law and Bar Foundation grants to improve the administration of justice in the state.  Sponsorships of $2,000 provide a reserved table with 10 seats. Individual tickets can be purchased for $60. Please contact the Bar Foundation to make reservations— tom@wvbarfoundation.org

304-343-9823—P. O. 4845,   Charleston, WV 25364.

A Good Time for a Good Cause!

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Thomas R. Tinder, Esq.
Executive Director
West Virginia Bar Foundation
Post Office Box 4845
Charleston, WV 25364

304-343-9823-phone
tom@wvbarfoundation.org

The philanthropic organization for West Virginia’s legal profession and justice system.

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