Article written by the Women in the Profession Committee
As we celebrate Independence Day with patriotism and pride in our nation, the West Virginia State Bar celebrates its own shining star of the WVU College of Law for her commitment to instilling in our law students the desire to serve the legal needs of the poor. Jennifer Powell is this month’s More Than A Lawyer for her unwavering commitment to public interest and public service. Jennifer has been nominated by Amelia Rinehart, Dean of WVU College of Law.
Jennifer has worked with our law students at the WVU College of Law for more than 20 years as Assistant Dean of Career Services, as Director of Center for Law and Public Service, and more recently, as Assistant Dean for Student Services and Engagement. During this time Jennifer has focused much of her work on promoting public interest and public service to our law students as the advisor for the Public Interest Advocates, a student organization which works with the WV Fund for the Law in the Public Interest to raise funds for public interest fellowships for WVU College of Law students. These law students work full time for 10 weeks in the summer months in non-profit organizations serving low-income clients and helping meet the legal needs of the poor in the areas of housing law, disability rights, family law, consumer law, and domestic violence. Each year 15-20 fellowships are funded with the tireless efforts of Jennifer, PIA and the WV Fund for the Law in the Public Interest. Since 1987 more than 560 summer PIA fellows have served low income clients with the free legal help many in our community so desperately need. Since 2008 they have also funded 28 full-time post-graduate fellowships; each fellow working full-time for one year.
Jennifer’s passion for serving the public interest does not stop with her work with the students as she also serves as a member of the Access to Justice Commission, as a liaison to the WV Judicial and Lawyers Assistance program, and as a member of the WV Lawyer Wellbeing Task force. She is also active in her community having served on the Boards of the Rape and Domestic Violence Center, the Shack Neighborhood House, and the United Way of Monongalia and Preston counties.
Ally Fleenor, WVU College of Law 2024 graduate, says, “Dean Powell is not only a leader at WVU Law; she is the heart and soul of it. She serves as a safe haven for students aspiring to become lawyers, and transforms us into better individuals equipped to make a positive impact on the world.”
Aside from her dedication to students at the College of Law and her community, Jennifer is also a staunch WVU and Pittsburgh Pirates fan, with a goal to assume the role of the Pirate Parrot when she retires.
The West Virginia State Bar is proud of our College of Law hero. Thank you, Jennifer Powell, for being MoreThanALawyer!
