have in common , despite the different circumstances of our births .”
With this focus , Dooley returned home to chase her dream and enrolled at the WVU College of Law , where she was active in the Black Law Students Association and instrumental in establishing the graduate assistantship for minority recruiting and minority clerkship program .
She graduated from WVU in 1990 and held positions at Spilman Thomas & Battle and the West Virginia Attorney General ’ s Office before opening her own practice — The Dooley Law Firm — where she focuses on plaintiff personal injury , employment and administrative law .
“ I struck out to not just earn a living but to also make a difference in my community ,” she says . “ I thought having my own practice would allow me to serve the community in a way I had seen modeled by Cleckley years earlier . I believe my heart for helping people and my desire to obtain a fair and just result for my clients has guided my practice .”
During the course of her career , Dooley has served on the West Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Committee and board of governors ; as president of the Mountain State Bar Association , Inc .; and in the capacity of legal redress for the Charleston branch of the NAACP . She has been honored for her work with many accolades , including the Martin Luther King Jr . Holiday Commission Living the Dream Award for Human and Civil
Rights , YWCA Women of Achievement and West Virginia Bar Foundation Fellow .
A long-time resident of Charleston , Dooley has worked to put her values into practice in her adopted community . She served as a member of the Charleston- Kanawha Housing Authority board of commissioners for more than 20 years to improve public housing . In January , her application to have Court Street named for Martin Luther King Jr . was approved , and , most recently , she successfully worked with other community leaders to rename a city middle school originally named for a Confederate general .
“ In many respects , I have remained at the grassroots of my community ,” she says . “ While there is still much work to be done until all people are treated fairly and equitably , I believe my work has positively impacted the lives of others .”
In 2015 , Dooley was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer , and today she is grateful to still be here celebrating life and love with her husband of 37 years , who she counts among the people who have modeled for her what it means to have a servant ’ s spirit .
“ The essence of who I am was birthed in my family , first and foremost , my church and my community ,” she says . “ Following Chuck ’ s example , I have tried to address the needs of my family , my community and my profession to make positive change . Justice Cleckley would often paraphrase
a scripture telling us , ‘ Those to whom much is given , much is required .’ I believe that and throughout my career have sought to give back a portion of what I have been blessed to receive . I wanted to obtain a law degree to make a difference in the lives of people because in the final analysis , touching the lives of others is the pebble that creates the ripple on the pond . I often tell people who thank me for something I have done for them that they can repay me by assisting others . Pass it on .” •
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