Photo by WVU College of Law.
BY BLAIR DOWLER. For Chase Farmer, practicing law is in his blood. A fourth-generation West Virginia University( WVU) College of Law graduate, he is also the fourth generation member of his family to become an attorney.
He learned from watching his father how rewarding the legal profession can be.“ He has always said,‘ If you do what’ s best for your client, everything else will take care of itself,’” says Farmer.
Farmer took his father’ s advice to heart early on as a law student. In addition to his coursework, he served as president of the Marlyn E. Lugar Trial Association. There, he helped organize and competed in intramural and intercollegiate mock trial competitions. He also served as the vice chief justice for the Moot Court, where he assisted with events and worked with first- and second-year students on polishing their arguments.
Throughout law school, Farmer was diligent in preparing for his career as a West
2018 AWARDS
Chase Farmer
Class of 2018, WVU College of Law
Virginia attorney. His internships included a summer at Wilson, Frame, & Metheney, PLLC, and a summer working for the Honorable Judge Phillip Gaujot in Morgantown. He also competed in three inhouse mock trial competitions at WVU and represented the college at three intercollegiate competitions.
“ Standing in the courtroom and arguing in front of a judge or jury is exhilarating,” he says of the competitions.“ The opportunity to practice and sharpen your skills in a setting where the outcome will not negatively impact a client’ s life is truly invaluable.”
Farmer has been blessed with a great support system, particularly his wife, Katie, and his grandfather, George Farmer, Jr.
“ I cannot explain how rewarding it was to share my law school experience with my grandfather,” he says.“ He’ s not shy about offering constructive criticism, which is both humbling and treasured.”
Farmer was named the 2017 George C. Baker Cup winner, and when he graduated in spring 2018, he received the honor of the Order of Barristers and Pro Bono Distinction. As a student, he also received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for interview, counsel and negotiation, and he was a Marlyn E. Lugar Cup runner-up. With law school behind him, he will practice personal injury law in Morgantown at Farmer, Cline and Campbell, PLLC. •
Photo by WVU College of Law.
BY BLAIR DOWLER. Berkeley Springs, WV, native Rebecca Trump has always considered the law to be an honorable professional path. After all, her father is a lawyer, as were her grandfather and greatgrandfather. Her parents never pushed her in the direction of law school— she came to that decision on her own.
Rebecca L. Trump
Class of 2018, WVU College of Law
As an undergraduate at Penn State University, Trump studied economics and political science. After graduating in 2013, she moved to Morgantown to work on the U. S. Senate campaign for Shelley Moore Capito. As a field director, Trump organized the grassroots operations for Capito’ s campaign in northern West Virginia, which then led her to Washington, D. C., to serve as a legislative correspondent for the new senator.
In 2015, Trump made the difficult decision to leave her job and enroll in law school.“ As much as I enjoyed my job, I felt that if I waited any longer, I would never end up going to law school,” she says.
With the decision made to build a career around serving West Virginians, she enrolled at West Virginia University College of Law.
As a law student, Trump served as the editor-in-chief of the West Virginia Law Review, where she oversaw the publication and spearheaded the 2018 Appalachian Justice Symposium.
“ We wanted our symposium to focus on Appalachia and the unique challenges our part of the country faces,” she says.“ Our goal was to host an event that came up with practical solutions, and we wanted to bring together experts from a variety of disciplines so they could collaborate on ideas.”
Trump graduated in 2018 in the top 10 percent of her class, earning Order of the Coif honors. She also received the Patrick Duffy Koontz Award and two CALI Excellence for the Future Awards. In September, she will join Steptoe & Johnson PLLC as an associate with a focus on litigation.
As for trading in Capitol Hill for the Mountain State, she has no regrets.
“ I love West Virginia,” she says.“ I felt an urge to get out when I was finishing high school. West Virginia felt too small, and I wanted to experience something new. But the things that might bother a 17 year old are things that a 27 year old can appreciate. I love how small it is and that everyone is connected. I find that whenever I leave, I always want to come back.” •
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