Roslyn Clark Artis , J . D ., Ed . D .
President & CEO , Benedict College
Photo by AJ Shorter Photography .
KRISTEN UPPERCUE
DR . ROSLYN CLARK ARTIS dreamed of becoming a lawyer from a young age — a dream she turned into a reality after graduating from the West Virginia University ( WVU ) College of Law in 1995 . While today she serves as the 14th president and CEO of Benedict College , the study of law helped plot her course as an educator and activist .
The three years she spent at the WVU College of Law were among the most challenging yet fulfilling years of her life . At the time , she relocated to Morgantown with her young son , Christopher , and found a strong support system within her family , friends and classmates , including other student parents who would take
turns babysitting each other ’ s children while the parents were in class or studying . Artis was also mentored by members of the Mountain State Bar Association , the oldest minority bar association in the country .
“ While minority lawyers in West Virginia were few in number , they had an outsized impact on my life , shaping my view of the legal system and cultivating my commitment to social justice and advocacy ,” she says . “ Through the Mountain State Bar Association , I developed a strong sense of responsibility for those coming behind me . In retrospect , that commitment to future generations probably planted the seeds for my career in higher education .”
During law school , Artis worked as a law clerk with Steptoe & Johnson LLP in Clarksburg , WV , which she says positioned her well to embark at an insurance defense practice . She then moved home to Beckley , WV , to be closer to her husband and family to work as an associate attorney at Brown & Levicoff , PLLC , where she learned the value of painstaking preparation and remaining a lifelong student .
“ As lawyers , we are expected to stand and deliver . You do not get to edit your opening and closing arguments or cut and paste . You simply have to get it right the first time ,” she says . “ Learning to dictate letters , memos and briefs taught me to gather my thoughts in my head and articulate them clearly .”
While practicing , Artis spent time conducting community workshops for teens and community members . She also volunteered regularly with the NAACP Legal Redress Committee , Women ’ s Resource Center and West Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Section .
While serving as an adjunct professor at Mountain State University , Artis coached a moot court team and mentored aspiring lawyers . In 2003 , after practicing law for almost a decade , she transitioned to work full time in higher education at WVU Tech . Artis ultimately pursued and acquired a doctorate in higher education leadership and policy from Vanderbilt University .
“ While the practice of law was certainly fulfilling , I realized that teaching was , in fact , my passion ,” she says . “ A single note from a student crystallized my decision to make the shift from law to higher education . I was teaching a course in legal research and writing . At the conclusion of the course , the student handed me a note that read , ‘ You changed my life . I never thought I could be a lawyer . After meeting you and taking this class , I know I can .’ I must have read those words a hundred times . It is that simple . Education affords me the opportunity to change lives and touch the future through my students and their families . While the law can compel opportunity , education creates it .”
While Artis has had much success in education , she says her law degree remains her most valuable credential .
“ I do not regret earning a law degree or the years I spent practicing ,” she says . “ I am convinced the critical thinking , oral and written communication skills and analytic ability I developed in law
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