2023
Nakia Ridgeway
WVU College of Law Class of 2023
KRISTEN UPPERCUE
NAKIA RIDGEWAY , term law clerk at the U . S . District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia and 2023 West Virginia University ( WVU ) College of Law graduate , was born and raised in a large family in Lexington , KY . She decided to make Northern Virginia her second home , attending George Mason University to receive a bachelor ’ s degree in conflict analysis and resolution with a minor in African and African American studies and a concentration in justice and reconciliation .
After graduating , Ridgeway worked in the Washington , D . C ., metro area , where she served in a few different roles , including at the U . S . Department of Veteran Affairs , an international law firm and on Capitol Hill as a congressional staffer , before attending law school .
Ridgeway received many honors upon graduating , including the Order of the Barristers ; CALI Excellence for the Future Awards in Race , Racism and the Law , Artificial Intelligence and the Law and Pretrial Litigation ; the 2023 National Women Lawyer ’ s Award for WVU College of Law ; and the Faith and Politics Institute John Robert Lewis Fellow .
“ One of the best parts of being a student at WVU was the comradery that our class had ,” Ridgeway says . “ We started law school at the height of the pandemic , so we were not afforded the normal law school experience at first , but we persevered and made the most of our time together as classmates .”
While at WVU , Ridgeway served as a research assistant and teaching assistant for professor Charles DiSalvo . She also served as summer associate at a national law firm working in the litigation group and participated in the Google Legal Summer Institute Program , working as a summer associate at one of Google ’ s partner law firms in Louisville , KY .
Ridgeway served as president of the Black Law Student Association and director of programming for the Mid- Atlantic Region of Black Law Students Association ( BSLA ), where she developed programming for the BLSA chapters in Washington , D . C ., Maryland , Virginia , Pennsylvania and West Virginia .
As for volunteer work , Ridgeway worked with the Appalachian Prison Book Project , an organization that provides books to individuals who are incarcerated in Appalachian states . She also participated in a name change clinic with Legal Aid of West Virginia and participated in many smaller community service projects .
She served on the Moot Court Board as a competition member and the tryout chair . As part of the Student Bar Association , she served as the law student liaison on the West Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Committee and as the American Bar Association Liaison for WVU College of Law . Outside of law school , Ridgeway served as a law student member on the WVU Public Safety Advisory Committee and the West Virginia Supreme Court Taskforce for Lawyer Well-Being .
“ I found that being involved with organizations outside of class made for a more balanced law school experience ,” Ridgeway says . “ My involvement in these activities allowed me to further develop my advocacy and writing skills and also engage with attorneys and non-attorneys in West Virginia on issues that matter to me .”
Ridgeway previously interned for the Honorable Bibi Berry in the Montgomery County Circuit Court in Rockville , MD , and externed for the Honorable Michael Aloi in the Northern District of West Virginia .
“ I was fortunate to have been exposed to both state and federal courts ,” Ridgeway says .
In her last year at WVU , Ridgeway participated in the Clinical Law Program as a student attorney for the West Virginia Innocence Project , which was one of the most fulfilling experiences she has had to date , she says .
While her experience with the Mountain State didn ’ t start until she came to law school , Ridgeway has enjoyed every moment .
“ For the past three years , I have enjoyed the beautiful fall foliage , energy-filled football games and pepperoni rolls . But most of all , I have benefitted from the many friends and mentors I have gained through WVU College of Law and beyond ,” she says . “ No matter where I go , if I come across another West Virginian or Mountaineer , I automatically feel the love .” •
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