BG’s 2023 Year in Review
Thanks to everyone – our clients, colleagues, co-counsel, communities, and friends, for making 2023 so successful. We hope you enjoy this recap of 2023!
Author: Bailey Glasser
Federal Law Clerk Joins Morgantown, WV Office
Bailey & Glasser, LLP welcomes lawyer Gabrielle Marcum to our Morgantown, WV office. Gabrielle has joined our national Commercial & Environmental Litigation Practice Group, where she will represent a diverse range of business interests and industries – from solo entrepreneurs to multi-national corporations – in state and federal courts nationwide.
Bailey & Glasser, LLP welcomes lawyer Gabrielle Marcum to our Morgantown, WV office. Gabrielle has joined our national Commercial & Environmental Litigation Practice Group, where she will represent a diverse range of business interests and industries – from solo entrepreneurs to multi-national corporations – in state and federal courts nationwide.
Gabrielle brings valuable courtroom and legal writing experience, having completed two prestigious federal court clerkships in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.
As a West Virginia University College of Law graduate, Gabrielle was an Executive Editor of the WVU Law Review and President of the Women’s Leadership Council. She was also a student clinician in the Child and Family Advocacy Clinic, providing vital legal services to children and families of limited income in custody matters, education advocacy, and accessing healthcare resources.
Gabrielle returns to Bailey Glasser after previously serving as a summer associate at the firm in 2019 and we are excited to welcome her back to our Morgantown office.
Learn more about Gabrielle Marcum here.
#BaileyGlasser #CommercialLitigation #Welcome
Pro Bono Focus: Liz Stryker and Husband Wes Prince Profiled in The West Virginia Lawyer
Bailey Glasser’s Elizabeth Stryker was featured in the most recent edition of West Virginia Lawyer along with her husband, Wes Prince of Shaffer Madia Law, to discuss their joint commitment to pro bono work.
Bailey Glasser’s Elizabeth Stryker was featured in the most recent edition of West Virginia Lawyer along with her husband, Wes Prince of Shaffer Madia Law, to discuss their joint commitment to pro bono work.
Liz and Wes’ dedication to giving back began with their involvement in legal clinics while law students at West Virginia University College of Law. Liz began her legal pro bono work in the General Clinic, while Wes volunteered in the Child and Family Legal Clinic, where they both gained hands-on experience representing clients. Notably, Liz believes her work in the Legal Clinic gave her experience and the confidence to start practicing law.
“I still volunteer for pro bono opportunities like Tuesday Legal Connect because I like to think that my service is a way of paying West Virginians back for the support and education I received at the WVU College of Law,” Liz said. “I always leave the office with a smile on my face after [a volunteering] session because the callers are so grateful to talk to someone willing to listen.” “It’s a very refreshing experience to help someone feel heard and like [they matter].”
At Bailey Glasser, Liz is a member of the firm’s Personal Injury practice group where she represents victims and their family members whose lives have been impacted by severe or catastrophic injury or death, and she also litigates complex product liability matters. Liz is also a member of the Electronically Stored Information (ESI) practice group, which develops and assists with complex discovery and document review strategies across our firm. Learn more about Liz’s practice here.
Read the full West Virginia Lawyer article here: Pro Bono Focus – Liz Stryker and Wes Prince.
Op-Ed: “What Are We Waiting For? Legislators, Our Child Welfare System Needs Immediate Action.”
“We can’t just plug holes. We need to fix the foundation. Everyone says children are our priority, so what’s the plan?” Sharon Iskra, BG’s Institutional Abuse & Neglect team leader, co-authors this insightful and powerful op-ed about the state of West Virginia’s child welfare system with Kellie Caseman, Executive Director of Think Kids in West Virginia.
“We can’t just plug holes. We need to fix the foundation. Everyone says children are our priority, so what’s the plan?” Sharon Iskra, BG’s Institutional Abuse & Neglect team leader, co-authors this insightful and powerful op-ed about the state of West Virginia’s child welfare system with Kellie Caseman, Executive Director of Think Kids in West Virginia.
Some data: “In 2023 alone, the Bureau of Social Services’ Centralized Intake hotline received roughly 40,000 referrals. Our state now has the highest ratio of child victims in the country: 17 per 1,000 children, which is twice the national average. And, despite the pediatric population decreasing by 10,000 between 2017-2021, more kids entered West Virginia’s foster care system in 2021 than in the five years prior.”
To read this article, visit here.
To learn more about Sharon, follow this link.
To learn more about the firm’s Institutional Abuse & Neglect practice, visit here.
Federal Appeals Court Vacates District Court Decision in Fresno State Title IX Case, Opens Door for All-Female-Student-Athlete Class Action
In an important appellate victory for six former members of the women’s lacrosse team at Fresno State, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated the district court’s orders denying class certification, paving the way for the lawsuit to continue on behalf of all female student-athletes at the university.
In an important appellate victory for six former members of the women’s lacrosse team at Fresno State, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated the district court’s orders denying class certification, paving the way for the lawsuit to continue on behalf of all female student-athletes at the university.
First filed in 2021, the lawsuit alleged Fresno State violated Title IX by depriving women of equal opportunities to participate in varsity athletics and equal treatment and benefits. In February 2022, the women sought certification as a class action on behalf of all female student-athletes and/or potential athletes at the school. However, the district court twice denied certification, finding an inherent conflict between athletes who played on different teams.
The Ninth Circuit disagreed, finding the lower court “clearly erred” by holding such a conflict exists as to the equal opportunities claim. The court reached a similar conclusion as to the equal treatment claim, holding the district court erred by failing to analyze it separately.
“Today, the Ninth Circuit opened a door the district court twice tried to slam shut. In a real sense, this order vindicates the brave young women who stood up and demanded that Fresno State provide what Title IX promises—equality,” said BG partner Joshua I. Hammack, who briefed and argued the appeal. “The court confirmed that those who seek equality are not in conflict with those who stand to benefit from it. The fight isn’t over, of course, but today is an important step toward justice.”
In addition to Hammack, the Plaintiffs are represented by lead counsel and Title IX team leader Arthur Bryant, and partners Cary Joshi and Lori Bullock of Bailey Glasser, and Cynthia Chapman, Mike Caddell, and Amy Tabor of Caddell & Chapman.
To read the full press release and Ninth Circuit opinion, please visit here.