WVELA News

2024 Annual Conference at Cacapon State Park Lodge

WVELA held its annual conference on October 4-5, 2024, at Cacapon State Park Lodge in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members and other legal experts on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

WVELA also awarded its Lifetime Achievement Award to one of its most esteemed former members, and now Judge, The Honorable Dave Hammer (23rd Judicial Circuit in West Virginia).

Election of Officers for 2024-2025

Jaren Adams (with Adams Law Firm PLLC) was elected as President for the 2024-2025 term, and he is now President.

Kirk Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was elected as Treasurer.

Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee.

The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on October 21, 2022, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October or November 2024.

Tammy Bowles Raines (at Tammy Bowles Raines Law Firm PLLC) was elected as President for the next 2025-2026 term.

Christine Glover, did a fantastic job in organizing this year's Annual Conference, and we all want to thank her for making this year's conference successful.

Speeches and Articles for the 2024 Conference

Here is the list of speaker and topics for the 2023 conference:

Drew Capuder: Update on Harless and Other Whistleblower Law
Teresa Toriseva: West Virginia Courts Belong to Working People Two
Lonnie Simmons: Ethics Update
Chris Glover: Seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status via EMployment-Based, Fourth Preference Visa
The Honorable Dave Hammer: The Seventh Amendment
Professor Bob Bastress (West Virginia University): Update on Employment Law in West Virginia
Walt and Kirk Auvil: Artificial Intelligence Software for Litigation Attorneys
Sam Petsonk: Civil Claims Under ERISA
Professor Anne Lofaso (West Virginia University): Chevron's Impact on Labor Law

2023 Annual Conference at Canaan Valley Resort

WVELA held its annual conference on October 20-21, 2023, at Canaan Valley Resort in Davis, West Virginia.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members and other legal experts on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

WVELA also honored and saluted the decades of service and contribution of one of its most esteemed members, Al Karlin.

Election of Officers for 2023-2024

Christine L. Glover (with Christine Glover PLLC) was elected as President for the 2023-2024 term, and she is now President.

Kirk Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was elected as Treasurer.

Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee.

The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on October 21, 2022, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October or November 2024.

Jared Adams (at Adams Law Firm PLLC) was elected as President for the next 2024-2025 term.

Anthony Brunicardi, did a fantastic job in organizing this year's Annual Conference, and we all want to thank him making this year's conference successful.

Speeches and Articles for the 2023 Conference

Here is the list of speaker and topics for the 2023 conference:

Drew Capuder: Update on Harless and Other Whistleblower Law
Teresa Toriseva: Law Enforcement/Firefighter Claims
Lonnie Simmons: Ethics Update, focusing on uses of AI in law
Anthony Brunicardi: Update on the Law of the Public Employees Grievance Board
Professor Bob Bastress (West Virginia University): Update on Employment Law in West Virginia
Walt and Kirk Auvil: "Maximizing" Emotional Distress Damages
Sam Petsonk: Tax Ccompliance for Wage and Hour Claims

2022 Annual Conference at Lakeview Resort

WVELA held its annual conference on October 13-15, 2022, at Lakeview Resort in Morgantown.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members and other legal experts on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2022-2023

Anthony Brunicardi (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was elected as President for the 2022-2023 term, and he is now President.

Kirk Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was elected as Treasurer.

Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee.

The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on October 15, 2022, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October or November 2023.

Christine L. Glover (with Christine Glover PLLC) was elected as President for the next 2023-2024 term.

Laura Davidson (with Mountain State Justice), did a fantastic job in organizing this year's Annual Conference, and we all want to thank her making this year's conference successful.

Speeches and Articles for the 2022 Conference

Here is the list of speaker and topics for the 2022 conference:

Judge Joanna Tabit, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (Kanawha County): Implicit Bias Training
Judge David Hammer, Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit (Berkley, Jefferson, and Morgan Counties): The West Virginia Wage Payment an Collection Act
Drew Capuder: Update on Harless and Other Whistleblower Law
Kristina Thomas Whitaker and Walt Auvil: Case Selection
Lonnie Simmons: Ethics
Professor Anne Marie Lofaso (West Virginia University): Abortion and the Dobbs decision
Sam Petsonk: Workers’ Compensation/ERISA Claims
Professor Bob Bastress (West Virginia University): Update on Employment Law
Kirk Auvil: Technology: Adobe Appendix
Christine Glover: Immigration and Employment
WVU College of Law: student engagement event

2021 Annual Conference at Sonewall Resort

WVELA held its annual conference on October 22 and 23, 2021, at Stonewall Resort.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members and other legal experts on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2021-2022

Laura Davidson (with Mountain State Justice) was elected President.

Kirk Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was elected as Treasurer.

Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee.

The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on October 23, 2021, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October or November 2022.

Anthony Brunicardi (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was elected as President for the next 2022-2023 term.

Speeches and Articles for the 2021 Conference

Here is the list of speaker and topics for the 2021 conference:

Appellate Practice and Preparing for the Intermediate Court, which begins July 1, 2022, by Justice Beth Walker (West Virginia Supreme Court)
Practicing Law During a Pandemic, by Judge Thomas Kleeh (United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia)
Update on Harless and Other Whistleblower Law, by Drew Capuder
Labor as a Public Good, by Professor Anne Marie Lofaso (West Virginia University)
Preparing for Retirement, by Kay Bayless
Update on Employment Law, by Professor Bob Bastress (West Virginia University)
Discovery Issues, by Kris Whiteaker and Kirk Auvil
Covid Employment Issues, by Anthony Brunicardi
Avoiding Legal Ethics Problems, by Lonnie Simmons

2019 Annual Conference at Chief Logan Lodge

WVELA held its annual conference on November 1 and 2, 2019, at Chief Logan Lodge and Conference Center in Logan, West Virginia.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members and other legal experts on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2019-2020

Kameron Miller (with Warner Law Offices, PLLC) was elected President. Christian Riddell (with Stedman & Riddell PLLC) was elected Vice President. Walt Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was re-elected as Treasurer. Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee. The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on November 2, 2019, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October or November 2020.

Steven S. Wolfe of Wolfe, White & Associates will occupy the position of Past-President.

Speeches and Articles for the 2019 Conference

Here is the list of presentations for the 2019 conference:

Using Rule 30(b)(6) Depositions, Updates - Walt Auvil
Federal & State Discovery Disputes - Mandy Taylor
Screening Workers Compensation Cases & Derivative Cases - Steve New
Caselaw update on the Fourth Circuit and West Virgiinia Supreme Court - Lonnie Simmons
Panel Discussion on Law Office Management & Practice Diversification - Lonnie Simmons, Jane Peak, and Steven Wolfe
Office of Disiplinary Counsel Update on Ethics – Andrea Hinerman
The Harless Wrongful Discharge Doctrine and Recent Developments – Drew Capuder
President Trump’s NLRB - Professor Anne Lofaso, West Virginia Univeristy College of Law
Perspective From the Bench, Panel Discussion: Judge Thomas S. Kleeh, Judge Joanna Tabit, and Judge William S. Thompson
West Virginia Human Rights Commission Claims - Sam Petsonk

2018 Annual Conference at Hawk's Nest State Park

WVELA held its annual conference on October 12 and 13, 2018, at Hawk's Nest State Park in Ansted, West Virginia. The conference provided ten West Virginia CLE hours (including one ethics hour).

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members and other legal experts on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2018-2019

Steven S. Wolfe of Wolfe, White & Associates was elected President. Walt Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was re-elected as Treasurer. Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee. The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on October 13, 2018, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October 2019.

Sam Petsonk (with Mountain State Justice) will occupy the position of Past-President.

Speeches and Articles for the 2018 Conference

Here is the list of presentations for the 2018 conference:

Update on remand to state court based on fraudulent joinder – Amy Crosson
Ethics – WV Office of Disciplinary Counsel – Joanne V. Kirby
Arbitration Update - Karla Gilbride
Human Rights Commission - Cameron McKinney
Litigating sexual orientation & gender identity – Kris Whiteaker
Technology Trade-offs: What the Rise of Robots Means for the Future of Employment Law -- Professor Anne Lofaso
Update on independent contractors & joint employers – Garry Geffert
Harless Update – Drew Capuder
Taxation of employment damages/settlements, and mitigation issues – Dan Selby & Rob Wood, moderated by Walt Auvil
Social networking & electronic discovery issues – Jane Peak & Drew Capuder

2017 Annual Conference at Lakeview Golf Resort

WVELA held its 2017 Annual Conference on October 6 and 7, 2017, at the Lakeview Golf Resort and Spa in Morgantown, West Virginia. The lion's share of the work in organizing the conference was done by 2016-2017 WVELA President, Nicole Saunders-Meske (with Saunders-Meske PLLC). She did a fantastic job in making this conference a great success.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members and other legal experts on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2017-2018

Sam Petsonk (with Mountain State Justice) was elected President. Walt Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was re-elected as Treasurer. Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee. The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on October 7, 2017, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October 2018.

The WVELA members also elected the President for the 2018-2019 term, Steven S. Wolfe of Wolfe, White & Associates.

Nicole Saunders-Meske (with Saunders-Meske PLLC) will occupy the position of Past-President.

Speeches and Articles for 2017 Conference

Here is the list of presentations at the 2017 conference:

Update for West Virginia Lawyers: Rule Changes, Information you Need to Know to Ethically Manage Your Practice and Recent Disciplinary Cases; Presented By: Jessica H. Donahue Rhodes: Lawyer, Office of Disciplinary Counsel.
Recent ACLU Cases of Interest to the Employment Law Bar; Presented by: Joseph Cohen, Executive Director, ACLU of West Virginia Foundation.
Labor Law Update Presented by: Anne Marie Lofaso, D. Phil., J.D., A.B. Hodges Professor of Law at West Virginia University, College of Law.
Panel Discussion on Coverage Under the ADA for Recovering Drug Addicts in the Work Force; Presented by: Sam B. Petsonk, Esq. Mountain State Justice, Inc.
Employment Law 101 and Strategies to Address Martinez, Walker and the Newly Amended Statutes; Presented by: Al Karlin, Esq. and Jane Peak, Esq.
Rules of the Road in Employment Law Cases; Presented by: Drew Capuder, Esq.
Panel & Group Discussion: Case Evaluation, Lessons Learned; Moderated by: Lonnie Simmons, Esq. & Walt Auvil, Esq.
Update on Employment Law; Presented by: Professor Bastress, Jowh W. Fisher, II Professor of Law at WVU College of Law.
NELA Legislative and Policy Update; Laura M. Flegel, Legislative and Policy Director, National Employment Lawyers Association.

2016 Annual Conference at the Bavarian Inn

WVELA held its 2016 Annual Conference on October 7-8, 2016, at the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The lion's share of the work in organizing the conference was done by 2015-2016 WVELA President, Susan Thompson, and her assistant, Sari Jennings. They did a fantastic job in making this conference a great success.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2016-2017

Nicole Saunders-Meske (with Saunders-Meske PLLC) was elected President. Walt Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was re-elected as Treasurer. Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee. The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on October 8, 2016, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October 2017.

The WVELA members also elected the President for the 2017-2018 term, Sam Petsonk (with Mountain State Justice)

Speeches and Articles for 2016 Conference

Here was the 2016 conference's program of speeches and panel discussions:

Applying the Rules of the Road to an employment case--Drew Capuder
Employment Law 2016, Revisiting Conventional Wisdom--Lonnie Simmons
Litigating Federal Employment Law Claims--Sam Petsonk
Update on Employment Law--Robert M. Bastress, John W. Fisher II Prof. of Law at West Virginia University College of Law
The Holistic Practice of Law Part II--Susan Thompson, Attorney at Law
Labor Law Update --Anne Marie Lafaso, Arthur B. Hodges Professor of Law at West Virginia University College of Law
Acting Workshop – Ed Herendeen, Shepherd University Theater CATF
Employment law 101: A review of fundamental employment law concepts--Panel discussion

2015 Annual Conference at the Stonewall Resort

WVELA held its 2015 Annual Conference on September 18-19, 2015, at the Stonewall Resort near Roanoke, West Virginia.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2015-2016

Susan Thompson was re-elected President. Walt Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was re-elected as Treasurer. Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee. The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on September 19, 2015, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October 2016.

Speeches and Articles for 2015 Conference

Here was the 2015 conference's program of speeches and panel discussions:

Gender Participation and Diversity in the Legal Profession by Paige Flanagan, Esq., West Virginia Association for Justice President and attorney at Sanders Austin Flanigan & Flanigan
Update on the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia by The Honorable Justice Brent Benjamin
Perspectives from a Management Lawyer/ Employment Litigation in Healthcare/Trends and Q&A by Beth Walker, Esq., Associate General Counsel at West Virginia United Health
System, Inc.
Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia Memorandum Decisions by Walt Auvil, Esq. of Rusen & Auvil, PLLC
Update on Employment Law by Robert M. Bastress, John W. Fisher, II, Professor of Law, West Virginia University College of Law
Legislative Changes to the West Virginia Human Rights Act and Wage Payment and Collection Act by David Hammer, Esq. of The Law Offices of Hammer, Ferretti & Schiavoni
Panel discussion on new legislation's impact on employment law practice/client selection/case evaluation
Improv for Lawyers by Susan Thompson, Attorney at Law
Recent Developments in Labor Law – Who's an employee, Who's an employer and What's Social Media got to do with it? by Anne M. Lofaso, Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development and Professor, West Virginia University College of Law
Panel discussion on Scope of Employment, Joint Employers, and "On-call" Litigation

2014 Annual Conference at the Stonewall Resort

WVELA held its 2014 Annual Conference on November 7-8, 2014, at the Canaan Valley Resort and Conference Center near Davis, West Virginia.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2014-2015

Susan Thompson was elected President. Walt Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was re-elected as Treasurer. Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee. The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on November 8, 2014, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October 2015.

Speeches and Articles for 2014 Conference

Here was the 2014 conference's program of speeches and panel discussions:

Holistic Practice of law–Susan Thompson
Gandhi’s Life as a Lawyer--Chuck DiSalvo
The Honorable Justice Brent Benjamin
Collecting Judgments--Dan Booth
Maximizing your damages–Mark Atkinson
Employment Law 101 series -- part I -- intake, screening, social media, e-discovery, marketing, Panelists: Jane Peak, Amy Crossan, Lonnie Simmons, Drew Capuder
NLRB--Anne M. Lofaso, Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development and Professor, West Virginia University College of Law
Update on the law--Robert M. Bastress, John W. Fisher, II, Professor of Law, West Virginia University College of Law
Employment Law 101 series -- part II -- intersection among disability, FMLA, pregnancy, etc., Panelists: Al Karlin, Andy Katz, and Barbara Fleischauer

2013 Annual Conference at the Stonewall Resort

WVELA held its 2013 Annual Conference on October 11-12, 2013, at the Stonewall Resort near Roanoke, West Virginia.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2013-2014

Gary G. Geffert was re-elected President. Walt Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was re-elected as Treasurer. Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee. The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on October 12, 2013, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October 2014.

Speeches and Articles for 2013 Conference

Here was the 2013 conference's program of speeches and panel discussions:

Fair Housing Act discrimination: Bob Leslie
The Affordable Care Act: Perry Bryant
Attorneys fees and offers of judgment: Panel discussion with Kris Whiteaker and Sarah Montoro
A matter of ethics: Renee Frymyer
Discovery and Defense Tactics: Panel discussion with Al Karlin, David Grubb, and Kay Bayless
Exhaustion of administrative remedies and Legislative issues: Roger Forman, Walt Auvil, Drew Capuder, and Pat Cadle
Update on employment law: Robert M. Bastress, John W. Fisher, II, Professor of Law, West Virginia University College of Law
NLRB Issues: Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development and Professor, West Virginia University College of Law
Employment Law 101: Factors to be considered in evaluating whether to take a case and Marketing: how do clients get to your office–Lonnie Simmons, Jane Peak, and Kay Bayless

2012 Annual Conference at Adaland Mansion

WVELA held its 2012 Annual Conference on November 9-10, 2012, at the Bridgeport Conference Center on November 9, and at the historic Adaland Mansion near Phillipi, West Virginia on November 10, 2012.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2012-2013

Kristina Thomas Whiteaker (with The Grubb Law Group) was elected President. Walt Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was re-elected as Treasurer. Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee. The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on November 10, 2012, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October 2013.

Speeches and Articles for 2012 Conference

Here was the 2012 conference's program of speeches and panel discussions:

Speakers	Topics (2012 Conference)
Paul Sheridan	Update on the West Virginia Human Rights Act and Human Rights Commission
Dave Hammer	Discovery, discovery, discovery
Sarah Montoro	What do you do when your client or client's medical providers gets a subpoena rather than a Discovery request?
Roger Forman	Exhaustion (of remedies)
Kay Bayless	Drug testing and termination
Drew Capuder	Update on employment law (article prepared by Bob Bastress)
Walt Auvil, Lonnie Simmons, and Jane Peak	Thinking of representing more than one party in a case? Practical tips on how to avoid ethical dilemmas and unhappy clients.
Anne Lofaso	Social media in the work place
Bob Bastress	Use of military tribunals in West Virginia labor disputes

2011 Annual Conference at Waterfront Place Hotel

WVELA held its 2011 Annual Conference on October 28-29, 2011, at The Waterfront Place Hotel in Morgantown, West Virginia.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2011-2012

Kathleen Abate (with The Law Office of Kathleen Abate, Esq.) was elected President. Walt Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was re-elected as Treasurer. Dave Hammer (with Hammer, Ferretti & Schiavoni) was elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee. The officers served for one year, starting with their election on October 29, 2011, and continued until WVELA's next annual conference which took place on November 9-10 2012.

Program for 2011 Annual Conference

Here was the 2011 conference's program of speeches and panel discussions:

Speakers	Topics (2011 Conference)
Anne Lofaso	An Inconvenient Truth: Boeing's Decision To Move Jobs from Washington to South Carolina and the Rule of Law
Dr. Susanne Choby	How to deal with difficult, stressed, or depressed individuals?
Emily Goodwin Kime	Using technology to prepare and present your next case.
Justice Brent Benjamin	Update on the West Virginia Supreme Court, followed by a Q and A session.
Harry Deitzler	Arbitration and Public Justice
Jane Peak, and panel discussions	Employment Law 101: “Client problems”
Al Karlin and Lonnie Simmons	Mediation Panel: Strategy, pointers, and ideas for resolving cases
Bob Bastress	State and federal case law update
Paul Sheridan	What is going on at the West Virginia Human Rights Commission and how is the West Virginia Supreme Court analyzing inferences?
Candace Gorman	Upholding the rights of prisoners incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay
Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn and Jane Peak	Social media and ethical considerations
Drew Capuder, Dave Hammer, Kay Bayless, and Walt Auvil	Discovery and Settlement Issues, Panel Discussion

2010 Annual Conference at Oglebay Park

WVELA's 2010 Annual Conference took place at Oglebay Park in Wheeling, West Virginia on October 29-30, 2010 (the picture below was taken at Oglebay Park during our conference).

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2010-2011

Drew Capuder (with Capuder Fantasia PLLC) was elected as President. Walt Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was re-elected as Treasurer. Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee. The officers served for one year, starting with their election on October 30, 2010, and continued until WVELA's next annual conference in October 2011.

Program for 2010 Annual Conference

Here was the 2010 conference's program of speeches and panel discussions:

Speakers	Topics (2010 Conference)
Jane Peak, Frank Duff	Employment Law 101 Panel Discussion: nemployment Compensation and Wage Payment Claims
Rory Perry	An Appeal of Right: The Revised West Virginia Supreme Court Rules of Appellate Procedure
Paul Sheridan	What is going on at the West Virginia Human Rghts Commission
Bob Bastress	Helping your employment clients by litigating consumer credit and protection claims
Lonnie Simmons	State and federa case law update (with article prepared by Bob Bastrress)
Arbitration Panel	Recent developments in the law and strategies for dealing with arbitration
Panel discussion	An open discussion of any cases or issues the members are addressing in their daily practice, ranging from evidentiary issues, strategic decisions, mediation strategies, types of cases accepted, to dealing with clients with serious psychological issues
Drew Capuder	Protection of employees against unlawful retaliatory discharges
Harry Waddell, Drew Capuder, and others	Keeping up with changing technology: Effective Uses of Twitter, Facebook, Other Social Media, iPad, smart phones, and scanning in the modern law office

2009 Annual WVELA Conference at Lakeview Resort in Morgantown

WVELA held its 2009 Annual Conference on October 2-3, 2009 at Lakeview Resort in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Election of Officers for 2009-2010

Harry Waddell (with Waddell Law Offices) was elected President. Walt Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was re-elected as Treasurer. Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLCC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee. The officers served for one year, starting with their election on October 3, 2009, and continued until WVELA's next annual conference in October 2010.

Speeches and Articles for 2009 Conference

Here was the 2009 conference's program of speeches and panel discussions:

Speakers	Topics (2009 Conference)
Linda Batiste Principal Consultant Job Action Network (“JAN”)	What can JAN do for you?
Lonnie Simmons	Defeating qualified immunity, public duty doctrine and the resurrection of Pittsburgh Elevator
Drew Capuder	Sexual Harassment Law in West Virginia
Mark Atkinson	Trying an employment case
Andrea Hinerman W. Va. Office of Disciplinary Counsel	Employment related ethics issues
Anne Lofaso WVU College of Law	E-mail Organizing in the Real and the Virtual Workplace
Kathleen Abate & Kay Bayless	Schoolin’ us on school law
Judge Randy Minor Family Law Judge, Monongalia Co.	How family law may affect your practice
Judge Susan Tucker Circuit Court, Monongalia County	The view from the other side of the bench
Bob Bastress WVU College of Law	Update on employment law
Jamie Alley W. Va. Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Office	Update on the West Virginia Human Rights Commission
Jane Peak, Walt Auvil	W. Va. Employment Law 101
Donna Lenhoff National Employment Lawyers Association	What NELA’s up to in Washington DC