Thomas O. Patrick, JD

A member of the WVU College of Law faculty for over two decades, Professor Patrick taught Alternative Dispute Resolution; Interviewing, Counseling, and Negotiation; Family Mediation; and Legal Analysis and Reasoning. He also taught in the Academic Excellence Program offered by the College of Law.

He earned his B.A. from Glenville State College in 1971, an M.A. in Counseling in 1975 and an M.A. in English Education in 1981, both from West Virginia University. While attending the WVU College of Law he served on the editorial board of the West Virginia Law Review and as an Articles Editor of the Journal of College and University Law. He earned his J.D. in 1985 and is admitted to practice law in West Virginia and North Carolina.

Following graduation, he clerked for Honorable Robert E. Maxwell, Chief Judge of the United States District Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia from 1985 until he joined the WVU College of Law faculty in the fall of 1992. Professor Patrick has also taught law-related, graduate-level courses for the WVU College of Business and Economics and the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.

Since joining the faculty of the College of Law, Professor Patrick has worked with various entities throughout the State of West Virginia, designing and implementing alternative dispute resolution initiatives. He regularly presents continuing legal education seminars and training workshops for bench, bar, and other constituencies. He has been the leading trainer for civil mediators since 1992 and for family mediators since 1996.

During the 2002-03 academic year Professor Patrick served as a Visiting Associate Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame Law School where he taught Alternative Dispute Resolution, Legal Writing, and Appellate Advocacy.

During the 2009-10 academic year Professor Patrick served as an Associate Professor of Law at the Charlotte School of Law where he directed the Lawyering Process program. Currently, Professor Patrick is developing an Ombuds office for West Virginia University.