Charleston, W.Va. – Legal Aid of West Virginia (LAWV) announced today the appointment of three attorney members to their Board of Directors following an election. Harry Deitzler of Parkersburg, Connor Thomas of Weston and Anita Casey of Charleston were elected by fellow attorneys in their regions.
Harry Deitzler is a returning board member who ran unopposed for Region four, covering the Northwest corner of the state surrounding Parkersburg.
“Legal Aid protects and guides our most deserving citizens at the time in their lives when all hope would otherwise have been lost,” says Deitzler. “Without Legal Aid, the most vulnerable among us—abused women and children, forgotten veterans—would be abandoned to injustice.”
Connor Thomas was elected for his first term in Region five, covering North-Central West Virginia around Clarksburg and Elkins areas. Thomas is a long-time Weston resident, with a law practice in Lewis County focusing on court-appointed juvenile abuse and neglect matters, criminal defense and bankruptcy.
“I have been practicing law in Lewis County for almost two years, and many of my clients are below the poverty line,” says Thomas. “My interest in LAWV and its services was a natural result of seeing the need in my community for help with legal issues.”
Anita Casey is a newly elected former board member who represents Region eight in the Charleston area. She previously served on the LAWV board in the seat reserved for executive director of the West Virginia State Bar.
“This is the first time I have been elected instead of appointed to the board, and I’m happy to be back,” says Casey. “I love working with Legal Aid, but my region’s position was held by Andy Nason—a pillar of the Legal Aid community. After his decision to retire this year, I ran and got elected. Service to this board is significant enough to me that I was willing to wait for the opportunity.”
LAWV’s Board of Directors consists of a mix of attorney and non-attorney roles. You can see the full list of current members at https://legalaidwv.org/about-us/our-board/.
