People who know the West Virginia State Bar's new president use surprisingly similar phrases to describe him: "great human being," "delightful fellow," "personable person," "great lawyer," "true friend."
People who know the West Virginia State Bar's new president use surprisingly similar phrases to describe him: "great human being," "delightful fellow," "personable person," "great lawyer," "true friend."
In May, Dwane Tinsley was elected as president of the lawyers' professional organization.
Looking back to the days when they played basketball and baseball in junior high, Wayne Inge said he and Tinsley grew up to share some of the same stats. Both are 6-foot-4-inch lawyers and both were born in 1953. Both grew up in Fayetteville.
Charleston lawyer Dwane Tinsley is the new president of the West Virginia State Bar.
"I was always flattered to be confused with him. I don't know how he felt about it," Inge said from his Roanoke, Va., law office.
They also served as Fayette County assistant prosecutors together. Inge left to go into private practice. Tinsley became an assistant U.S. attorney, then, he, too, went into private practice.
"He is a wonderful lawyer and wonderful human being," Inge said of his former colleague. "He has a grace about him. He is comfortable with himself, comfortable with how he fits in, and it shows. He is an absolute delight. I am totally happy to know him."
Fayette sheriff and a Democratic nominee for state Senate, Bill Laird also played basketball with Tinsley.
"We grew up in the same small town," Laird said. "He was a skilled and gifted basketball player and a delightful fellow."
Lawrence Washington served with Laird in the Fayette County Sheriff's Department. Now a retired deputy, Washington also retired last week as chief of the Montgomery Police Department. When he took the post, Washington was the town's first black chief of police.
Washington, who has known Tinsley for more than 30 years, said, "I am proud of him. He has come a long way. He grew up in a family rich in love and understanding and values. But Dwane had to work to get to where he is. He is a man many young people could pattern themselves after."
In 1971, Tinsley enrolled at Davis & Elkins College on a basketball scholarship to study political science. In college, he met senior John Hutchison. They soon became close friends and traveled home together on weekends. Hutchison lived in Beckley, and Tinsley in Fayetteville.
"I'm 6-[foot-]6, and Dwane is 6-4. We would fold ourselves into my 1964 VW Bug and head for home," said Hutchison, who is now a Raleigh County circuit judge.
He developed a close friendship with Tinsley's family, too. Hutchison said Tinsley's parents were dedicated to making sure that their son did well in school.
Hutchison also hired Tinsley when in 1992 Nationwide Insurance opened a trial division office in Charleston. After Hutchison became a judge, Tinsley appeared before him on the bench, so Hutchison has observed him in court.
"He is a dedicated lawyer, and he is dedicated to his family," Hutchison said. "I'm afraid this is starting to sound like a eulogy.
"He just moves into your life. He is always your friend. If you are Dwane Tinsley's friend, you are a blessed person," Hutchison said.
People who know the West Virginia State Bar's new president use surprisingly similar phrases to describe him: "great human being," "delightful fellow," "personable person," "great lawyer," "true friend."
In May, Dwane Tinsley was elected as president of the lawyers' professional organization.
Looking back to the days when they played basketball and baseball in junior high, Wayne Inge said he and Tinsley grew up to share some of the same stats. Both are 6-foot-4-inch lawyers and both were born in 1953. Both grew up in Fayetteville.
"I was always flattered to be confused with him. I don't know how he felt about it," Inge said from his Roanoke, Va., law office.
They also served as Fayette County assistant prosecutors together. Inge left to go into private practice. Tinsley became an assistant U.S. attorney, then, he, too, went into private practice.
"He is a wonderful lawyer and wonderful human being," Inge said of his former colleague. "He has a grace about him. He is comfortable with himself, comfortable with how he fits in, and it shows. He is an absolute delight. I am totally happy to know him."
Fayette sheriff and a Democratic nominee for state Senate, Bill Laird also played basketball with Tinsley.
"We grew up in the same small town," Laird said. "He was a skilled and gifted basketball player and a delightful fellow."
Lawrence Washington served with Laird in the Fayette County Sheriff's Department. Now a retired deputy, Washington also retired last week as chief of the Montgomery Police Department. When he took the post, Washington was the town's first black chief of police.
Washington, who has known Tinsley for more than 30 years, said, "I am proud of him. He has come a long way. He grew up in a family rich in love and understanding and values. But Dwane had to work to get to where he is. He is a man many young people could pattern themselves after."
In 1971, Tinsley enrolled at Davis & Elkins College on a basketball scholarship to study political science. In college, he met senior John Hutchison. They soon became close friends and traveled home together on weekends. Hutchison lived in Beckley, and Tinsley in Fayetteville.
"I'm 6-[foot-]6, and Dwane is 6-4. We would fold ourselves into my 1964 VW Bug and head for home," said Hutchison, who is now a Raleigh County circuit judge.
He developed a close friendship with Tinsley's family, too. Hutchison said Tinsley's parents were dedicated to making sure that their son did well in school.
Hutchison also hired Tinsley when in 1992 Nationwide Insurance opened a trial division office in Charleston. After Hutchison became a judge, Tinsley appeared before him on the bench, so Hutchison has observed him in court.
"He is a dedicated lawyer, and he is dedicated to his family," Hutchison said. "I'm afraid this is starting to sound like a eulogy.
"He just moves into your life. He is always your friend. If you are Dwane Tinsley's friend, you are a blessed person," Hutchison said.
Tinsley has fond memories of the times Hutchison coached him, too. After some successful basketball intramurals in graduate school, Tinsley said he even entertained thoughts about trying out for the then-Washington Bullets. But he went to law school at West Virginia University instead.
Charleston lawyer Lyne Ranson got to know Tinsley when the two of them served as assistant U.S. attorneys. "He's a great lawyer and a wonderful human being," she said.
When she was a Kanawha County circuit judge, she said Tinsley also appeared before her.
"He is one of the best trial lawyers I know," she said. "He is also a great human being. We have taught together at the law school and tried cases together. He is one of the best people I have had the privilege to know, and I am so proud of him that he is president of the state Bar."
Tinsley recalls always wanting to be a lawyer.
From his office on Capitol Street, he said, "I was fascinated with reading American history, and so many of our Founding Fathers were lawyers." Since 2001, he has been in practice with Hendrickson & Long, PLLC, where he is a partner.
On several occasions, people from his hometown have approached him about running for political office. But to date, he has not ventured into politics.
As an assistant Fayette County prosecutor, he tackled some difficult cases. For example, he successfully prosecuted a man who was accused of gruesomely harming his estranged wife.
Now a Charleston resident, he has also been selected three times to serve as a special prosecutor. In Kanawha County, he was selected to investigate the case of Bill Charnock, the former Kanawha County prosecutor who was accused of using public resources at the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute to help his campaign for Kanawha County prosecutor and the campaigns of his siblings.
As part of a pre-trial diversion, Charnock agreed to step down from his office. Tinsley has been criticized from several quarters, even named in a suit, for not making the settlement terms public. The West Virginia Citizens Action Group sued in late May to have the report made public. The suit is still pending.
When he was installed in May, Tinsley became the second black man to be Bar president. He is also a past president of the Mountain State Bar, the professional association for black lawyers.
Even though he is 6-foot-4, he is still the baby to his two older sisters and a brother. He was the first of his sibling to go to college. His sisters and brothers were always in his corner, he said.
He worked and earned money for college, but he remembers once when he ran out of money three months before the semester ended. His three siblings gave him the money to get through those months until he finished school.
Tinsley's father is deceased, and his mother, who was a big influence in his life, now suffers from Alzheimer's disease. "I go to visit her, but it's hard when you remember how she used to be," he said.
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Posted By: ath(2:37am 06-18-2008)
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Are the WV Circuit Courts and WV The Supreme Court fair & equal in the hiring of minority clerks.Is an effort being made to recruit minority clerks and other staff in West Virginia? Is there discrimination?
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