Robert M. Bastress, Jr., teaches law at the West Virginia University College of Law and has done so since 1978. He presently serves there as the John W. Fisher, II Professor of Law. Prior to teaching at W.V.U., he practiced law in Eastern Kentucky for the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund and was an Abraham Freedman Fellow at the Temple University School of Law. Throughout his career as an attorney and professor, he has engaged in extensive litigation dealing with constitutional, civil rights, and employment law issues and has performed public service on behalf of organizations seeking to defend civil liberties and equal rights and to promote access to justice for lower and middle-income individuals. He is the author of numerous law review articles and other professional materials, including a textbook on interpersonal skills for lawyers and the first edition on The West Virginia Constitution.