SPIRE Summer 2019

Virginia, named Greg Callen. His website said he supervised another attorney, Julie Hensley, who was now his partner. They also have an office in Gate City called Callen and Hensley.” “Melanie Salyer also completed the Law Reader Program under Ron Elkins, a former Commonwealth of Virginia attorney, who is now a judge. She now has her own office,” Myers said. For the next four to five months, Shasta approached Callen in his office to see if he would supervise her if she were accepted into the Law Reader Program. “He did not say no. He just said, ‘I will consider it.’ I kept following up and handing him my Bluefield College transcripts and finally got the no.” She received the “no” from Callen in October 2018. “I had a 4.0 that semester with a cumulative grade point average of 3.7. I was also inducted into the Alpha Chi Honor Society that semester,” recalled Myers. Determined to find a way to find a supervising attorney for the Law Reader Program, Shasta set out making her own “Law Reader packets” to approach attorneys.

“The Virginia Bar Association has rules for the Law Reader program, so I based my packets off of those. I put papers I wrote, my resume, and a cover letter in each one and attempted to make appointments with attorneys.” However, per the rules of the Law Reader program, Shasta had to find an attorney with ten years of practice. “I had received what felt like a million rejections, and I prayed, please direct me, God. I was very discouraged, so I began to look at the course progression at Bluefield College to see if I could find a fallback plan after completing my bachelor’s degree in Human Services. I was four courses away from a psychology degree.” “My inner voice thought there is no way you can let this go right now. I felt empty thinking I might not to be able to do the Law Reader Program.” In late October 2018, she walked her packet into the office of Attorney Adrian Collins in Wise, Virginia, after calling to make an appointment. “His office was 10-15 minutes from my house, and he was very interested. We made a second appointment, and he agreed to do it. It was God’s timing. So here we are…,” said Myers.

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Now that Collins had agreed to serve as Shasta’s supervising attorney there was more work to be completed. The Virginia Law Reader Rules and Regulations require that every applicant furnishes satisfactory proof that they are a person of honest demeanor and good moral character. This is to ensure applicants are fit to practice law. To meet another requirement of the program, Myers had to successfully complete her undergraduate degree. She checked that off of the list on May 4, 2019, when she walked across the stage at Bluefield College earning a bachelor’s degree in Human Services. After hearing many people tell her no, a letter came in the mail for Shasta Myers on June 2, 2019, from the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners. The letter began with “You have been ACCEPTED...” Myers is now officially a Virginia Law Reader. Myers will practice under Attorney Collins for three calendar years for a minimum of 25 hours a week. Eighteen of those hours must be within the confines of the law office. Collins will provide her with examinations and give her personal supervision for at least three hours a week. It will be his responsibility to supervise and guide her education. Her next stop will be the Virginia Bar exam in three years. “It’s going to be super hard, but I’m so ready to give it my all,” Myers said.

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