James Audley Mclaughlin

James Audley McLaughlin, 85, of Morgantown, died peacefully on January 27, 2023. He was born in Massillon, Ohio, on July 31, 1937, where he grew up. He got his bachelors and law degrees from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He was a commissioned officer in the Ohio National Guard from 1960 to 1968.

After a brief period practicing law in the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, he moved in 1968 to Morgantown to become a professor at West Virginia University College of Law, launching a distinguished career that lasted nearly 50 years. He was Robert L. Shuman Professor of Law until his retirement as a professor emeritus in 2017. In addition, he was Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the WVU College of Law from 2002 to 2006.

He was an active member of the West Virginia State Bar and served on the Lawyer Disciplinary Board. He was elected to the Morgantown City Council and served from 1979 to 1985 and also served on the Morgantown Planning Commission for a number of years. He was on the Board of Directors of Rape and Domestic Violence Information Center (RDVIC) and retired as an emeritus member.

Professor McLaughlin really never wanted to do anything other than to be a lawyer and teaching law was his passion. He taught the vast majority of at least two generations of lawyers in the state of West Virginia leaving a lasting influence on the practice of law.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Susan (née Kipp). He also leaves behind three children: Beth (Pablo Mitchell) of North Ridgeville, Ohio, Lisa Orr (Luke Lozier) of Pittsburgh, PA, and Alex of Charleston, WV; sisters, Patricia Dressler of Copley, Ohio, and Beth Gest of Issaquah, WA; five grandchildren: Tayo, Ruby, Noah, Jackson, and Charlotte; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents D. Dean and Eleanor (née Pearson) McLaughlin, and daughter, Jennifer Orr.

A celebration of Jim’s life will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at the WVU Erickson Alumni Center in Morgantown from 2pm to 5pm, with remarks at 3pm..

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the WVU College of Law Scholarship Fund or a charity of your choice.