Image provided by the Appalachian School of Law.
BU alumnus and current law student Travis Honaker recently argued his first court case, appearing before the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
Honaker graduated from Bluefield University in 2024 with a bachelor’s in Criminal Justice. He is now a third-year student at the Appalachian School of Law, one of Bluefield’s partner institutions.
Because of ASL’s partnership with West Virginia Public Defender Services, Honaker had the opportunity to argue a First Degree Murder appeal before West Virginia’s highest court. He argued in the State of West Virginia v. Daniel Marcus Battle case on September 22, 2026, under the supervision of The Honorable Will Thompson, a former United States Attorney and the Dean of Students at ASL. His argument is available to watch on the West Virginia Judiciary YouTube channel.
Honaker serves on the Appalachian School of Law’s Moot Court Board, won the school’s Intraschool Moot Court Competition in 2025, and represented ASL in national moot court competition. He was also featured on WOWK’s On the Record segment following his appearance before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.
Bluefield University and the Appalachian School of Law offer a 3+3 accelerated pathway that allows a student to earn a bachelor’s degree and a Juris Doctor in as little as six years.