WVU College of Law student brings military experiences to classroom
WVU College of Law student Alex Frohnen, also an active duty Marine, is helping to build a bridge between the University and the American Red Cross in hopes of expanding the education and understanding of fellow law students on International Humanitarian Law. (Submitted Photo)
A West Virginia University College of Law student is using his experiences with the American Red Cross while serving with the United States Marine Corps to build a relationship between the organization and the University focused on International Humanitarian Law, the rules which seek to limit the effects of armed conflicts.
“I got to know the Red Cross outreach programs as an active duty Marine, so I saw the outreach on that side and thought they are doing great work and a great service,” Alex Frohnen, a third-year WVU Law student from Morgantown, said.
“While in school, I figured I could give back and give some of my time to the Red Cross.”
Along with his military service, Frohnen has worked with the Red Cross in several roles, including as an instructor for International Humanitarian Law to fulfill provisions of the Geneva Conventions.
Alex Frohnen trains with fellow Marines in the snow during his deployment. (Submitted Photo)
He began as a Service to the Armed Forces caseworker, calling family members of new service members to educate them on the Red Cross Emergency Communications Messages process. ECM provides validating messaging from families in case of an emergency back home to the commands of their service members, wherever they are in the world.
As a volunteer, Frohnen has been key to forging a relationship between the American Red Cross and the WVU College of Law by creating a seminar to teach International Humanitarian Law in partnership with Cody Corliss, associate professor of law.
“It was an overarching introduction to IHL and Corliss provided a deep dive into his experience involving prosecuting war crimes at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia,” Frohnen said of the event which was held earlier this year.
Future seminars are being planned for the fall.
“The introduction of Corliss to the IHL programs is a huge benefit for the Red Cross and WVU,” said Ed Helphinstine, Regional Service to the Armed Forces and International Services program director with the Red Cross, Central Appalachia Region.
“Professor Corliss has shown an interest in sharing his real-world experiences with the Red Cross IHL community along with an interest in introducing his law students to Red Cross IHL programs and competitions. This is a tremendous learning opportunity for WVU Law that was all made possible by Alex.”
Frohnen, who is still on active duty with the Marines, attended Officer Candidate School in 2018 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in January 2020 when he became a communications officer in the Marine Division. He was deployed in 2023.
“I was with 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion as the communications officer and we went to Norway and Sweden as part of Marine Rotational Force-Europe 1-23,” he said. “We took part in large-scale exercises in both countries and worked with NATO. I learned what cold really is, but I also learned really hard work and not giving up or accepting failure.
Frohnen’s deployment came after he was accepted into the Funded Law Education Program — or FLEP — which allows commissioned officers of the Marine Corps to be recognized as students, at government expense, to American Bar Association accredited law schools located in the U.S. for education leading to the degree of Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Law.
Wanting to combine his passion for armed services and law, his goal is to become a judge advocate.
Prior to coming to WVU, Frohnen earned a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management from the University of Buffalo, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Oswego, and a Juris Master degree in American legal history from Liberty University.
He chose WVU to earn his Juris Doctor degree because of the University’s proximity to family, high federal clerkship rate and participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that helps Veterans and their dependents pay for tuition costs exceeding the standard GI Bill benefits.
“The WVU College of Law has been a good place of learning and a great stepping stone for my future,” Frohnen said.
He has plans to continue to give back to the community.
Coinciding with Veterans Day, Frohnen and others involved with Veterans’ groups across campus and at the Red Cross will host a 5K walk on Nov. 9 in Morgantown. All funds will go toward Veteran charities in West Virginia.
-WVU-