Get to know Alex Mascioli

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Postion: WVU Law Public Interest Advocates Fellow

 Tell us a little bit about your background:

I grew up in Morgantown, WV and have two brothers. My older brother is named Matthew and my younger brother is named Andrew. We are all two years apart. I played pretty much every sport imaginable growing up, but my favorites have been rugby and basketball. My favorite kind of music is doo-wop and my favorite song is Tracks of My Tears by Smokey Robinson. I have received much ribbing for this from my friends, but I am not ashamed.

 I have spent most of my career in social services with a couple of pit stops in other industries and many part-time jobs on the side because, as I’m sure you guys know, this state does not pay its frontline social services workers a living wage. I decided, in about three days turnaround time, to move to Portland, OR because it sounded like the coolest place on Earth. I moved out there to be a Residential Advisor in a home for young men transitioning from homelessness. I found a job working with Morrison Child and Family Services where I was a teacher at a school for juvenile sex offenders and worked throughout the organization when needed, specifically with undocumented minors. In Portland I fell in love, made some friends, and was blissfully happy.

I ended up back in West Virginia due to my mother’s cancer diagnosis. She was unable to care for herself and could not afford to hire someone to do it. I took care of her for three years and she ultimately passed away. I went back to Oregon, but the magic was gone. So, I came home, joined AmeriCorps, and applied to law school. I am now a rising 3L with a child on the way and I look forward to becoming an effective attorney practicing in the public interest field.

 What about the ACLU of WV’s mission most resonates with you?

            The ACLU is legendary. Constitutional Law was not my favorite class (it was Criminal Procedure because of all the 4th and 5th Amendment stuff), but it was the one that got me the most fired up and I still have a very close relationship with Professor Bastress and have asked him many rights-related questions, especially since the beginning of COVID-19. I don’t know why this seems like a controversial statement these days, but I feel like everyone, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or any other personal identifier should have access to the full breadth and protection of the law. Given that things like institutional racism and the gross economic disparities in this country are so obvious, it makes these protections and civil liberties even more important for those who have not won the privilege lottery. From my understanding, that is what the ACLU does. It evens that score. And that is something I would like to be a part of.

What are you most looking forward to about this internship?

            One of the main reasons I came to law school was because I felt like, as a social services worker, I did not have the social or civil power to help create the change I’d like to see in the world. So, I figured I’d become an attorney and stand up for those who couldn’t stand up for themselves. That is right in the wheelhouse of the ACLU and I am most looking forward to learning how best to defend the helpless and ensure continued Constitutional freedoms for everyone from the masters.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

            I’m a big outdoors guy. I worked for a wilderness at-risk youth program for about 6 months when I was younger and actively lived in the woods the entire time. It was from September-February in Virginia, so probably not the best time of year to do so, but I loved it. I enjoy getting outside and into the deep woods, or at least the closest hiking trail, as often as I can.

            I also still enjoy rugby but I’m getting older and the seventeen years I’ve already played has caught up with me. Injuries are a real concern but I still like to get out and play as many times a year as I can with the local men’s club. I’ve always felt like it was the sport I was best at and I really enjoy the “zone” it puts me in while playing.