A Sept. 1 ABA Journal article featured Professor Donald F. Tibbs' groundbreaking course and lecture series on hip-hop and the American Constitution which was part of the school's spring 2012 curriculum. 

As noted in the article, the innovative lecture series "brought an eclectic mix of law professors, formerly incarcerated people and rap artists to the classroom to discuss hip-hop's legal implications." While the article highlighted the lecture given by the series' final speaker, Chuck D, it also praised the seminar for focusing on more than just hip-hop's association with crime and punishment but also its impact on free-speech, First Amendment and intellectual property issues. 

In the article, West Virginia University College of Law Professor Andre Cummings, who collaborated with Tibbs on the series and whose students also took part in the series, called the class "a progressive, enlightened approach to how we might rethink law in the future." Tibbs also celebrated the "magical moments where students were able to have deep conversation outside of standard legal doctrine."

Tibbs and Cummings plan on completing an anthology on the lecture series in the next year.