The chambers of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals
CHARLESTON – Fifteen people have applied to be the next state Supreme Court justice.
The 15, in alphabetical order, are Angela Alexander, Matthew Chapman, Cody Corliss, Thomas Ewing, Laura Faircloth, Daniel Greear, E. Ryan Kennedy, Todd Kirby, Harry Kirkpatrick III, Brenden Long, Shawn Morgan, R. Steven Redding, Mark Sadd, Steven Thomas and Zachary Viglianco.
Those on the list submitted their names to the state Judicial Vacancy Advisory Commission to fill the seat left open by last month’s retirement of Justice Beth Walker. The filing deadline was July 4.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s office provided the list of names to The West Virginia Record following a July 7 Freedom of Information Act request.
The JVAC is scheduled to conduct interviews with the applicants on July 17. The commission then will submit a list of recommendations to the governor’s office. Morrisey can appoint someone from the list or select someone else.
A quick look at the applicants:
Alexander is an assistant attorney general with the state Attorney General’s office and a former family court judge.
Chapman is a partner at Rawle & Henderson in Wheeling.
Corliss is an associate professor of law at West Virginia University.
Ewing is a circuit judge from Fayette County.
Faircloth is a circuit judge from the Eastern Panhandle.
Greear is a judge on the state Intermediate Court of Appeals and a former circuit court judge.
Kennedy is the state Secretary of Veteran’s Assistance and a former mayor of Clarksburg.
Kirby is a circuit court judge from Raleigh County.
Kirkpatrick is a retired circuit court judge from Raleigh County.
Long is an attorney from Putnam County. He previously sought a vacant Supreme Court seat in 2018.
Morgan is the managing member of Steptoe & Johnson’s Bridgeport office.
Redding is a circuit court judge from the Eastern Panhandle.
Sadd is the managing member of Lewis Gianola’s Charleston office.
Thomas is a member of Kay Casto and Chaney in Charleston.
Viglianco is the former principal deputy solicitor general for the Nebraska AG’s office and a Putnam County attorney.
