Career Opportunities

Kay Casto & Chaney PLLC offers a unique opportunity for lawyers interested in a stimulating and demanding legal practice balanced with pleasant surroundings, time for families, and a pleasurable lifestyle. While Charleston is responsible for much of this blending of professionalism with comfort, we believe that the attitude of the members of our firm considerably enhances Charleston's advantageous aspects.

Our firm is a combination of two former Charleston law firms: Kay, Casto & Chaney, originally organized in 1923, and Love, Wise & Woodroe, which had its beginnings over ninety years ago. The merger in 1989 increased the size of the firm and significantly expanded our capabilities in the areas of banking law, administrative law, real property law, and commercial and corporate transactions. Our lawyers practice before federal and state courts and federal, state, and local administrative agencies throughout West Virginia.

Although the size of our firm and nature of our practice have changed over the years, we share the desire to remain a closely-knit group of professionals who enjoy working together. To this end, Kay Casto & Chaney PLLC adheres to the following policies:

Our law practice can accurately be described as a general practice of law, and is almost equally divided between general corporate and commercial representation and litigation. A large part of the firm's practice is defense litigation on behalf of nationally recognized insurance and corporate clients, resulting in a broad variety of civil lawsuits, including considerable practice in the areas of product liability and employment law. Our general corporate practice covers the areas of administrative law; banking law; bankruptcy; oil and gas law; employment discrimination litigation; labor negotiations; commercial arbitration; tax planning and litigation; estate planning and administration; real estate and condominium law; and other general areas of commercial law and litigation at both the federal and state levels.

Individual lawyers also undertake various public service matters or community service projects for clients who are unable to pay for such services. Many of the lawyers in the firm participate in the West Virginia State Bar's Lawyer Information Service and in the Kanawha County Bar Association's Pro Bono Referral Project. The firm encourages such service, as well as other public, political and community service, to the extent individual lawyers feel personally comfortable.

Hiring and Employment Practices

Kay Casto & Chaney PLLC does not believe in "overhiring" new associates. We offer employment to a lawyer only if we feel that he or she has the qualifications and personality for a long-term association with the firm. Whenever a lawyer is hired, it is with the goal and expectation that he or she will spend the remainder of his or her professional career with us, advancing with and enhancing the firm's reputation.

We hire new lawyers on the basis of competence, maturity, professionalism, recommendations, good judgment, and that intangible impression that the individual will "mesh" with the members of the firm, thereby becoming a personal as well as a professional asset to the firm.

Each associate is given a "mentor" upon joining the firm, to assist the new associate in learning the ins and outs of the practice from both an external/ professional and an internal/management viewpoint, and to aid in the associate's transition from law student to lawyer.

We do not discriminate in our selection of either permanent associates or summer clerks on the basis of race, sex, religion, politics, national origin or handicap.

Our firm is always interested in hearing from bright, qualified attorneys. If you wish to inquire about current openings or submit your resume to us for consideration, address your correspondence to:

Summer Clerk Program

Each summer, we employ several law students as summer clerks who assist in and work on various legal matters. The purposes of our summer program are threefold: to provide ourselves with an opportunity to become acquainted with promising law students and prospective lawyers, as well as to provide them with an opportunity to become acquainted with us; to provide each summer clerk with some valuable "hands on" experiences of lawyering which no classroom professor can provide; and to obtain non-lawyer, competent assistance for ourselves and our clients on current legal matters.

Our summer clerks do not spend their entire summer researching and writing legal memoranda. They also help lawyers prepare cases for filing, and interview potential witnesses. Through assignment of a recruiting committee contact to each summer clerk and the use of post-assignment evaluations by both lawyers and summer clerks, we make every effort to ensure that our summer clerks enjoy a variety of work experiences with a variety of lawyers, and that they receive timely feedback on their progress and performance.

Every year, we visit the campus of the West Virginia University College of Law and other law schools in the region, interviewing second year students in the fall, and talking to first year students in the spring. Students attending other law schools are encouraged to submit their resumes along with a grade transcript to: