March 6, 2019 (Charleston, WV) – Kay Casto & Chaney PLLC is pleased to announce that Debra H. Scudiere, a Member of the firm’s Morgantown office, has been appointed by Governor Jim Justice as a Circuit Court Judge in Monongalia County.  Scudiere fills the seat being vacated by Judge Russell M. Clawges, Jr.

“We are very proud that our colleague and friend, Deb Scudiere, has been chosen by Governor Justice to become the newest Circuit Judge in Monongalia County.  There are good reasons why Deb is highly respected among all attorneys and judges who know her.  Not only is she highly qualified to take on the challenges of being a Circuit Judge, but she is fair-minded and even-tempered, which are important judicial characteristics.  We are certain that all persons who appear before her will receive not only respect and courtesy, but also a well-considered, thoughtful, and fair adjudication of their issues.  Litigants, attorneys, and the business community all should applaud Governor Justice’s decision.”  said Teresa J. Dumire, a member of Kay Casto & Chaney’s Management Committee.

Debra Scudiere is an experienced trial attorney whose practice has dealt with all areas of civil defense litigation including insurance, malpractice, contracts, and personal injury. Her practice areas have included alternative dispute resolution, commercial law, and employment Law. Scudiere’s work as a successful mediator led to her selection to the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

In addition to her law practice, Scudiere is a Past President of the West Virginia State Bar and a Past President of the Southern Conference of Bar Presidents, an organization of Bar Presidents and other Bar leaders from 18 southern states.  Currently, she serves as one of West Virginia’s two Delegates to the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates, as Chair of the WV State Bar’s ADR Committee, an Adjunct Lecturer in Trial Advocacy and Pre-Trial Litigation at the WVU College of Law, and a member of the Board of Directors of West Virginia Senior Legal Aid, Inc.  She also has served on boards representing the West Virginia Law Institute and the Visiting Committee of the WVU College of Law.  She is a member of the West Virginia Bar Association, the Monongalia and Marion County Bar Associations, the Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia, Inc., and the Defense Research Institute, Inc.

Scudiere often is called upon on a statewide basis to act as a mediator and arbitrator; she is listed by The Best Lawyers in America and has been named “Lawyer of the Year” for mediation (2014). Additionally, she has been named to Best Lawyers in Pittsburgh for the Morgantown area in the category of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). She is AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell – the highest distinction attainable – and has been honored by The State Journal in the business edition of “Who’s Who in West Virginia Business.”  Scudiere also has also been named a Fellow of The West Virginia Bar Foundation.

A native of Ronceverte, West Virginia, Scudiere is married to William Scudiere, an educator at St. Francis Central Catholic School in Morgantown.  They are the parents of Rachel Scudiere Vitt, also of Morgantown.

Debra Scudiere’s swearing in ceremony has not yet been scheduled.

For more information, visit www.kaycasto.com.

 

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