67th Annual WVAJ Convention

Rachael Fletcher-Cipoletti, Chief Lawyer Disciplinary Counsel – West Virginia Office of Disciplinary Counsel and Brian J. Lanham, Deputy Counsel – Judicial Investigation Commission of West Virginia

11:00 – 11:10 a.m.

Break Sponsored by File & ServeXpress

11:10 – 12:00 p.m.

Who’s Fault Is It Anyway?: Litigating Complex, Catastrophic Medical-Malpractice Claims

Mark Staun – Hartley Law Group, Charleston

12:00 – 1:15 p.m.

WVAJ Membership Meeting and Luncheon (WVAJ Members Only)

1:15 – 2:05 p.m.

The View from the Top: West Virginia Supreme Court Update

The Honorable William R. Wooton, Chief Justice – Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia

2:05 – 2:55 p.m.

Smart Practice: How West Virginia Lawyers Are Using AI Effectively (and Dodging the Pitfalls)

Kirk Auvil – The Employment Law Center, Parkersburg; Aaron Harrah – Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee and Deitzler, Charleston; and Tyler Haslam – Haslam Law Firm, Huntington

2:55 – 3:10 p.m.

Break Sponsored by FORGE

3:10 – 4:00 p.m.

Smart Practice: How West Virginia Lawyers Are Using AI Effectively cont.

4:00 – 5:15 p.m.

The View from the Bench Judging the Evidence: Best Practices, Common Errors, and What To Do About It

The Honorable Stephanie Abraham, Judge – 8th Circuit Court; the Honorable Anita Ashley, Judge – 5th Circuit Court; and the Honorable Stacy Nowicki-Eldridge, Judge – 9th Circuit Court

Friday, June 6, 2025

8:30 – 9:20 a.m.

The ABCs of Settlements: Cause, Effect, and What It Means for Clients

William Goodman, Kristen Chess, and Susan Bowersox – NFP Structured Settlements, Pittsburgh

9:20 – 10:10 a.m.

Serving Those Who Served: Helping Veterans Get Justice in Personal Injury Claims

Stephen Chovanec, General Counsel – United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Roanoke, Virginia and Jed Nolan, Director – West Virginia University College of Law Veterans Law Clinic and Nolan Consumer Law

10:10 – 10:20 a.m.

Break

10:20 – 11:10 a.m.

Work Capacity Evaluations: The Importance of Integrated Physical, Cognitive and Emotional Assessments in Comprehensive Rehabilitation

Dr. Matthew Dodson, OTD, OTR/L – Brain Trust Rehab, Fort Collins, Colorado

11:10 – 12:00 p.m.

Secrecy in Civil Litigation

Lori Andrus, President – American Association for Justice and the firm of Andrus Anderson, San Francisco

12:00 – 1:30 p.m.

WVAJ Board Meeting and Luncheon (WVAJ Board Members Only)

1:30 – 2:45 p.m.

The Trial Success Trinity: The Three Keys for the Three Keys to Trial Preparation

Courtney Camillus, Ph.D. – Camillus Trial Consulting, Columbus and John Camillus – Camillus Law, Columbus

2:45 – 3:35 p.m.

The Blame Game: Juggling Multiple Defendants, Comparative Fault, and Full Recovery

Samuel Madia – Madia Law Firm, Morgantown and J. Ryan Stewart – Bailey, Javins, and Carter, Charleston

3:35 – 4:35 p.m.

From Briefs to Bytes in the Digital Law Office: Protect, Store, and Insure

Katherine Charonko and Eric Snyder – Bailey and Glasser, Charleston and Erik Engle – Assured Partners, Charleston

CLE Hours

This program is worth 15.4 CLE hours, including 2.4 in ethics and law office management. In states with 60-minute CLE hours, the program is worth 12.8 hours including 2.0 in ethics and law office management.

Convention Materials

Written materials are provided electronically by internet download. If you are pre-registered, you will receive the link to the materials two days before the convention.

Meet Our Seminar Faculty

Convention Registration Fees

Register NOW

General Convention Information

Accommodations

Embassy Suites is located at 300 Court Street, Charleston. A special rate of $149 per night is available through Tuesday, May 20. Reservations made after May 20 will pay regular rates. To reserve your room call 1(800)EMBASSY or register online. Your group rate code is 910.

Cancellation Policy

All cancellations must be provided to WVAJ in writing. For a refund, minus a $25 processing fee, your request must be received no later than May 16. Requests received May 17 – 27 will receive refunds of 50 percent. There will be no refunds after May 27, but you will receive convention materials. To cancel, email Debra Lee.

Questions?

Have questions about WVAJ’s 67th Annual Convention and Seminar? Email Debra Lee.

Meetings and Social Events

Wednesday, June 4

5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Convention Kickoff Party - Fife Street Brewing, 180 Summers Street

Thursday, June 5

12:00 - 1:15 p.m.

WVAJ Membership Meetings and Election (WVAJ Members Only)

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Annual Convention Party

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

Filevine Tavrn AI Synergy Eve Legal

NFP Structured Settlements

Commonwealth Community Trust Lexis/Nexis WVU College of Law

Friday, June 6

12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

WVAJ Board of Governors Meeting and Luncheon (WVAJ Board Members Only)

Sponsors and Exhibitors

Advocate Capital

Commonwealth Community Trust

Edgewood Productions

EmotionTrac

Eve Legal

File & ServeXpress

Filevine

FORGE

Huseby

Joe Justice Media

Lexis/Nexis

MD Timelines

NFP Structured Settlements

Physician Life Care Planning

Precision Reporters

Sage Settlement Consulting

Saponaro

Sunshine Nurse

Synergy

Tavrn AI

WVU College of Law

Market Your Products and Services

Sponsorship, Exhibitor, and Advertising Opportunities

Want to market your products and services to West Virginia lawyers and paralegals? WVAJ’s 67th Annual Convention and Seminar is West Virginia’s biggest and best opportunity for you to connect with the legal professionals your business needs. Sponsorship, exhibitor, and advertising opportunities are available. WVAJ can help you select the best options to meet your business goals.

To learn more, download the vendor marketing package. Questions? Email Debra Lee.

Register NOW

Steven R. Broadwater Jr., President

Convention Chairs

Thomas P. Boggs

Tammy Bowles Raines

John Einreinhofer

Cynthia Loomis Hardesty

Wes Prince

George Sidiropolis

WVAJ AFFINITY PARTNERS