Justice Robin Jean Davis
was born in Boone County, West Virginia, on April 6,
1956. She is married to Scott Segal, and they have one son, Oliver. She received
her bachelor's degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1978, and her
master's degree and law degree from West Virginia University in 1982. She was
engaged in the private practice of law from 1982 until 1996 at the six-person
law firm of Segal and Davis, L.C. She concentrated in the field of employee
benefits and domestic relations. In 1993, she became the first lawyer in West
Virginia to be inducted into the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. In
1991, the Supreme Court of Appeals appointed her to the seven-person West
Virginia Board of Law Examiners, on which she served until her election to the
Supreme Court in 1996. She initially was elected to an unexpired term, and was
re-elected in November 2000 to a full twelve-year term. Justice Davis served as
Chief Justice in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2007, and 2010. Under her leadership as Chief
Justice in 2010, the Court approved Revised Rules of Appellate Procedure, which
modernize and comprehensively change the appellate process in West Virginia to
provide a decision on the merits in every case. The Court in 2010 also approved
new Rules of Juvenile Procedure. Currently, Justice Davis is the Supreme Court's
designee to the Judiciary's Initiative on Truancy. In her previous terms as
Chief Justice, she initiated a number of programs which have proven to be
essential to the Court's continuing work with children and families and that
have allowed the Judicial Branch to remain current with the constant changes in
technology. These initiatives include the Workers' Compensation Mediation
Program; the expansion of parent education programs; Rules on Mass Litigation;
the expansion of courtroom technology, including the video initial appearance
pilot project; the creation of the West Virginia Trial Court Rules; the
establishment of an online Child Abuse and Neglect database; and additions to
legal rules governing child abuse and neglect proceedings. In 2007 she led the
West Virginia delegation to the National Judicial Leadership Summit in New York
City, and she was responsible for the Court using a competitive federal grant to
initiate the West Virginia Domestic Violence Registry. Under her guidance, the
Supreme Court Administrative Office also received other major grants which have
been used to improve the way the court system handles abuse and neglect cases.
She expanded the Supreme Court's outreach efforts by taking the Court for the
first time in recent years to Wheeling and Charles Town, the beginning of what
are now regular out-of-Charleston argument dockets. She established the LAWS
program for high school students and the Robes to Schools program for all West
Virginia school students. In 2000, Justice Davis received the Distinguished West
Virginian Award from then-Governor Cecil H. Underwood. In 2008 she received the
Graduate of Distinction Award from the West Virginia Education Alliance. Justice
Davis is the author of several West Virginia Law Review articles, including
"A Tribute to Franklin D. Cleckley: A Compendium of Essential Legal
Principles from his Opinions as a Justice on the West Virginia Supreme Court of
Appeals"; "A Tribute to Thomas E. McHugh: An Encyclopedia of Legal
Principles from his Opinions as a Justice on the West Virginia Supreme Court of
Appeals"; and "An Analysis of the Development of Admitting Expert
Testimony in Federal Courts and the Impact of that Development on West Virginia
Jurisprudence." She is the co-author with Louis J. Palmer, Jr., of
"Punitive Damages Law in West Virginia" and "Workers'
Compensation Litigation in West Virginia: Assessing the Impact of the Rule of
Liberality and the Need for Fiscal Reform." She is the co-author with
former Justice Cleckley and Mr. Palmer of the Litigation Handbook on West
Virginia Rules of Civil Procedure. She has given numerous presentations at West
Virginia Judicial Association conferences and community forums. Justice Davis is
the most senior member of the Supreme Court of Appeals.
Justice Robin Jean Davis
was born in Boone County, West Virginia, on April 6,
1956. She is married to Scott Segal, and they have one son, Oliver. She received
her bachelor's degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1978, and her
master's degree and law degree from West Virginia University in 1982. She was
engaged in the private practice of law from 1982 until 1996 at the six-person
law firm of Segal and Davis, L.C. She concentrated in the field of employee
benefits and domestic relations. In 1993, she became the first lawyer in West
Virginia to be inducted into the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. In
1991, the Supreme Court of Appeals appointed her to the seven-person West
Virginia Board of Law Examiners, on which she served until her election to the
Supreme Court in 1996. She initially was elected to an unexpired term, and was
re-elected in November 2000 to a full twelve-year term. Justice Davis served as
Chief Justice in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2007, and 2010. Under her leadership as Chief
Justice in 2010, the Court approved Revised Rules of Appellate Procedure, which
modernize and comprehensively change the appellate process in West Virginia to
provide a decision on the merits in every case. The Court in 2010 also approved
new Rules of Juvenile Procedure. Currently, Justice Davis is the Supreme Court's
designee to the Judiciary's Initiative on Truancy. In her previous terms as
Chief Justice, she initiated a number of programs which have proven to be
essential to the Court's continuing work with children and families and that
have allowed the Judicial Branch to remain current with the constant changes in
technology. These initiatives include the Workers' Compensation Mediation
Program; the expansion of parent education programs; Rules on Mass Litigation;
the expansion of courtroom technology, including the video initial appearance
pilot project; the creation of the West Virginia Trial Court Rules; the
establishment of an online Child Abuse and Neglect database; and additions to
legal rules governing child abuse and neglect proceedings. In 2007 she led the
West Virginia delegation to the National Judicial Leadership Summit in New York
City, and she was responsible for the Court using a competitive federal grant to
initiate the West Virginia Domestic Violence Registry. Under her guidance, the
Supreme Court Administrative Office also received other major grants which have
been used to improve the way the court system handles abuse and neglect cases.
She expanded the Supreme Court's outreach efforts by taking the Court for the
first time in recent years to Wheeling and Charles Town, the beginning of what
are now regular out-of-Charleston argument dockets. She established the LAWS
program for high school students and the Robes to Schools program for all West
Virginia school students. In 2000, Justice Davis received the Distinguished West
Virginian Award from then-Governor Cecil H. Underwood. In 2008 she received the
Graduate of Distinction Award from the West Virginia Education Alliance. Justice
Davis is the author of several West Virginia Law Review articles, including
"A Tribute to Franklin D. Cleckley: A Compendium of Essential Legal
Principles from his Opinions as a Justice on the West Virginia Supreme Court of
Appeals"; "A Tribute to Thomas E. McHugh: An Encyclopedia of Legal
Principles from his Opinions as a Justice on the West Virginia Supreme Court of
Appeals"; and "An Analysis of the Development of Admitting Expert
Testimony in Federal Courts and the Impact of that Development on West Virginia
Jurisprudence." She is the co-author with Louis J. Palmer, Jr., of
"Punitive Damages Law in West Virginia" and "Workers'
Compensation Litigation in West Virginia: Assessing the Impact of the Rule of
Liberality and the Need for Fiscal Reform." She is the co-author with
former Justice Cleckley and Mr. Palmer of the Litigation Handbook on West
Virginia Rules of Civil Procedure. She has given numerous presentations at West
Virginia Judicial Association conferences and community forums. Justice Davis is
the most senior member of the Supreme Court of Appeals.