Ashton Marra Published

Walker Creates Female Majority on W.Va. Supreme Court

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West Virginia’s newest elected member of the state Supreme Court has taken her oath of office and is now officially ready to assume the bench in January. 

Current Justice Allen Loughry administered the oath of office to Justice-elect Beth Walker in the Supreme Court chamber on the Capitol grounds. 

Walker was elected to the position in May, but won’t officially take the bench until January.

Walker is a native of Ohio who moved to West Virginia to begin her law career shortly after graduating from law school at Ohio State University in 1990. She most recently served as Associate General Counsel for the West Virginia University Health Systems.

After taking the oath, Walker joked that there is no orientation for new justices to the court, but that Justice Loughry and other members of the court were serving as mentors to prepare her for her term.

“It’s a big responsibility. I mean, the voters of West Virginia have put a lot of trust in me and I just want to do the very best job that I can.”

Walker’s election makes her the third female member of the state’s highest court. With just five members, it will be the first time the court has had a female majority in its history.