CHARLESTON, W.VA. — Gov. Jim Justice has appointed Paul W. Gwaltney, Jr. as Judge for the 17th Judicial Circuit and Robert E. Ryan as Judge for the 21st Judicial Circuit.
The 17th Judicial Circuit serves Monongalia County and the 21st Judicial Circuit serves Mineral, Grant, and Tucker counties.
Gwaltney graduated in the top 15 percent of his class at WVU College of Law in 2003, where he served on West Virginia Law Review as an associate editor and an executive research editor.
In 2013, Gwaltney was named a “Rising Star” by the Super Lawyers publication for his outstanding contributions to the legal profession.
In his spare time, Gwaltney proudly attends Calvary Chapel Morgantown, where his family has worshiped for the last ten years.
Ryan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from WVU in 1996 and then went on to attend Washington and Lee University School of Law where he obtained his Juris Doctor in 2000. Currently, Ryan is licensed to practice law in four states–West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as in five of the United States District Courts.
During his career, Ryan has received numerous honors in the legal field, which include being chosen as “Lawyer of the Year” in 2019 by the Best Lawyer in America publication, as well as being named a “Rising Star” by the Super Lawyers publication.
Ryan is a member of the Defense Trial Counsel of WV, the Defense Research Institute, the WV Association of Justice, the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, and is a member of several bar associations.
In his spare time, Ryan enjoys spending time with his family and officiating ice hockey for teams sanctioned by USA Hockey and the American Collegiate Hockey Association.
