Morgantown, W.Va. (September 18, 2015) — Kay Casto & Chaney attorney, Shannon P. Smith, led dedication ceremonies that opened the new Monongalia County Justice Center in Morgantown. Smith also serves as the Monongalia County Bar President.
The event, which was held on Tuesday, was attended by at least 300 guests and several keynote speakers, including Supreme Court Justice Brent D. Benjamin. The $22 million facility has taken nearly eight years to complete and is considered one of the best multi-purpose judicial buildings in the nation. Each entity in the county’s court system is now housed within the same building, which will deliver a more efficient justice system for the people. Referred to as a “one-stop shop” for all legal needs, the Justice Center is scheduled to open to the public in October.
“As a member of the Bar and as a resident of Monongalia County, I was honored to be asked to speak and to introduce each speaker for the dedication of the new Monongalia County Justice Center,” Smith said. “This building has been in the works for many years, and we were so excited to welcome everyone.”
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About Shannon P. Smith
Shannon Smith’s practice is dedicated to the areas of insurance defense, energy and natural resources, commercial law, and general litigation. Much of Smith’s practice is focused on providing a defense to individuals and companies in litigation while remaining dedicated to assisting individuals and companies acquire, lease, and maintain their interests in oil and natural gas in West Virginia.
Smith attended the Calhoun Honors College at Clemson University. In 2002, she received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from West Virginia University. In 2006, she earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the West Virginia University College of Law, graduating as a member of the Order of the Barristers. She has since been admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
A graduate of Leadership Monongalia, Smith is an active member of organizations, as she serves as President of the Monongalia County Bar Association, and she continues to serve as the District 14 representative for the Young Lawyers Executive Committee of the West Virginia State Bar. She served as Chairperson of the Magistrate Court Mediation Subcommittee of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, also a part of the West Virginia State Bar. Currently, she is the Vice Chairperson of the Energy Law Committee, a part of the Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia. Smith also is a member of the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation, the Defense Research Institute, the American Bar Association, and the Young Lawyers Liaison for Meritas Law Firms Worldwide, of which the firm is a founding organizer.
Within the community, Smith is Vice President of the Board of Directors for Morgantown Early Learning Facility. She assists the American Cancer Society as a Relay for Life team captain and has served as a mentor for participants in the Monongalia County Teen Court.
Among Smith’s many accolades include being listed in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers with an AV Preeminent rating and in West Virginia Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star.” In 2014, she received the Westfield Insurance Golden Gavel Award for Successful Trial Results and was honored by the West Virginia University College of Law Women’s Leadership Counsel with the Outstanding Woman in the Law for Private Practice award.
Smith has served as Adjunct Lecturer of Appellate Advocacy at West Virginia University College of Law since 2007 and as Adjunct Lecturer of Practical Legal Writing at West Virginia University College of Law since 2013.
For more information, visit www.kaycasto.com.
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