West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Blog Launches
Bordas & Bordas has launched a new blog, this one covering the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, at www.WVSCBlog.com. This new site - the only one of its kind in West Virginia, covers the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals from a professional perspective, but in a way that strives to be useful to the layperson as well. It is already chock-full of interesting articles about the cases decided so far this year. Chief Editor Jay Stoneking had this to say about the new site:
Every year the West Virginia Supreme Court decides hundreds of cases that are as varied as our own life experiences-cases covering contracts, torts, criminal law, family law, abuse and neglect, civil rights and constitutional law, just to name a few. These cases can have a profound impact. Federal courts tend to grab the headlines, but the reality is that the decisions of state courts probably have the most direct, day-to-day impact on the lives of ordinary Americans.
All of this begs the question: who is covering our Supreme Court? Certainly, there are news outlets that cover general legal stories. But is there anyone tracking cases as they make their way through the briefing and oral argument stages? Is there anyone previewing cases and identifying the ones that should be watched most carefully? Is there anyone systematically analyzing and providing commentary on the latest Supreme Court opinions? Unfortunately, the answer to each of these questions is no.
The purpose of our website is to help fill that void. We will not give full coverage to every case on the Supreme Court's docket. That would be a daunting task. Instead, we will review the docket in advance and select those cases that are likely to be significant to those interested in general civil litigation. This has a broader sweep than you might think. It goes far beyond tort law. Cases dealing with jury selection, discovery, and motion practice are also vitally important. Insurance cases will be covered too, along with related topics such as subrogation, liens, etc. We will also cover jurisdictional cases and any cases addressing important aspects of the rules of procedure or evidence. In short, we hope to publish blogs covering any cases bearing on the practice of a general civil litigator.
So who should follow our website? Good question. We are not writing exclusively for lawyers. Far from it. Our website is meant to serve as a source of timely and relevant information for anyone with a serious interest in the Supreme Court. If you have a desire to follow the Supreme Court and its cases, then we invite you to avail yourself of the resources we offer.
To provide you with the best possible coverage of the Supreme Court's caseload, we will be using three kinds of blogs. First, we will provide argument previews. These are overviews of cases scheduled for oral argument, providing the reader with the factual background, the legal issue presented, the positions advanced by the parties in their briefs, and a discussion of the case's probable impact. Second, once a case has been decided we will provide an opinion analysis. This includes a thorough review of the Supreme Court's reasoning and a commentary on the case's overall importance and impact. Third, we will provide general blogs from time to time exploring broader legal topics-e.g., legal trends and a look at the Supreme Court itself, including its history, its inner workings and its involvement with the public. We hope these blogs will help to "demystify" the Supreme Court and make it more familiar to lawyers and others who are interested in its work.
WWW.WVSCBlog.com should become a go-to resource for attorneys, litigants, interested citizens and even the judiciary as the Court hands down new decisions to analyze and explain each term. Check it out today!
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