Wilson To Get First Stamp Award for Judicial Excellence from West Virginia Bar Association
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When the West Virginia Bar Association holds its annual meeting next month at The Greenbrier, two local judges will be highlighted for their careers on the bench.
During the meeting, the Bar Association will present a new award established and named in honor of Wheeling resident Frederick P. Stamp Jr., a senior status judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia. Stamp is a past president of the West Virginia Bar Association.
Circuit Judge Ronald Wilson, who presides in West Virginia's First Judicial Circuit, has been selected as the inaugural recipient.
According to the Bar Association, the award is given to a judge who has contributed significantly to the administration of justice in West Virginia. Wilson has been on the bench since his initial appointment in 1981 by then-Gov. Jay Rockefeller. He has served as president of the West Virginia Judicial Association and has been a West Virginia Bar Foundation Fellow. Wilson has served on the Harvard Medical School Department of Continuing Education faculty for its asbestos course, and he has taught evidence to West Virginia judicial law clerks and mental hygiene commissioners. Wilson also was chair of the Judicial Investigation Commission until 2019.
"As one of the oldest state judges, I feel fortunate to be selected by one of the oldest Bar Associations in the United States as the recipient of the Frederick P Stamp Jr. Award for Judicial Excellence," Wilson said. "The West Virginia Bar Association is one of the most respected Bar Associations in the country, because it is voluntary, with a history of specialized legal education that began years before it was required for all West Virginia lawyers."
As stated by one of the individuals who nominated Judge Wilson, his "commitment to the communities he serves and the law are genuine. He never takes his responsibilities lightly ... with special emphasis in his role as a judge in child abuse and neglect cases. He listens to the people in front of him and renders his opinions fairly and equitably."
Wheeling attorney Sandra Chapman, president of the West Virginia Bar Association, said "We are so pleased to honor both Judge Stamp and Judge Wilson with this award. We look forward to such a special time at our meeting, and we welcome members and non-members to register."
Wilson said he takes joy in the fact that Stamp agreed with his selection.