CHARLESTON – As the legislative session rolls on, the president of a group for state trial attorneys says their goal remains simple.
“Our mission statement is to protect the 7th Amendment, or a right to trial by jury,” Shawn Romano of the West Virginia Association for Justice said in a recent interview. “That’s preeminent in everything we do.
“Essentially, we always will strongly resist any legislation that reduces the availability of access to the courts.”
Having said that, Romano said the WVAJ, as of now, has no plans to push or work for any legislative bills this session.
“It being an election year, and with the recent appointments including 10 new House members, we’re just looking forward to getting to know them a little better,” Romano told The West Virginia Record.
That also means the group thinks there has been enough legislative changes to the court system for now.
“For the past several years, there have been a lot of tort reform that has gone through and become law,” Romano said. “These have been changes to what our opponents see as leveling the playing field.
“We think there has been enough. We don’t think there needs to be anymore.”
For years, West Virginia had a national reputation as having unpredictable courts and having courts that were not favorable to businesses.
But in the last few years, the Mountain State has dropped off of those lists. The most notable one is the American Tort Reform Association’s annual Judicial Hellholes report.
“We’ve been included on a lot of lists for the wrong reasons,” Romano said. “We’re no longer on those lists, which indicates the playing field has been leveled.”
Romano said he and the rest of the WVAJ feel their only legislative agenda is to protect the citizens of West Virginia.
“And that means protecting access to the courts for West Virginia for both businesses and citizens,” he said. “And we will work to continue to ensure West Virginia is a great place to live and conduct business.”
Romano said election year legislative sessions always are different, but he said there are other changes this year in addition to a lot of new faces.
“Elections make it different,” he said. “It always does. In addition to the new members, we have a new House judiciary chair and vice chair. So, things are just going to be different.”
Romano is a Charleston attorney. He established what is now Romano and Associates in 2005.
“I have been a member of the West Virginia Association for Justice since I was a law student at WVU,” Romano said. “I’m proud to be president after practicing law for 25 years. I believe that it is the culmination of both my practice and advocacy.”
Romano is the third member of his family to serve as WVAJ president. He follows his uncles David Romano and Michael Romano.
“It’s an honor to follow in my uncles’ footsteps and follow the path that they and many other West Virginia lawyers have made,” said Romano, who’s current practice areas include personal injury, employment, insurance, tax and business litigation.