CHARLESTON — A seasoned trial attorney is running for a seat on the Intermediate Appellate Court and hopes his three decades of experience will help him if elected.
Mychal Schulz has lived in West Virginia since 1992, falling in love with the state and his community after moving here following law school.
I've been here almost 32 years," Schulz said in an interview with The West Virginia Record. "I was not born and raised here, but I came here out of law school, fell in love with the state, fell in love with the people, and 32 years later, I'm still here. It's my home."
Mychal Schulz
| courtesy photo
Schulz said in those 32 years he has litigated all over the state, in nearly 40 of the state's 55 counties. He's also litigated in all divisions of the state's federal court system.
Schulz said that is one thing that sets him apart from others running. He said he's also handled matters in each of the four areas that the intermediate court hears, which are civil litigation, most family law matters, workers' compensation decisions and appeals from administrative agencies.
Schulz said he also has much experience at the appellate level in litigation.
"I've handled so many different types of matters that have been heard at that level," Schulz said. "I think the variety of my experience and the depth of my experience at the appellate level is also what sets me apart in those 32 years of experience."
Schulz is active in the community, officiating tennis marches, co-hosting a weekly sports talk show on WTSQ, teaching as an adjunct professor at West Virginia State University and participating in his church community.
Schulz is also involved in Leadership West Virginia and the Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia. He said these groups give him insight into the issues raised in West Virginia communities all over the state.
Schulz said in Leadership West Virginia, where he served on the board for 11 years, he has been able to interact with class members statewide and gain a unique perspective into what issues West Virginians are faced with.
"Because what issues they are facing up in the Eastern Panhandle, are different than the issues that are important over in the Northern Panhandle, which are different than what people are facing in the southern part of the state," Schulz said. "The issues based in our communities are different, and Leadership West Virginia has really helped get me out around the state."
Schulz is also currently the vice president of the Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia. He was on the board for four years before entering officer rotation.
Schulz said he's always focused on community involvement, saying he's always focused on giving back because he enjoys community service. He said this is why he wanted to run for the intermediate appellate court.
"After litigating all over the state for 32 years, I'm toward the end of my career — not at the end, but I'm getting there — and I wanted to finish my legal career with something that was a little bit more service-oriented or community service-oriented," Schulz said. "When I started to think about what do I want to do next, this opportunity, I thought, was perfect for my skill set and what I wanted to do."
Schulz said if elected, he looks forward to continuing the legacy the current judges have started with the court.
"I think that the three judges who got this court started have done a fantastic job creating something out of nothing, because literally three years ago this court didn't exist," Schulz said. "And when you look at what they have done in terms of disposition of cases, getting through backlogs and putting out detailed decisions that have given guidance to judges and to lawyers in the areas of the law that they hear appeals on, I think they've done a great job and I want to continue that."
Schulz said if elected, he will be fair, balanced and impartial.
"I think that's what West Virginia wants," Schulz said. "They don't want their judges to be political."