Gov. Jim Justice announced today that he has appointed Robert E. Ryan as Judge for the 21st Judicial Circuit, which serves Mineral, Grant, and Tucker counties.

Ryan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from WVU in 1996 and then went on to attend Washington and Lee University School of Law where he obtained his Juris Doctor in 2000. Currently, Ryan is licensed to practice law in four states–West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as in five of the United States District Courts. 

During his career, Ryan has received numerous honors in the legal field, which include being chosen as “Lawyer of the Year” in 2019 by the Best Lawyer in America publication, as well as being named a “Rising Star” by the Super Lawyers publication. 

Ryan is a member of the Defense Trial Counsel of WV, the Defense Research Institute, the WV Association of Justice, the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, and is a member of several bar associations.

In his spare time, Ryan enjoys spending time with his family and officiating ice hockey for teams sanctioned by USA Hockey and the American Collegiate Hockey Association.