CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Justice H.L. Kirkpatrick will be formally sworn in as a justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia during a public investiture ceremony scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, August 31, in the Supreme Court Courtroom at the state Capitol.
Kirkpatrick was elected on May 12 to serve the remainder of the six‑year term of the late Justice Tim Armstead. He previously took the oath of office during a small private ceremony on June 12 so he could begin performing his official duties immediately.
While the investiture is open to the public, seating inside the courtroom will be limited. Court officials say media will be accommodated, and regular rules governing coverage of Supreme Court proceedings will not apply for this special event. The ceremony will also be streamed live on the Court’s YouTube channel.
A Beckley native, Kirkpatrick grew up in Fayette and Raleigh counties and attended Nuttall High School before graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Kentucky and a law degree from the West Virginia University College of Law.
Kirkpatrick began practicing law in Pineville in 1976 with the firm of Bailey, Worrell and Viers. He later operated Kirkpatrick Law Offices and joined the Beckley firm Ashworth and Ashworth, which became Ashworth and Kirkpatrick. He was appointed Circuit Judge of Raleigh County in 1995 and was re‑elected four times before retiring in 2024. He was granted Senior Judge Status in 2025, presiding over a high‑profile murder trial in Beckley and serving four months as Special Judge in Fayette County.
His career includes service on the Judicial Conference of the Fourth Circuit, the Judicial Investigation Commission, and the southern Fatality Review Team. He is a West Virginia Bar Foundation Fellow and was recognized earlier this year for 50 years of distinguished service to the legal profession.
Justice Kirkpatrick and his wife, Becky, live in Beckley. They have twin sons and two grandchildren.
