from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1958. He has practiced law since January of 1959, specializing in real estate law and business law, with an emphasis on the preparation of wills, trusts, estates, powers of attorney, and other estate planning documents for personal or business clients. He has served on the board of directors of several private companies and has been the general counsel for the West Virginia Bar Association since 1976.
He has served as a member of the House of Delegates for more than twenty years and was appointed to the Supreme Court on October 1, 1988 by Governor Arch Moore.