My name is Keith Lively and I am running for Circuit Judge in Monroe & Summers County.  I created this website to provide potential voters with information about my candidacy.  If elected, I promise I will work hard to uphold the dignity of our court system by applying our laws fairly and impartially.   I will do all I can to ensure that parties appearing before the court will have a fair opportunity to present their case.  I hope to have your vote this May 14th, 2024.

Background and connection to our community.

     I was born and raised in the West End of Hinton.  My father, Albert Lively, grew up on a farm in Wayside and was a graduate of Greenville High School and Concord College before becoming a schoolteacher.  He was the band director at Union High School in the 1960’s and went on to teach at Greenbrier West and Greenbrier Elementary School in Hinton.  He was the choir director for Central Baptist Church and long-time secretary for the Kiwanis Club in Hinton.  My mother, Frances Lively, also taught school at Greenville, Greenbrier East, Alderson, Sandstone and Hinton High School.   They were members of Union Memorial Baptist Church and Central Baptist Church in Hinton.

     As for me, I graduated from Hinton High School in 1989 and from WVU in 1993.  I went to law school at Columbia University and spent many years working out of state, primarily as a litigator in Washington, DC.  In 2008, I purchased a house in my old Hinton neighborhood when it became clear DC living was not for me.  Our community has always had a hold on me for a multitude of reasons: from our pace of life, to the beauty of our towns and countryside, and the common decency we show each other on a daily basis.  Fortunately, I was able to continue my DC practice while making Hinton my permanent residence. 

     I am also proud to have served as counsel to the Board of Main Street Hinton, Inc, since 2009, and was able to assist in reopening the local nursing home on the 3rd floor of Summers County ARH hospital.   I have also been able to assist the Main Street Board in securing grant funding to build senior independent living apartments in Hinton.  This work with the Main Street Board has been even more gratifying as people from all across our community, from differing points of view and political views, all come together to support these projects, because they care about our community.  It is heartening to know this type of cooperation and good will is alive and well.

Qualifications.

     As noted above, I graduated from West Virginia University in 1993.  I then obtained my law degree Columbia Law School in 1998.  For the past 25 years I have been a civil litigator practicing in multiple jurisdictions involving a broad range of legal issues.  I have appeared before state and federal courts in West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Delaware, Alabama, Maryland, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.  I have also practiced before multiple administrative agencies, including the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Social Security Administration, the West Virginia Human Rights Commission, the West Virginia Healthcare Authority, the District of Columbia Office of Administrative Hearings, the D.C. Contract Appeals Board, the D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration, the D.C. Department of Employment Services, and the Howard County, Maryland Office of Human Rights.

     In my career I have represented both Plaintiffs and Defendants, individuals and corporations.  I believe this breadth of experience will enable me to perform the duties of Circuit Judge with a fair and open mind, and with a deep understanding of the law which any judge is sworn to uphold.

Philosophy.

     I feel proud and blessed to live in the United States, where our way of life is governed by the rule of law.  Every citizen has a say in what laws are enacted.  I believe the rule of law in America is even stronger now than at its founding, as everyone of any gender, race, or creed has a say in who is elected to our state and federal legislatures.   

     Because the laws in America are the demonstrated will of the people, a Circuit Judge is charged with the solemn duty of interpreting and applying the law as enacted by our duly elected officials, and as set forth in well-settled precedent of the higher courts.  A circuit judge cannot be swayed by partisan politics or the latest social media trend.  The judge must give the parties a fair chance to present the facts of the case, and then must apply those proven facts to the law as it is written.  It is not the judge’s purview to decide what the law should be, but only what it is.  This is not to say that a judge has no discretion.  Often, laws, both criminal and civil, wisely allow for mercy where circumstances and justice merit.   

     In 2015, West Virginia altered the election process for Judges to be non-partisan.  The intent of the law was to encourage voters to evaluate judicial candidates based upon qualifications without partisan considerations.  I believe this to be the right approach.  Judges cannot be Republicans, Democrats or any other party behind the bench.  I believe it is harmful to the rule of law for a judge to be seen as anything but fair, impartial, and just.  From time to time, every judge will have to make decisions with which he or she may not personally agree, but this is an essential part of the judge’s solemn duty.

     Thank you for taking the time to learn more about my candidacy.  I hope to have your vote on May 14th!