Lawyers play important roles in the legislative process in the United States.  Lawyers are often elected members and officers of their respective bodies, but they also serve as counsel, advisors, clerks, and staff for members. Further, lawyers also represent government agencies, private companies, nonprofit entities, trade associations, and other participants in the legislative process working as lobbyists, legal advisors, and staff. ¹ While not all bill drafting is done by lawyers, almost all bills eventually are reviewed, edited, amended or otherwise passed upon in some fashion by lawyers in a variety of positions.

This Article suggests an approach to bill drafting in West Virginia. For more experienced drafters, the Article may serve simply as a checklist when drafting. For others, the Article may offer a step-by-step process or analytical framework for approaching the bill drafting process.

The West Virginia Legislature passed several laws during the 2015 Regular Legislative Session changes which may impact the legal community. This Article is the second in a two part series that discusses several of those laws and the possible effects. The first part discussed the election of judges, the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act, premises liability, and the Medical Professional Liability Act. This second part will focus on the limitations on punitive damages, deliberate intent, choice of law in products liability suits, comparative fault, wrongful and retaliatory discharge, and the Wage Payment and Collection Act.

The West Virginia Legislature passed several laws during the 2015 Regular Legislative Session which may impact the legal community. This Article is the first in a two part series that discusses several of those laws—including election of judges, the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act, Premises Liability, and the Medical Professional Liability Act—and the possible effects. The second part of this Article will focus on the limitations on punitive damages, deliberate intent, choice of law in products liability suits, comparative fault, wrongful/retaliatory discharge, and the Wage Payment and Collection Act.