Former Supreme Court Justice Margaret Workman, right, received the Caplan Award on Wednesday. (West Virginia Justice Association)
CHARLESTON, W. Va. — The West Virginia Justice Association presented its Lifetime Service Award to former state Supreme Court Justice Margaret Workman on Wednesday.
The organization awarded Workman its 2021 Caplan Award to celebrate “his life in service to the West Virginia courts and the practice of law.”
Workman served as a circuit court judge for eight years and as a state Supreme Court judge from 1989 to 2000 and from 2009 to 2020, including serving as chief justice five times. Workman is the first woman to be elected to the state Supreme Court and to statewide office.
“For more than 40 years, Judge Margaret Workman has been a leader in West Virginia and in our state’s legal community. His contributions to the practice of law and the management of our state courts are innumerable. His work has resulted in substantial improvements to West Virginia’s justice system and the way cases are handled, particularly in the areas of domestic violence, cases involving child and juvenile justice, civil litigation, and the administration of the courts,” said the organization’s president, Jonathan Mani.
“Judge Workman also paved the way for female lawyers and professional women. At a time when most female lawyers were still in supporting positions, Judge Workman opened her own law firm and later became the youngest circuit court judge in the state.
The organization also named House of Delegates Chief Counsel Dan Greear as this year’s Public Servant of the Year and Kris Whiteaker as Stanley Preiser Member of the Year.
