Mychal Schulz
Mychal Schulz ran for election for the Division 1 judge of the West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals. He lost in the general election on May 14, 2024.
Schulz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Mychal Schulz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Schulz's career experience includes working as an attorney. He earned a law degree from the College of William and Mary in 1992, a bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1987, and a graduate degree from the University of Virginia in 1990.[1]
Schulz has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- West Virginia State Bar
- Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia
- Defense Research Institute
- American Bar Association
- FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association, Charleston
- Leadership West Virginia
- GO-West Virginia
- West Virginia Manufacturers Association
Elections
2024
See also: West Virginia intermediate appellate court elections, 2024
General election
General election for West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals Division 1
Ryan White defeated Elgine McArdle and Mychal Schulz in the general election for West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals Division 1 on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ryan White (Nonpartisan)  | 59.2 | 160,873 |
| Elgine McArdle (Nonpartisan) | 21.6 | 58,818 | ||
 | Mychal Schulz (Nonpartisan) | 19.2 | 52,282 | |
| Total votes: 271,973 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Schulz in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Mychal Schulz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Schulz's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am currently a shareholder in the Litigation, Employment & Labor Services, and Energy & Natural Resources groups of Babst Calland in Charleston. I have appeared in trial courts all over West Virginia and have appeared numerous times before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals.
Originally from Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, I came to Charleston right out of law school in 1992, and I have made West Virginia his home ever since then. I am the proud father of two daughters, Mychala and Starrie.
I graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1987 with a B.A. in History and English. I received his M.A. in History from the University of Virginia in 1990 and J.D. from the William and Mary School of Law in 1992.
- Experience matters.
I have over 31 years of experience litigating cases all over West Virginia. I have been lead trial counsel in both state and federal courts on a wide variety of matters, including employment, premises liability, insurance bad faith and coverage, commercial, officers and directors liability, ERISA, products liability, consumer protection and criminal matters. In addition, I routinely handle creditor-rights matters in Bankruptcy Court. I have appeared before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals.
No other candidate for this seat on the ICA can match the experience I have in litigation. - I am a West Virginian by choice. Originally from Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, I came to Charleston right out of law school in 1992, and I have made West Virginia home ever since then. I believe in becoming deeply involved in my community. I have been a USTA/ITA certified tennis official for over 24 years and regularly officiate matches in the Mountain East Conference in West Virginia and during the WVSSAC high school state tennis tournament. I am in my 15th year of providing both color commentary and play-by-play for the University of Charleston sports teams, including men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, and soccer teams and football. I am also the co-host of “The Tailgate Sports Show,” a weekly sports talk show.
- The Intermediate Court of Appeals is critical to West Virginia's judicial system. Established by the Legislature in 2021, the ICA went live on July 1, 2022. It hears appeals from the Workers' Compensation Board of Review, from Family Law Judges, including divorce and custody issues, from Administrative Law Judges, and in all civil matters. In short, the ICA hears appeals on the kinds of cases that impact the vast majority of West Virginians. That is why it is critical to elect an experienced litigator who has handled matters in each of the substantive areas that go before the ICA. I am that candidate.
That being said, I firmly believe in the adage that "justice delayed is justice denied." The ICA has, since it started, done a wonderful job of dealing with the matters before it in a timely manner, and I pledge to continue on that same path.
Cases that are appealed to the ICA involve parties that are deeply invested in their cases, and to them, fewer things are more important than having a judge who is fair, unbiased, and works hard to read everything submitted by the parties and to reach a decision that is fair and balanced.
If an elected judge fulfills those core responsibilities, then judges will fulfill their role in West Virginia's judicial system.
Once people learn about what kinds of matters are appealed to the ICA, they understand the importance of the work done by the judges on the ICA and the importance of having the right person fill this seat in this election. That is why my experience as a litigator makes me the best candidate for this critical position on this important court.
That is the role of the Intermediate Court of Appeals. I do not know what "legal philosophy" that may be, but I know that judges on appellate courts should not be activist judges who decide what the law should be, or decide that they do not want to follow the law as written.
Empathy should not, however, play a role in the ultimate decision of the judges on the ICA. Sometimes an outcome may seem unfair or unkind to a party to an appeal, but if the law as applied to the facts in the case lead to that result, then that is an issue for the Legislature -- not the judges on the court.
I am rated, however, by Martindale-Hubbell as AV Preeminent, Peer Rated for the Highest Level of Professional Excellence and Very High ethical standards.
I am not aware of other Bar Associations that provide such ratings.
I believe the West Virginia Supreme Court has done a great job in the last 5-6 years of becoming more transparent with its budget and accountability. I would look to contribute to that effort.
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Campaign finance summary
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals Division 1 |
Personal |
Footnotes
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