Recent Rules Orders

Pursuant to Article VIII Section 3 of the West Virginia Constitution, the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia "shall have power to promulgate rules for all cases and proceedings, civil and criminal, for all the courts of the State relating to writs, warrants, process, practice and procedure, which shall have the force and effect of law." See also W. Va. Code 51-1-4. The Court exercises this authority by issuing rules orders at various times throughout the year. Listed below, in reverse chronological order, are links to recent rules orders issued by the Court, along with a brief explanation of each. For more information about the amendment and promulgation of court rules, please contact the Office of the Clerk.

Date	Description
11-14-2017	RE: Request for Public Comment on Proposed Amendment to Rule 1B(e)(1) of the Administrative Rules for Magistrate Courts - 17-Rules-13: By order entered November 14, 2017, the Supreme Court of Appeals is seeking comment on a proposed amendment to Rule 1B(e)(1) of the Administrative Rules for Magistrate Courts.
11-14-2017	Re: AMENDMENT TO RULE 18 OF THE WEST VIRGINIA TRIAL COURT RULES, TO CORRECT A TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR: By order entered November 14, 2017, the Court does hereby adopt the referenced correction to Trial Court Rule 18.
10-25-2017	Re: Amendments to Chapter VII, ¶5.3A of the Rules to Govern Mandatory Continuing Legal Education in West Virginia, Bridge-the-Gap Program: By order entered October 25, 2017, the Court does hereby adopt the proposed amendments, approving changes relating to the Bridge-the-Gap Program for lawyers newly-admitted to the West Virginia State Bar.
09-20-2017	RE: Adoption of Amendment to Rule 9.0 of the Rules for Admission to the Practice of Law in West Virginia: By order entered September 20, 2017, this amendment extends the time period for practice to five years for those who are admitted pursuant to Rule 9.
09-20-2017	RE: Request for Public Comment on Proposed Amendment to Rule 5 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure for the Magistrate Courts of West Virginia: By order entered September 20, 2017, Court does hereby adopt amendments to Rule 5 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure, providing for regular review of compliance with bond conditions in cases involving allegations of domestic violence.
09-20-2017	RE: ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT TO THE WEST VIRGINIA TRIAL COURT RULES, TO ADD RULE 18: By order entered September 20, 2017, the amendment adds Rule 18 to the Trial Court Rules, in response to recently enacted W.Va. Code §62-6B-6(c) to provide greater confidentiality for recorded interviews of children in certain circumstances.
09-20-2017	Re: Adoption of Revisions to Rule 8.3 of the Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 6 of the Rules of Judicial Disciplinary Procedure, and the Rules of the Judicial and Lawyer Assistance Program: By order entered September 20, 2017, the Court does hereby adopt the above mentioned amendments, combining the functions of the Judicial Committee on Assistance and Intervention with the Lawyer Assistance Program, effective immediately.
06-14-2017	RE: REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO RULE 5 OF THE RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE FOR THE MAGISTRATE COURTS OF WEST VIRGINIA: By order entered June 14, 2017, the Supreme Court of Appeals is seeking comment on a proposed amendment to Rule 5 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure for Magistrate Courts. The proposed amendment provides for regular review of compliance with bond conditions in cases involving allegations of domestic violence.
06-13-2017	RE: REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO RULE 9.0 OF THE RULES FOR ADMISSION TO THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN WEST VIRGINIA: By order entered June 13, 2017, the Supreme Court of Appeals is seeking comment on a proposed amendment to Rule 9.0 of the Rules for Admission to the Practice of Law in West Virginia.
04-25-2017	Approval and Adoption of Amendments to certain Guardian Ad Lite Rules for Family Court: By order entered April 25, 2017, the Court approved amendments to Rules 21.04 and 21.05 of the West Virginia Trial Court Rules and Rule 47 of the Rules of Practice and Procedure for Family Courts, as well as amendments to Appendix B Guidelines for Guardians Ad Lite in Family Court.