West Virginia’s U.S. senators on Thursday introduced a bill to name the Clarksburg federal courthouse the “Irene M. Keeley United States Courthouse.”
Judge Keeley was the first woman appointed as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, a position in which she served for over 30 years.
“Judge Keeley devoted her career to the cause of justice and worked honorably as the first female judge for the Northern District of West Virginia,” said US Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.
“I thank her for her service and feel that designating the Clarksburg federal courthouse in her honor is a fitting tribute for the decades of dedication to her state and country, in addition to being a trailblazer for women across West Virginia,” Capito said.
“There is no one else more deserving of this recognition, and I am proud to introduce this bill to commend her achievements and look forward to shepherding it through the [Senate Environment and Public Works] Committee.”
US Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., added: “I have long admired Judge Keeley’s unwavering commitment to the pursuit of justice. As the former chief judge and first woman to serve on the bench for the Northern District of West Virginia, her judicial career has been guided by fairness, accountability, and compassion.
“Judge Keeley’s decades of service make this tribute beyond deserving. I will continue to support efforts to dedicate the Clarksburg federal courthouse in her honor knowing that her legacy will inspire the next generation of legal professionals in West Virginia,” Manchin said.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh was definitely on board.
“On behalf of our entire Northern District of West Virginia court family, we were thrilled to hear of Senator Capito and Senator Manchin’s efforts to honor Judge Keeley by formally naming our Clarksburg courthouse in her honor,” Kleeh said.
“Judge Keeley served this district with distinction and honor for over 30 years, setting a standard for judges everywhere. She remains an inspiration to lawyers practicing in West Virginia and beyond through her exceptional legal and judicial career and accomplishments,” he said.
“Her service to our state and the nation certainly deserves this recognition, and we look forward to trying to live up to the expectations she established in a United States district courthouse bearing her name,” Kleeh said.
Longtime West Virginia attorneys Tom Dyer and Shawn Morgan applauded the effort.
“I think it’s perfectly appropriate. She was everything that any federal or state judge should aspire to be,” Clarksburg’s Dyer told WV News.
“She was a big part of the cornerstone of our democracy. Integrity and the rule of law were her legacy. The building should be in her name,” Dyer said.
“Kudos to Sens. Capito and Manchin for introducing Senate Bill 3570,” said Morgan, of Steptoe & Johnson in Bridgeport and a former Keeley law clerk.
“This recognition of Judge Keeley’s groundbreaking service to the judiciary and our community is so well-deserved,” Morgan said.
“I hope to hear soon that the bill has become law, and that the Clarksburg federal courthouse officially has been named in her honor.”
Keeley earned her law degree from the West Virginia University College of Law in 1980. Following more than a decade in private practice, Keeley was nominated for judge by President George H.W. Bush in 1992.
On Aug. 11, 1992, Keeley was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent. Judge Keeley served as the district’s court chief judge from March 2001 to March 2008. She took inactive senior status on Sept. 30, 2022.