Judge Tabit, a Charleston native who earned her degree from the College of Law in 1986, is the second Justicia Officium recipient. Professor Charles DiSalvo remembers interviewing Tabit for a position in the entering 1L class in the spring of 1983.
“You could just tell immediately upon meeting her that she was a person of integrity and vision,” DiSalvo recalled. “I had this ‘no doubt’ feeling about her that she would be a wonderful addition not only to the student body but to the bar, and that’s why I recommended her.”
After graduation, Tabit began her career as a personal law clerk to former Supreme Court
Justice Thomas E. McHugh and then went on to work in the Appellate Division in the Office of the Attorney General from 1989 to 1992. In 1992, Tabit joined the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, where she was a member attorney. While in private practice, she was rated an AV lawyer by Martindale Hubbell and recognized by Chambers USA as a Leader in the Field, with a specialty in commercial litigation. In October 2014, she was appointed to the Kanawha County bench. She was elected to the bench in 2016 and also worked as an adjunct lecturer teaching summer appellate advocacy for the College of Law.
Tabit was also a dedicated volunteer, serving as a member of the Board of Governors of the West Virginia State Bar and a Commissioner on the City of Charleston Human Rights Commission.
Jay Arcenaux, a friend and colleague who worked with Tabit on cases and also on state bar committees, said she was a fair judge who always prepared. She was chairwoman of the Mass Litigation Panel, a member of the Juvenile Justice Commission, and a former member of the Business Court Division. She was also Presiding Judge over the Juvenile Drug Court and the Family Treatment Court.
“As a lawyer, the worst thing that can happen is you spend all your time drafting a motion and then you should up to argue it and the judge asks why are we here,” Arcenaux said. “That was not Joanna. If you showed up to Joanna’s courtroom, she had read it, digested it, was prepared had questions.”
He said while she was known for her brilliant mind, she will also be remembered for her positive energy and the way she loved being around people.
“Every time you saw her, you left feeling a little better,” he said.
She will be recognized posthumously at the College of Law’s graduation ceremony on May 10. Family members will accept the award on her behalf.
