McClellan, Patrick K.

Since the age of two, except for college, law school, and military service, Jay T. McCamic has been a resident of Wheeling, West Virginia. He lives four doors down from the house he grew up in.

While in college, Jay T. McCamic joined the United States Marine Corps "PLC" Program (Platoon Leaders Class) and upon graduation received a Reserve Commission as a Second Lieutenant, USMCR. At the time, the military, including the Marine Corps was reducing its numbers and restricted PLC commissioned officers to a 2 ½ year contract. Jay served on active duty as an infantry officer and was recognized for his outstanding leadership abilities. He was honored to be selected as one of only two officers of his rank in the Second Marines to be "augmented" and granted a full "30 year" commission, USMC.

Later, Jay left active service to attend WVU Law School and while in law school he served in the Marine Reserves. He achieved the rank of Captain and became the commanding officer of the "Wheeling Marines" infantry reserve unit which later became known as Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines headquartered in Moundsville. In 1985, he left the service with an honorable discharge to concentrate on his family and growing law practice.

While in law school, he was honored to be selected for the Moot Court Board to compete in Appellate advocacy competitions for the law school. He declined the opportunity and opted instead to become involved in actual legal cases. In his second year of law school, he led a team of law students in drafting and successfully arguing a writ of mandamus petition to the West Virginia Supreme Court. As a third year law student he was permitted under Rule 10 of the WV Rules of Civil Procedure to represent undergraduate students in landlord tenant disputes. During his third year of law school, Jay and a fellow student tried a case to a successful jury verdict before Judge DePond in Monongalia Circuit Court.

For many years, Jay has concentrated his practice in two areas: plaintiff's personal injury and criminal defense. He has tried a number of civil and criminal cases to verdict involving such disputes as contested wills, land condemnation issues, automobile collisions, medical malpractice and a variety of negligence cases involving injuries. He has successfully tried FELA cases on behalf of injured railroad workers, representing members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees and the Brotherhood of Carmen. He has successfully resolved a number of cases for his clients prior to trial in those areas as well as products liability cases, insurance coverage disputes, and various disputes relating to the violation of the civil and legal rights of his clients.

Jay's work as a criminal defense attorney is well known. Although he has handled numerous cases in State Court he is most known for his Federal Court cases and his Federal Death Penalty work. Jay has been recognized for his success in death penalty work and has been designated as a "learned counsel" in federal capital cases and since 1998 he has been active in representing defendants facing the death penalty in the federal courts of the Northern District of West Virginia, the Southern District of West Virginia, and the Western District of Pennsylvania.

He was appointed as the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Resource Counsel for the Northern District of West Virginia and served for a number of years before the Federal Public Defender was appointed. He has served as the CJA District Representative for the Northern District of West Virginia for a number of years.

For many years, he has been called upon to teach in various areas of criminal law and death penalty defense. He has been an adjunct lecturer at the WVU College of Law and a frequent speaker at both state and national legal education conferences.

Jay is best known for working hard to achieve the best legal result for his clients, who are often facing the most stressful times in their lives.