Melanie Norris joined Steptoe & Johnson in 2000 in the firm’s Wheeling office, concentrating her practice in the areas of insurance defense and insurance coverage. Ms. Norris is licensed to practice law in both West Virginia and Ohio.

AREAS OF CONCENTRATION

General Litigation
Ms. Norris has defended insureds in Ohio and West Virginia in a variety of claims including automobile accidents, premises liability, property damage, governmental liability, wrongful termination, medical malpractice, personal injury and products liability.
 
Insurance Coverage
Ms. Norris has directly represented insurance companies in a variety of matters, including first-party claims, allegations of "bad faith", and uninsured/underinsured motorist claims. Ms. Norris also provides coverage opinions, claims evaluations, and assists in claims investigations.

Ms. Norris is a member of the Ohio State Bar, West Virginia Bar and the Ohio County Bar Association, as well as a member of the Defense Research Institute. Ms. Norris serves on the Board of Directors for Tri-County Help Center and is a member of the St. Clairsville Sunshine Rotary, St. Clairsville Chamber of Commerce, and the firm’s Wellness Committee.

Ms. Norris received her law degree from The Ohio State University College of Law in Columbus, Ohio where she was a member of Delta Theta Phi and an Associate Editor of the Ohio State Law Journal. She was also elected into the membership of the Order of the Coif. Ms. Norris graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication and Psychology from Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio. While at Muskingum, Ms. Norris was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, Lambda Sigma and the Order of Omega honoraries.