J. Ben Shepard

Ben was named a Member in 2021 after practicing as an Associate attorney following completion of a two-year clerkship with the Honorable Thomas B. Russell, United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.

He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Louisville School of Law, ranked fourth in his class, attaining his Juris Doctorate degree in May 2015. His academic success including achieving the highest grades in Highest Grade in Civil Procedure II, Contracts II, Basic Legal Skills, Seminar: Constitutional Practice, and Federal Income Taxation of Individuals.

Three years prior, he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Louisville with Bachelor of Arts degrees in both History and Political Science while serving as Chief Justice for the University of Louisville Student Government.

Ben excelled during his time at the University of Louisville School of Law. In his first year, he won the First Year Oral Advocacy Competition and the Samuel L. Greenebaum Award for Achievement in Legal Writing. During his second year, Ben competed with distinction in the National Moot Court Competition, placing as a regional semifinalist and co-authoring the second highest competition brief.

He was selected as the Editor in Chief of the University of Louisville Law Review for 2014-15. He also won the Pirtle-Washer Moot Court Competition during his senior year and he published a Student Note entitled Forum over Substance: Student Government Elections and First Amendment Problems, 53 U. Louisville L. Rev. 559 (2016).

Ben is currently licensed to practice law in both the State of West Virginia and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Kentucky Bar Association and West Virginia State Bar.

His primary areas of practice include complex commercial, class-action litigation, medical malpractice and products liability defense.