Cathryn A . Nogay
Guardian ad litem , Cathryn A . Nogay
Photo by Robin Rokisky .
KATIE LIGHT
WHEN STARTING HER LEGAL CAREER , Cathryn Nogay had no idea that civil child neglect and abuse cases would be the catalyst for her outstanding career . Today , her work as guardian ad litem at her own law firm reflects 38 years of assisting families and children in West Virginia .
“ I first started practicing in Wheeling . At that time , judges would give young lawyers court-appointed cases , including abuse and neglect , to give us
experience . I did not like doing criminal cases and had no aptitude for it ,” Nogay explains . “ Nevertheless , I did like representing children in abuse and neglect cases . Looking back now , I think to be a good guardian ad litem , you must wear many different hats . You have to , of course , be a lawyer but also a social worker , mother , therapist , cheerleader , advocate and friend .”
Graduating with a bachelor ’ s degree in business from West Liberty University ,
Nogay did not originally plan to become an attorney like her father and grandfather before her . In fact , it was not until college that she even began to consider a legal career .
“ I had many different dream careers , from running a kindergarten out of a Partridge family style bus to being a stewardess or a fashion designer ,” she says . “ I realized that I was probably not going to be the next Coco Chanel and decided to pursue a career in law .”
Attending West Virginia University College of Law presented Nogay with many challenges . While there , however , she not only entered a rewarding profession but met her husband of almost 38 years . Graduating in 1984 , Nogay started her career working for Robert Yahn as a sole practitioner at his general practice .
“ Yahn was a wonderful mentor to me , and I think of him often ,” says Nogay . “ While working there , I was able to dip my toes into a number of fields of law that provided me with a well-rounded experience .”
Nogay worked with her mentor for the next four years until deciding to break away to start a family and become self-employed , choosing to work out of her home , which allowed her to spend quality time with her children as they grew up while still assisting other children in her efforts .
Over the course of her career , Nogay has served in many leadership roles for organizations across the state , including human rights hearing examiner for
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE