Judge Kirby was elected to the circuit court bench in Raleigh County in May 2024. When his predecessor retired before his term ended, Judge Kirby was appointed to finish that term, which ended on December 31, 2024.  

Judge Kirby is the son of Stephen and Beverly Kirby and was raised in Fairdale, West Virginia. He graduated from Liberty High School in 2003 and has degrees in political science, history, and international studies from Marshall University. In 2011, he earned his law degree from Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Judge Kirby opened a law firm in Beckley, where he worked from 2011-2024. He also served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Raleigh County from 2023-2024, where his focus was abuse and neglect cases. In 2022, he was elected to represent the 44th District in the West Virginia House of Delegates. He resigned from that position to become a judge.

He lives in Beckley with his wife, Beth, and two children.