For years, West Virginia has been labeled a ‘‘judicial hellhole’’ by outsiders, and with good reason. Too many times, judges have appeared to side with local plaintiffs in their disputes with out-of-state corporations in civil cases.

The appearance of judicial home cooking made it difficult for the state to attract investment. People aren’t going to risk money in jurisdictions that paint targets on their backs.

The state Chamber of Commerce has complained for years, giving the courts low grades in its annual report on the state Supreme Court.

This year, though, the chamber gave justices a favorable rating. The chamber reviewed 24 cases and found justices ruled in favor of businesses 13 times, against nine times, and were neutral or sent the case back to lower courts on two occasions.

Said Jill Cranston Bentz of the Supreme Court’s decision in a case involving State Farm: ‘‘Our court is now looking at contracts and honoring the word of contracts. This is new in West Virginia.’’

Quantifying cases is difficult. The impact of one case can outweigh the impact of hundreds of other decisions.

But West Virginians’ economic best interests lie in acquiring a reputation for providing fair forums.

The state appears to be on its way to earning such a reputation.