Old Dominion Bar Association
"Virginia's Advocates for Equal Justice"
"Virginia's Advocates for Equal Justice"
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Beverly A. Burton, Esq., President
I am honored to serve as the Old Dominion Bar Association’s
29th President and look forward to working with our
membership to address the challenges that require the
attention of “ Virginia ’s Advocates for Equal Justice”.
Under my leadership, and with your support, the Old
Dominion Bar Association will not rest comfortably on the
laurels of its rich legacy. Instead, we will build on that
legacy by participating meaningfully as a National Bar
Association Affiliate in partnership with the Lawyers’
Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in the effort to monitor
and correct voting irregularities in Virginia . We will build on
that legacy by addressing the restoration of felons’ rights
and participating meaningfully in the effort to reverse the
disenfranchisement of those who are not permitted to
participate fully in society after having paid their debt to
society. We will work diligently to ensure the judiciary in
Virginia continues to reflect the citizenry of Virginia .
The Old Dominion Bar Association will be undergoing
significant structural and administrative changes. As we
strive to improve, we must re-dedicate ourselves to our
mission:
To maintain and advance the honor and dignity of the
legal profession and to increase its effectiveness in
promoting and facilitating the proper administration of
justice;
To improve the professional competence of its members
and of other lawyers in the area through educational
means;
To promote reform in the law and in judicial procedure in
the interest of justice;
To uphold and elevate the standard of integrity, dignity,
honor and courtesy among the members of the legal
profession;
To establish and maintain cooperative efforts with the
Virginia State Bar, the National Bar Association, and other
voluntary associations comprised of members of the legal
profession;
To cultivate the support and fellowship among the
members.
The footprints we leave behind are important. It is my goal
to ensure that ours are made with purpose, direction and
meaning. Notwithstanding our legacy, the work continues. I
ask for your support in meeting the challenges I described
earlier as we forge ahead with renewed commitment to be
the best we can be as VIRGINIA ’S ADVOCATES FOR EQUAL
JUSTICE.
Sincerely,
Beverly A. Burton, Esq.
Beverly A. Burton, Esq., President
I am honored to serve as the Old Dominion Bar Association’s
29th President and look forward to working with our
membership to address the challenges that require the
attention of “ Virginia ’s Advocates for Equal Justice”.
Under my leadership, and with your support, the Old
Dominion Bar Association will not rest comfortably on the
laurels of its rich legacy. Instead, we will build on that
legacy by participating meaningfully as a National Bar
Association Affiliate in partnership with the Lawyers’
Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in the effort to monitor
and correct voting irregularities in Virginia . We will build on
that legacy by addressing the restoration of felons’ rights
and participating meaningfully in the effort to reverse the
disenfranchisement of those who are not permitted to
participate fully in society after having paid their debt to
society. We will work diligently to ensure the judiciary in
Virginia continues to reflect the citizenry of Virginia .
The Old Dominion Bar Association will be undergoing
significant structural and administrative changes. As we
strive to improve, we must re-dedicate ourselves to our
mission:
To maintain and advance the honor and dignity of the
legal profession and to increase its effectiveness in
promoting and facilitating the proper administration of
justice;
To improve the professional competence of its members
and of other lawyers in the area through educational
means;
To promote reform in the law and in judicial procedure in
the interest of justice;
To uphold and elevate the standard of integrity, dignity,
honor and courtesy among the members of the legal
profession;
To establish and maintain cooperative efforts with the
Virginia State Bar, the National Bar Association, and other
voluntary associations comprised of members of the legal
profession;
To cultivate the support and fellowship among the
members.
The footprints we leave behind are important. It is my goal
to ensure that ours are made with purpose, direction and
meaning. Notwithstanding our legacy, the work continues. I
ask for your support in meeting the challenges I described
earlier as we forge ahead with renewed commitment to be
the best we can be as VIRGINIA ’S ADVOCATES FOR EQUAL
JUSTICE.
Sincerely,
Beverly A. Burton, Esq.
IN THE NEWS...
August 2008
GOVERNOR KAINE FILLS JUDGESHIPS
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has elevated Court
of Appeals Judge Leroy F. Millette, Jr. to
the Virginia Supreme Court to fill the
vacancy created when Justice G. Steven
Agee was tapped to fill a vacancy on the
United States Court of Appeals for the
Fourth Circuit. He named Chesterfield
Circuit Court Judge Cleo F. Powell to
succeed Millette on the Virginia Court of
Appeals. The governor appointed
Richmond lawyer James C. Dimitri to fill
the vacancy on the State Corporation
Commission created by the retirement of
Commissioner Theodore V. Morrison, Jr.
Gov. Kaine’s appointments must be
endorsed by the legislature.
Judge Powell will be the second African-
American to serve on the Virginia Court of
Appeals since its creation in 1985. The
first was Hon. James W. Benton, Jr., who
retired October 1, 2007.
FORMER ODBA PRESIDENT DIES
Charles M. L. “Chuck” Mangum suffered a
heart attack and passed away on August
9, 2008. A former President of Old
Dominion Bar Association, he practiced
law in Lynchburg for many years, where
he also served as president of the
Lynchburg chapter and the Virginia State
chapter of the NAACP. He was also the
owner and publisher of the Piedmont Area
Journal and a past president of the
Gamma Nu Lamba Chapter of Alpha Phi
Alpha fraternity. A funeral service will be
held at 2:30 p.m. Aug. 14, 2008, at Calvary
Presbyterian Church, 500 S. Green St.,
Statesville, N.C.
For more recent news and events, please
click here.
************************************************
PRINCIPLES OF PROFESSIONALISM
FOR VIRGINIA LAWYERS
PREAMBLE
Virginia can take special pride in the
important role its lawyers have played in
American history. From Thomas
Jefferson to Oliver Hill, Virginia lawyers
have epitomized our profession's highest
ideals. Without losing sight of what
lawyers do for their clients and for the
public, lawyers should also focus on how
they perform their duties. In their very
first professional act, all Virginia lawyers
pledge to demean themselves
"professionally and courteously."
Lawyers help their clients, the institutions
with which they deal and themselves
when they treat everyone with respect
and courtesy. These Principles of
Professionalism serve as a reminder of
how Virginia lawyers have acted in the
past, and should act in the future.
PRINCIPLES
In my conduct toward everyone with
whom I deal, I should:
• Remember that I am part of a self-
governing profession, and that my actions
and demeanor reflect upon my profession.
• Act at all times with professional
integrity, so that others will know that my
word is my bond.
• Avoid all bigotry, discrimination, or
prejudice.
• Treat everyone as I want to be
treated with respect and courtesy.
• Act as a mentor for less experienced
lawyers, and as a role model for future
generations of lawyers.
• Contribute my skills, knowledge and
influence in the service of my community.
• Encourage those I supervise to act
with the same professionalism to which I
aspire.
In my conduct toward my clients, I should:
• Act with diligence and dedication
tempered with, but never compromised
by, my professional conduct toward
others.
• Act with respect and courtesy.
• Explain to clients that my courteous
conduct toward others does not reflect a
lack of zeal in advancing their interests,
but rather is more likely to successfully
advance their interests.
In my conduct toward courts and other
institutions with which I deal, I should:
• Treat all judges and court personnel
with respect and courtesy.
• Be punctual in attending all court
appearances and other scheduled events.
• Avoid any conduct that offends the
dignity or decorum of any courts or other
institutions, such as inappropriate
displays of emotion or unbecoming
language directed at the courts or any
other participants.
• Explain to my clients that they should
also act with respect and courtesy when
dealing with courts and other institutions.
In my conduct toward opposing counsel, I
should:
• Treat both opposing counsel and
their staff with respect and courtesy.
• Avoid ad hominem attacks,
recognizing that in nearly every situation
opposing lawyers are simply serving their
clients as I am trying to serve my clients.
• Avoid reciprocating any
unprofessional conduct by opposing
counsel, explaining to my clients that
such behavior harms rather than
advances the clients' interests.
• Cooperate as much as possible on
procedural and logistical matters, so that
the clients' and lawyers' efforts can be
directed toward the substance of
disputes or disagreements.
• Cooperate in scheduling any
discovery, negotiations, meetings,
closings, hearings or other litigation or
transactional events, accommodating
opposing counsels' schedules whenever
possible.
• Agree whenever possible to
opposing counsels' reasonable requests
for extensions of time that are consistent
with my primary duties to advance my
clients' interests.
• Notify opposing counsel of any
schedule changes as soon as possible.
• Return telephone calls, e-mails and
other communications as promptly as I
can, even if we disagree about the subject
matter of the communication, resolving to
disagree without being disagreeable.
• Be punctual in attending all
scheduled events.
• Resist being affected by any ill
feelings opposing clients may have
toward each other, remembering that any
conflict is between the clients and not
between the lawyers.
For more news and events, please click
here.
August 2008
GOVERNOR KAINE FILLS JUDGESHIPS
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has elevated Court
of Appeals Judge Leroy F. Millette, Jr. to
the Virginia Supreme Court to fill the
vacancy created when Justice G. Steven
Agee was tapped to fill a vacancy on the
United States Court of Appeals for the
Fourth Circuit. He named Chesterfield
Circuit Court Judge Cleo F. Powell to
succeed Millette on the Virginia Court of
Appeals. The governor appointed
Richmond lawyer James C. Dimitri to fill
the vacancy on the State Corporation
Commission created by the retirement of
Commissioner Theodore V. Morrison, Jr.
Gov. Kaine’s appointments must be
endorsed by the legislature.
Judge Powell will be the second African-
American to serve on the Virginia Court of
Appeals since its creation in 1985. The
first was Hon. James W. Benton, Jr., who
retired October 1, 2007.
FORMER ODBA PRESIDENT DIES
Charles M. L. “Chuck” Mangum suffered a
heart attack and passed away on August
9, 2008. A former President of Old
Dominion Bar Association, he practiced
law in Lynchburg for many years, where
he also served as president of the
Lynchburg chapter and the Virginia State
chapter of the NAACP. He was also the
owner and publisher of the Piedmont Area
Journal and a past president of the
Gamma Nu Lamba Chapter of Alpha Phi
Alpha fraternity. A funeral service will be
held at 2:30 p.m. Aug. 14, 2008, at Calvary
Presbyterian Church, 500 S. Green St.,
Statesville, N.C.
For more recent news and events, please
click here.
************************************************
PRINCIPLES OF PROFESSIONALISM
FOR VIRGINIA LAWYERS
PREAMBLE
Virginia can take special pride in the
important role its lawyers have played in
American history. From Thomas
Jefferson to Oliver Hill, Virginia lawyers
have epitomized our profession's highest
ideals. Without losing sight of what
lawyers do for their clients and for the
public, lawyers should also focus on how
they perform their duties. In their very
first professional act, all Virginia lawyers
pledge to demean themselves
"professionally and courteously."
Lawyers help their clients, the institutions
with which they deal and themselves
when they treat everyone with respect
and courtesy. These Principles of
Professionalism serve as a reminder of
how Virginia lawyers have acted in the
past, and should act in the future.
PRINCIPLES
In my conduct toward everyone with
whom I deal, I should:
• Remember that I am part of a self-
governing profession, and that my actions
and demeanor reflect upon my profession.
• Act at all times with professional
integrity, so that others will know that my
word is my bond.
• Avoid all bigotry, discrimination, or
prejudice.
• Treat everyone as I want to be
treated with respect and courtesy.
• Act as a mentor for less experienced
lawyers, and as a role model for future
generations of lawyers.
• Contribute my skills, knowledge and
influence in the service of my community.
• Encourage those I supervise to act
with the same professionalism to which I
aspire.
In my conduct toward my clients, I should:
• Act with diligence and dedication
tempered with, but never compromised
by, my professional conduct toward
others.
• Act with respect and courtesy.
• Explain to clients that my courteous
conduct toward others does not reflect a
lack of zeal in advancing their interests,
but rather is more likely to successfully
advance their interests.
In my conduct toward courts and other
institutions with which I deal, I should:
• Treat all judges and court personnel
with respect and courtesy.
• Be punctual in attending all court
appearances and other scheduled events.
• Avoid any conduct that offends the
dignity or decorum of any courts or other
institutions, such as inappropriate
displays of emotion or unbecoming
language directed at the courts or any
other participants.
• Explain to my clients that they should
also act with respect and courtesy when
dealing with courts and other institutions.
In my conduct toward opposing counsel, I
should:
• Treat both opposing counsel and
their staff with respect and courtesy.
• Avoid ad hominem attacks,
recognizing that in nearly every situation
opposing lawyers are simply serving their
clients as I am trying to serve my clients.
• Avoid reciprocating any
unprofessional conduct by opposing
counsel, explaining to my clients that
such behavior harms rather than
advances the clients' interests.
• Cooperate as much as possible on
procedural and logistical matters, so that
the clients' and lawyers' efforts can be
directed toward the substance of
disputes or disagreements.
• Cooperate in scheduling any
discovery, negotiations, meetings,
closings, hearings or other litigation or
transactional events, accommodating
opposing counsels' schedules whenever
possible.
• Agree whenever possible to
opposing counsels' reasonable requests
for extensions of time that are consistent
with my primary duties to advance my
clients' interests.
• Notify opposing counsel of any
schedule changes as soon as possible.
• Return telephone calls, e-mails and
other communications as promptly as I
can, even if we disagree about the subject
matter of the communication, resolving to
disagree without being disagreeable.
• Be punctual in attending all
scheduled events.
• Resist being affected by any ill
feelings opposing clients may have
toward each other, remembering that any
conflict is between the clients and not
between the lawyers.
For more news and events, please click
here.
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