OLD DOMINION BAR ASSOCIATION
"Virginia's Advocates for Equal Justice"
"Virginia's Advocates for Equal Justice"
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NEWS AND EVENTS
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MAY 2009
ASIAN-PACIFIC ISLANDER DAY CELEBRATED
ODBA member Polly Chong spoke at the invitation of Senator Mamie Locke on May 20, 2009, to a crowd celebrating
Asian-Pacific Islander Day at the Army base in Norfolk. Attorney Chong shared with attendees some of her personal
memorabilia, including photographs of her grandparents arriving on Ellis Island after traveling from China. The
program was videotaped and will be sent via satellite to other bases around the country. Ms. Chong, who has a law
office in Newport News, received a plaque and a medal at the festivities.
JUDICIAL CONFERENCE OF VIRGINIA
Several members of ODBA’s Executive Committee attended the Judicial Conference of Virginia for courts of record
May 11-13, 2009, at the Hotel Roanoke. The business sessions and opening reception were followed by two days of
legal education seminars that provided the latest updates to statutory and case law. Executive Committee members
who attended were President Beverly Burton, President-Elect Robert Williams, Leonard Brown, Jr., and Vinceretta
Chiles.
ODBA SENDS CAPSALIS LETTER OF SUPPORT
President Beverly A. Burton sent a letter to Virginia State Bar President Manuel A. Capsalis congratulating him for
spearheading the VSB’s diversity initiative and stating Old Dominion Bar Association’s support for his efforts. Letters
of two VSB members criticizing Capsalis’ efforts were published in Virginia Lawyer magazine's February 2009 issue.
As a result of Capsalis’ efforts, at its Annual Meeting in June 2009 the VSB will consider the creation of a Diversity
Conference to promote inclusion of individuals from diverse backgrounds in all aspects of the legal profession.
APRIL 2009
BANKS NAMED ALEXANDRIA CITY ATTORNEY
The Alexandria City Council has appointed James Banks as City Attorney, effective May 4, 2009. As City Attorney,
Banks will be the legal advisor to the City Council, the City Manager, and all departments, boards, commissions, and
agencies of the City. Banks previously worked for Seyfarth Shaw LLP, as partner to its labor and employment practice.
He also served as partner for McGuire Woods LLP and as a substitute judge in Richmond from 1998 to 2002. Banks, a
member of the Virginia Law Foundation Board of Directors and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board
of Directors, also served as Richmond’s Vice Mayor and as Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of
Richmond. A graduate of Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, he received his law degree from the University of
Virginia.
ODBA PARTNERS WITH VIRGINIA DELTAS
Thanks to Treasurer Helivi Holland, ODBA will assist the Virginia Chapters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (not Delta
Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.) to assist with that group's efforts to address restoration of felons’ rights. ODBA attorney
volunteers from all parts of Virginia who are knowledgeable and interested in this subject will participate in panel
discussions and seminars. Executive Committee member Vinceretta Chiles has led the way by providing instruction,
handouts, and fielding questions in a train-the-trainer seminar for Virginia Delta Sigma Theta members on April 25,
2009 at the Sportsman Club in Franklin, along with Rick Francis, clerk of Southampton County Circuit Court. The
Virginia Deltas held similar programs around the state on April 25th. Last year Ms. Chiles, engaged in private practice
in Richmond, assisted several individuals in having their civil rights restored so they could vote in the historic 2008
presidential election. Sorority members are planning another session next week for those in the community who
need assistance in completing forms related to achieving restoration of their rights.
ODBA PRESIDENT TO BE ON SCLC PROGRAM
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference will hold a Diversity Program in January 2010 at the Omni Hotel in
Newport News. ODBA President Beverly Burton, as well as representatives from the diversity program of Riverside
Regional Medical Center and others will be on a panel to facilitate a discussion among those of varying backgrounds
on the many different aspects of diversity and its benefits to society. The Program is planned for January 30, 2010
from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
BAR LEADERS INSTITUTE HELD
Former ODBA President and long-time ODBA member W. T. Mason, Jr., who is also past president of South Hampton
Roads Bar Association, participated in the VSB's Bar Leaders Institute. Held at the Virginia Historical Society Halsey
Family Lecture Hall on April 15, 2009, in Richmond, the Institute provided presentations on why leaders break rules,
Virginia's new principles of professionalism, best practices workshops, and mental health and substance absuse
issues. ODBA President Beverly Burton also attended the very informative sessions.
EVANS INVESTITURE
Pamela O'Berry Evans, recently appointed to a General District Court judgeship in Chesterfield County, was sworn in
April 17, 2009. The investiture ceremony was held in the Public Meeting Room of the Chesterfield County
Administration Building in Chesterfield, Virginia. Judge Evans received her "charge" from Federal District Court Judge
Gerald Bruce Lee, for whom she clerked when he was a Circuit Court judge. Evans was serving as Chair of the
Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board prior to being appointed by the General Assembly.
ATKINS SWORN IN AS J&D COURT JUDGE
Michelle J. Atkins was sworn in as a judge of the Norfolk Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court on Friday,
April 3, 2009. A reception at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel immediately followed the ceremony. Judge Atkins,
formerly an attorney with Abrons, Fasanaro & Sceiviour in Norfolk, fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Hon.
Jerrauld Jones to the Norfolk Circuit Court bench in November 2008.
MELVIN APPOINTED TO JUDGESHIP
On April 7, 2009, Governor Timothy M. Kaine announced the appointment of former legislator Kenneth R. Melvin as a
judge on the Portsmouth Circuit Court. Melvin, a graduate of Colby College and Georgetown University Law Center,
recently announced his retirement from the Virginia House of Delegates, where he served since 1985. Melvin will
leave private practice and will assume this judgeship effective May 1, 2009.
ZIGLAR ON SHORT LIST FOR WESTERN DISTRICT
Virginia Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner sent letters to President Barack Obama recommending three
candidates for the United States Attorney post for the Western District of Virginia. The Senators recommended ODBA
member Joan Ziglar, Martinsville’s Commonwealth’s Attorney, along with Thomas Bondurant, chief of the Criminal
Division of the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District, and Timothy Heaphy, a former assistant U. S. Attorney
for the Western District, who currently works for McGuireWoods. The President nominates U. S. Attorneys, who must
be confirmed by the U. S. Senate.
MARCH 2009
ODBA PRESIDENT ATTENDS CHARITY GALA
President Beverly Burton attended the Greater Peninsula Women’s Bar Association’s Charity Gala in Newport News
March 31, 2009 as the guest of ODBA’s newest Life Member, Polly Chong, one of the organizers. Participants were
treated to a smorgasbord ranging from freshly prepared crab cakes to a dessert fondue bar. The standing-room-only
Gala featured speakers Brian Moran, Delegate Glenn Oder, Delegate Mayme BaCote, was attended by many other
dignitaries, and benefited Court Appointed Special Advocates for children-NN, Transitions Family violence Services,
and Avalon Center for Women & Children.
OBAMA TO NOMINATE WINTER MEETING SPEAKER
On March 31, 2009, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate William Gunn, ODBA’s Winter Meeting
guest speaker, to fill the post of General Counsel to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Attorney Gunn, a Harvard Law
School Graduate and former White House Fellow, also earned a Master of Laws degree from George Washington
University School of Law and a Master of Science Degree in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of
the Armed Forces. Gunn retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2005, where he served as a Colonel in the Judge Advocate
Generals Corps. He was the first Chief Defense Counsel in the Department of Defense Office of Military Commissions,
where he supervised all defense activities for detainees to be tried before military commissions. Mr. Gunn is engaged
in private practice in northern Virginia.
ODBA DELEGATION MEETS WITH SENATOR WEBB
On March 30, 2009, a delegation of ODBA representatives met with United States Senator Jim Webb to discuss the
judicial vacancies and candidates for these vacancies on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and
the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, as well as the vacancies for the United States
Attorney positions in both the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia. The delegation included ODBA President
Beverly Burton, President-Elect Robert Williams, and Immediate Past President Howard Woodson, and the discussion
centered on the need for diversity at the federal level and the highly qualified candidates available for appointment. A
meeting with Senator Mark Warner could not be arranged, but efforts toward that end continue.
UNDERWOOD SWORN IN AS NORFOLK COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY
Gregory Dwright Underwood was sworn in on March 23, 2009 as Norfolk’s Commonwealth’s Attorney in a ceremony at
Norfolk Circuit Court. With more than fifteen years of experience, Underwood was a Senior Deputy Commonwealth’s
Attorney in Norfolk when he won 55% of the vote in a March 10, 2009 special election.
JUDGE BONNIE JONES ELEVATED TO CIRCUIT COURT
On February 28, 2009, the state legislature elevated Hon. Bonnie L. Jones to the Hampton Circuit Court. After thirteen
years of service as a General District Court judge, Judge Jones was sworn in on March 3, 2009 by Hampton Circuit
Court Chief Judge Wilford Taylor, Jr. as that Court’s first female judge.
FEBRUARY 2009
COOLEY’S 100TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATED
After the Virginia State Bar Council on February 28, 2009, President Beverly Burton attended the celebration of Robert
H. Cooley, Jr.’s 100th birthday, which was held at Margiano’s Italian Restaurant at the Short Pump Town Center in
Richmond. The celebration was attended by a number of Mr. Cooley’s family, friends, and colleagues. Attorney Cooley,
one of the original organizers of Old Dominion Bar Association, served as its Acting President during World War II, and
provided leadership and inspiration during the struggle for Civil Rights. A Howard Law School graduate, he lived and
worked in Petersburg for many years and served as Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney there. Mr. Cooley received
many accolades and acknowledgements during the celebration. Included among them were framed resolutions from
the General Assembly commending his public service and contributions to Virginia’s legal landscape (see http://leg1.
state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?091+ful+HJ941+pdf (Delegate Roslyn Dance) and
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?091+ful+SJ457+pdf (Senator Henry Marsh).
JUDGE ALSTON ELEVATED TO COURT OF APPEALS
Hon. Rossie David Alston, Jr. a judge of the Prince William County Circuit Court was unanimously elected to serve as
the 32nd judge on the Virginia Court of Appeals in February 2009. Appointed to serve on the Prince William County
Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in 1998, Judge Alston was elevated to Prince William County’s Circuit Court
bench in February 2001. He was reappointed to a second term in January 2009 just before being elevated to the
Virginia Court of Appeals. Judge Alston is an alumnus of Averette College (now University) and of North Carolina
Central School of Law. He has been involved in numerous civic and professional endeavors and resides in Manassas
with his wife, Carol Miller Alston.
ODBA PRESIDENT ATTENDS BAR COUNCIL MEETING
President Beverly Burton attended the Virginia State Bar Council’s regular meeting at Richmond’s Omni Hotel on
February 28, 2009. The Council reported on a number of developments, including the Virginia Supreme Court’s
authorization of the Virginia State Bar to resume posting of public disciplinary information on the Bar’s website.
For a complete summary of meeting highlights, please visit http://www.vsb.org/site/news/item/council-meeting-022809/
DUNNAVILLE HONORED AT VSB COUNCIL DINNER
President Beverly Burton attended the Virginia State Bar Council Dinner, which was held at the Virginia Museum of
Fine Arts on February 27, 2009. Richmond Attorney Clarence Dunnaville received a Virginia State Bar President’s
Award from VSB President Manuel Capsalis in recognition of his many contributions to Virginia’s legal landscape.
Dunnaville, a graduate of Morgan State University and St. John’s University Law School, is slated to receive yet another
honor from the Virginia State Bar in April 2009. He has been selected to receive the 2009 Virginia State Bar’s Pro Bono
and Access to Justice Award at the VSB’s PBAJ Conference, which will be in Richmond on April 20, 2009.
ODBA INTERVIEWS FOR FEDERAL JUDGESHIPS
Old Dominion Bar Association’s Judicial Nominations Committee interviewed a number of candidates for vacancies on
the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and for the United States District Court for the Eastern District
of Virginia’s Richmond Division. The number of candidates necessitated two full days of interviews, which were held
February 19-20, 2009 at the offices of the Virginia State Bar in Richmond. As requested, the candidates’ ratings were
reported to U. S. Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner, who will make recommendations to President Barack Obama.
Committee members who participated in these interviews were Reginald Barley, Leonard Brown, Jr., Vinceretta
Chiles, Helivi Holland, Robert Williams, and Howard Woodson.
2009 WINTER MEETING
ODBA’s 2009 Winter Meeting was held on February 7, 2009 at George Mason University School of Law in Fairfax.
Activities included CLE presentations and a brief business meeting. The guest speaker was William A. Gunn, an
attorney who represents current and former members of the military in private practice in northern Virginia. Attorney
Gunn, a former White House Fellow, retired from the U. S. Air Force in 2005, where he served as a Colonel in the Judge
Advocate Generals Corps. Gunn, the first Chief Defense Counsel in the Department of Defense Office of Military
Commissions, where his responsibilities included ensuring that detainees received effective representation, is a
graduate of Harvard Law School.
JANUARY 2009
ODBA INTERVIEWS COURT OF APPEALS CANDIDATES
Members of ODBA’s Judicial Nominations Committee interviewed candidates for the vacancy on the Virginia Court of
Appeals created by the retirement of Justice Jean Clements. The interviews took place at the offices of the Virginia
State Bar on January 7, 2009, and ODBA was one of several bar groups participating in the process. Participating
committee members were Reginald Barley, Leonard Brown, Jr., Beverly Burton, Vinceretta Chiles, Helivi Holland,
Robert Williams, and Howard Woodson.
JONES NAMED CHIEF MAGISTRATE IN CHESAPEAKE
Waverly Jones, Jr. has been appointed to serve as Chief Magistrate for the City of Chesapeake, Virginia. He was an
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Norfolk and engaged in the private practice of law for several years.
HAGANS ELECTED DIRECTOR OF VIRGINIA BEACH BAR ASSOCIATION
Former Old Dominion Bar Association President Robert F. Hagans, Jr. was elected to serve a three-year term as a
director of the Virginia Beach Bar Association. Hagans is engaged in the private practice of law and is also a past
president of South Hampton Roads Bar Association.
December 2008
CONGRESSMAN SCOTT HOLDS FORUM
Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott held a town meeting to air issues that surfaced in preparation for and during
November’s presidential election. Joining Congressman Scott on a panel at the General Assembly in Richmond on
December 16, 2008, were some veteran voting rights activists including Vicky Beasley, Gerry Herbert, Elizabeth
Westfall and Jeremy Epstein. Those present heard about a laundry list of problems encountered including hours-long
lines for absentee voters, insufficient numbers of voting machines, hours-long lines on election day that seemed to
disproportionately impact African-American precincts, problems with incomplete DMV registrations, absentee ballots
that were not counted, misinformation from official sources about student voting, and poorly trained poll workers,
among others. Participants also offered suggestions for improving the registration and voting process, such as
allowing weekend voting, allowing early voting, and automatic restoration of felons’ rights, among others. ODBA
President Beverly Burton and Executive Committee member Leonard L. Brown, Jr., both of whom were integrally
involved in the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Election Protection program for the past several
months along with other ODBA members, attended this forum.
November 2008
JUDGE POWELL ELEVATED TO VIRGINIA COURT OF APPEALS
Hon. Cleo E. Powell, a judge of the Chesterfield Circuit Court, was elevated to the Virginia Court of Appeals in a
ceremony held at the Virginia Supreme Court on November 17, 2008. ODBA President Beverly Burton attended the
investiture ceremony at which Hon. Walter S. Felton, Jr. , Chief Judge of the Virginia Court of Appeals, presided. Judge
Powell was introduced by the Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court, Hon. Leroy Rountree Hassell, Sr., and
Governor Timothy M. Kaine offered remarks pertaining to Judge Powell’s selection. A reception at the Patrick Henry
Building on the Capitol grounds immediately followed the ceremony. Judge Powell is the first African-American
female to sit on the Virginia Court of Appeals bench and the second African-American to serve on that court since its
inception.
ODBA TREASURER IS CITIZEN OF THE YEAR
On November 14, 2008, the Alpha Iota Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. awarded Helivi L. Holland, Esq. its 2008
Citizen of the Year Award for her “service to humanity”. Formerly a prosecutor, Attorney Holland, ODBA’s Treasurer
and a member of its Executive Committee, is Deputy City Attorney for the City of Suffolk, Virginia.
YLC DINNER HONORS MINORITY AND FEMALE JUDGES
The Young Lawyers Conference of the Virginia State Bar held its Bench-Bar Dinner on November 10, 2008 at the Bull &
Bear Club in Richmond. ODBA President Beverly Burton and Executive Committee member Leonard L. Brown, Jr.,
attended the dinner, which was held in honor of the newly appointed and elevated minority and female members of the
Virginia Judiciary. Manuel A. Capsalis, President of the Virginia State Bar, welcomed the honorees, and the keynote
speaker was Hon. S. Bernard Goodwyn, who was recently elevated to the Virginia Supreme Court. The honorees
included Hon. Majorie T. Arrington, Hon. Penny Azcarate, Hon. Jan L. Brodie, Hon. Uley Norris Damiani, Hon. Laura L.
Dascher, Hon. Nolan B. Dawkins, Hon. Marilynn C. Goss, Hon. Jerrauld C. Jones, Hon. Patricia Kelly, Hon. Helen Leiner,
Hon. Mary Grace O’Brien, Hon. Cleo E. Powell, and Justice Goodwyn.
OBAMA ELECTED PRESIDENT
The historic Presidential election on November 4, 2008, provided the motivation for pre-election and Election Day
involvement beyond the act of voting for some ODBA members. Having trained with the Lawyers Committee for Civil
Rights Under Law’s Election Protection program, ODBA members were ready to help address needs around the state
on Election Day ranging from voters in the wrong precincts, providing aid, comfort, and encouragement to those with
long waits, and answering questions about residency requirements, among other things. ODBA’s Election Protection
volunteers were mainly assigned to work in Richmond, Tidewater and northern Virginia. Old Dominion Bar
Association is very proud of and thankful to its members who volunteered to help get out the vote and elect the nation’
s first President of African American descent, Barack Obama.
October 2008
AGEE INVESTITURE
Hon. G. Steven Agee, a justice of the Virginia Supreme Court, was elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for
the Fourth Circuit. ODBA President Beverly Burton attended the October 29, 2008 investiture ceremony at the Lewis F.
Powell, Jr. Courthouse in Richmond. Hon. Karen J. Williams, Chief Judge of the Fourth Circuit, presided over the
ceremony. Kathryn Todd, Esq., Associate Counsel to the President, presented Justice Agee with his Commission.
Hon. J. Harvie Wilkinson III read congratulatory remarks from U.S. Senator John W. Warner, Jr., and Nelson Jones
offered congratulations on behalf of U. S. Senator James H. Webb. A reception at the courthouse immediately
followed the ceremony.
ELECTION PROTECTION VOLUNTEERS PREPARE FOR ELECTION DAY
Several of ODBA’s members have been putting in a lot of effort on the Election Protection project. Executive
Committee member Leonard L. Brown, Jr. has been helping organize the effort in the Tidewater area and recently
attended training for mobile legal volunteers at the Reed Smith offices in Richmond, which will house the Election
Protection Command Center for Central and Western Virginia. Peggy Sanner, an attorney at Reed Smith, is the
Command Center Field Commander. ODBA President Beverly Burton and Executive Committee member Vinceretta
Chiles are Team Leaders and assigned to work at the Command Center on Election Day.
Attorneys Sanner and Burton jointly presented a training session for Election Protection mobile legal volunteers in
Richmond on October 18, 2008, one of many training sessions Election Protection is conducting around Virginia.
Executive Committee member Sandra Robinson and ODBA member Diana Gaston attended Election Protection
training, and Ms. Robinson has actively recruited attorneys for the Election Protection effort.
With a record number of newly registered voters in Virginia, Election Protection volunteers are still needed to assist
voters and voting officials on Election Day. Volunteers can still sign up for Election Protection participation and
training by visiting http://www.866ourvote.org/ .
VSB COUNCIL DINNER AND MEETING
ODBA President Beverly Burton attended the Virginia State Bar Council Dinner in Staunton at the Stonewall Jackson
Hotel and Conference Center on October 16, 2008. President Burton also attended the VSB Council meeting the next
day. The Council considered a number of items on a full agenda and voted to publish for comment a proposed rule
that would require certain lawyers to carry malpractice insurance and set minimum limits for such insurance. For full
details about the Council meeting, please visit http://www.vsb.org/docs/valawyermagazine/vl0708_nw-news.pdf
September 2008
SALES APPOINTED TO VSB PROFESSIONALISM PROGRAM FACULTY
Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leroy R. Hassell, Sr. appointed Richmond City Attorney Norman B. Sales, an
ODBA member, to serve on the faculty of the Virginia State Bar Professionalism Program. The Program, established
in 1998, administers the Virginia State Bar’s Harry L. Carrico Professionalism Course, which is mandatory for all newly
licensed Virginia lawyers, and provides training in professional conduct, ethics, and fundamental values of the legal
profession.
ODBA PRESIDENT APPOINTED TO RMA BOARD
On September 22, 2008 Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, with the approval of the Richmond City Council, appointed
President Beverly Burton to a four-year term on the Board of Directors of the Richmond Metropolitan Authority. The
RMA is an independent government authority devoted to building and operating a variety of primarily transportation-
related public facilities and to providing related public services in the Richmond metropolitan area.
CHILES ATTENDS WAR HERO’S MEMORIAL SERVICE
Executive Committee member Vinceretta Chiles attended a memorial service for highly decorated Tuskegee Airman
Lt. Col. Howard L. Baugh, USAF (Ret.), who passed away on August 23, 2008. Col. Baugh was the father of renowned
defense attorney David P. Baugh, Esq., who was recently named as capital defender for the Central Virginia Office of
the Indigent Defense Commission.
BROWN ASSISTING WITH ELECTION PROTECTION IN TIDEWATER
Executive Committee member and past ODBA President Leonard L. Brown, Jr. is helping to organize the Election
Protection effort in the Tidewater area. Election Protection is a project conducted by the nonpartisan Lawyers
Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and involves a coalition of groups dedicated to ensuring the right to vote.
ELECTION PROTECTION LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
President Beverly Burton and Executive Committee member Vinceretta Chiles attended the Election Protection
Leadership Institute at Arnold & Porter LLP in Washington, D.C. September 8-9, 2008. Sponsored by the Lawyers
Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the institute provided intensive training on voting rights to help prepare Election
Protection volunteers for addressing issues that may arise during the 2008 presidential election.
MILLETTE SWORN IN
President Beverly Burton and Executive Committee member Vinceretta Chiles attended the investiture ceremony for
LeRoy F. Millette, who was sworn in September 5, 2008 as a justice of the Virginia Supreme Court. Justice Millette
formerly served as a Circuit Court judge in Prince William County and as a judge of the Virginia Court of Appeals. He
succeeds Justice Steven Agee, who was recently appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth
Circuit. A number of dignitaries attended the ceremony, including Governor Timothy Kaine, who appointed Millette to
the Supreme Court bench, and Senator Henry Marsh, Chair of the Senate Courts of Justice Committee.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ATTEND ELECTION PROTECTION MEETING
On September 4, 2008 Executive Committee member Vinceretta T. Chiles and President Beverly Burton joined Carlean
Ponder, Esq. of Lawyers Committee For Civil Rights Under Law and other representatives of the Election Protection
Virginia coalition for a meeting with Deputy Attorney General William C. Mims and Nancy Rodrigues, Director of the
State Board of Elections, and members of their staffs to discuss issues related to preparation for the upcoming
presidential election.
August 2008
ODBA PRESIDENT TO SERVE AS GRTC GENERAL COUNSEL
Richmond City Attorney Norman B. Sales appointed Beverly Burton to succeed William Joe Hoppe, who passed away
in July 2008, as General Counsel for Greater Richmond Transit Company. GRTC named Ms. Burton, who conducted
and supervised GRTC litigation for many years, as its registered agent.
NEW JUDGE MARILYNN C. GOSS TO HEAD RICHMOND’S JDTC
Sworn in as a judge of the Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court in May 2008, Hon. Marilynn C.
Goss was named to head Richmond’s Juvenile Drug Treatment Court effective August 21, 2008. The JDTC involves
court-ordered, community-based case management and treatment for eligible non-violent juvenile offenders with a
documented history of substance abuse. Judge Goss is a former president of Old Dominion Bar Association
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.
ODBA PRESIDENT ATTENDS JUDICIAL CONFERENCE
President Beverly A. Burton attended the Mandatory District Court Judicial Conference as a guest of the Virginia
Supreme Court. The conference was held at the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach August 10-13, 2008.
July 2008
ODBA REPRESENTED AT NBA CONFERENCE
Vice-President Crystal Fisher and Executive Committee Member Pamela Boston attended the National Bar Association’
s 83rd Convention in Houston, Texas. At the Convention the NBA adopted a resolution honoring the many contributions
of Oliver Hill, a founder and former president of Old Dominion Bar Association. Ms. Boston is a Vice-President of the
National Bar Association.
PILOT TO SERVE ON VSB’S DIVERSITY TASK FORCE
ODBA Executive Committee member Todd Pilot has been appointed to serve on the Virginia State Bar’s Diversity Task
Force. Pilot will serve on a 15-member task force VSB President Manuel A. Capsalis formed to serve under the
leadership of Joseph A. Condo, a former VSB president, for the purpose of developing ways to encourage more
minority participation in the Virginia State Bar and in the legal profession.
HELIVI HOLLAND ATTENDS CONCLAVE
The Public Protection Task Force held its first Conclave on July 10, 2008, as a part of the Virginia State Bar Annual
Disciplinary Conference at the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel and Waterfront Conference Center in Portsmouth. The
Conclave included members of the Public Protection Task Force and several other standing committees and entities
of the Virginia State Bar. In October 2007 Bar Council rejected a Task Force proposal that the bar seek legislation to
require insurers to notify third-party claimants or judgment creditors of insurance settlement payments. The issue
resurfaced after an attorney’s theft of $3.7 million from client personal injury settlements became public knowledge.
Manuel A. Capsalis, President of the Virginia State Bar, has asked the Public Protection Task Force to continue to
“search for ways to best fulfill the core regulatory mission of the Bar, namely protection of the public.” The next task
force meeting will be in August or September.
ODBA PRESIDENT ATTENDS DEDICATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS MEMORIAL
A memorial on the grounds of the state capitol to recognize and celebrate Barbara Johns, her fellow students from
Robert Russa Moton High School in Prince Edward County, their parents, community leaders and civil rights attorneys
who risked everything in the struggle to gain full and equal rights for all was unveiled and dedicated in a ceremony at
the Capitol on July 21, 2008. President Beverly A. Burton attended the dedication ceremony. The memorial features
prominently statues of ODBA founder Oliver W. Hill and Spottswood Robinson, legal heroes of the civil rights
movement. Photos of the memorial are available at http://flickr.com/photos/civilrightsmemorial.
HELIVI HOLAND TO SERVE ON PANDEMIC FLU PREPAREDNESS PLANNING COMMITTEE
The Virginia Supreme Court is forming a planning committee to address measures to ensure the smooth operation of
Virginia’s legal system during a catastrophic flu outbreak. ODBA Executive Committee member and Treasurer Helivi
Holland will serve on this Supreme Court Committee.
June 2008
ODBA PRESIDENT ATTENDS VIRGINIA STATE BAR MEETING
President Beverly A. Burton attended the Virginia State Bar’s 2008 Annual Meeting at the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia
Beach, which was held June 19-21, 2008. Manuel A. Capsalis of Arlington was sworn in as President at the Annual
Meeting and expressed his commitment to pursuing diversity in his inaugural speech: “For our legal profession and
our judiciary to be properly responsive to the needs of society, we must be more reflective of the demographics of
society.”
ODBA PRESIDENT ATTENDS SUPREME COURT BAR LEADERS LUNCHEON
President Beverly A. Burton attended Chief Justice Leroy Hassell’s meeting with the leadership of statewide bar
associations at the Virginia Supreme Court on June 17, 2008. Of particular note was the concern that attorneys
appointed to represent indigent defendants in criminal cases were not taking advantage of statutory fee cap waivers.
Detailed information on statutory fee cap waivers, as well as the proper form to request the waivers, is available on
the Virginia Supreme Court’s website.
ODBA PRESIDENT MEETS WITH SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS BAR ASSOCIATION
While attending the Virginia State Bar Annual Meeting in Virginia Beach, President Beverly A. Burton arranged to meet
with members of the South Hampton Roads Bar Association in Norfolk on June 19, 2008. President Burton urged the
attendees to join the ODBA and to participate in bar activities. She particularly emphasized the need to form a local
committee in the Tidewater area to work with the Lawyers Committee For Civil Rights Under Law in its Election
Protection program to address voting irregularities in the area. ODBA is participating in the LCCRUL program as an
affiliate of the National Bar Association.
PILOT APPOINTED TO VSB DIVERSITY TASK FORCE
Executive Committee member Todd Pilot, Esq. has been appointed to serve on the Virginia State Bar's Diversity Task
Force. Attorney Pilot practices intellectual property law in Alexandria with the Trademark Institute.
ODBA PRESIDENT DISCUSSES VISION IN RICHMOND FREE PRESS
President Beverly A. Burton was recently spotlighted in the June 19-21, 2008 issue of the Richmond Free Press. She
was featured as the issue's "Personality" and spoke of the Old Dominion Bar Association's mission and activities.
Click here to read the Richmond Free Press article.
VINCERETTA CHILES APPOINTED TO VIRGINIA SUPREME COURT COMMITTEE
Old Dominion Bar Association Executive Committee member Vinceretta Chiles has been appointed to serve on the
Virginia Supreme Court's E-filing Advisory Committee. Attorney Chiles is in private practice in Richmond, Virginia.
HELIVI HOLLAND APPOINTED TO VSB PUBLIC PROTECTION TASK FORCE
Old Dominion Bar Association Treasurer, Helivi Holland has been appointed to serve on the Virginia State Bar’s Public
Protection Task Force, which will be studying the question of “payee notification”, that is, whether insurance
companies should be required to notify tort plaintiffs that settlement checks have been sent to their attorneys. The
issue surfaced because of recently discovered abuses by attorneys entrusted with settlement funds. A Public
Protection conclave will be held in Portsmouth on July 10, 2008 to consider the issue.
NOLAN DAWKINS SWORN IN
Alexandria Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Judge Nolan Dawkins was sworn in on June 12, 1008 as a
judge of the Alexandria Circuit Court. Judge Dawkins is the first African-American to sit on the Circuit Court bench in
Alexandria . He was not selected in 2004 for the then-vacant seat on the court when his nomination fell victim to
partisan squabbling in the Virginia General Assembly. Judge Dawkins is a long-time member of Old Dominion Bar
Association. Please visit this link for more information on Judge Dawkins and his investiture: http://www.
connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=316167&paper=59&cat=104
ODBA ENDORSES RULES OF PROFESSIONALISM
In 2006 the Virginia Bar Association established a blue-ribbon Commission on Professionalism chaired by legal ethics
authority, Thomas E. Spahn, a partner at McGuireWoods LLP in McLean. The Commission has developed a set of
aspirational principles of lawyer professionalism for submission to the Virginia Supreme Court. All statewide bar
associations and judges from each level of courts is represented on the Commission. Old Dominion Bar Association
has endorsed the Rules of Professionalism. Executive Committee member Reginald Barley is a member of the
Commission.
SENTENCING DISPARITY VICTORY
In a 7-2 ruling, the United States Supreme Court upheld the exercise of judicial discretion to give shorter prison
sentences for crack cocaine crimes in order to lessen the disparity with sentences for crimes involving powder
cocaine. The ruling came in Kimbrough v. United States. Kimbrough had pled guilty to a crack cocaine charge, and
federal sentencing guidelines called for a 19- to 22.5-year sentence. Judge Raymond Jackson instead imposed a 15-
year sentence, citing the case as “another example of how crack-cocaine guidelines are driving the offense level to a
point higher than is necessary to do justice.” After initially being reversed by the United States Court of Appeals for
the Fourth Circuit, the sentence Judge Jackson imposed was upheld as appropriate. Judge Jackson is a judge of the
United States District Court’s Norfolk Division and a former Old Dominion Bar Association President. He received the L.
Douglas Wilder Vanguard Award at the 2008 Annual Meeting in recognition of his contribution to the quest for equal
justice.
To read a CNN news article about Judge Jackson and the case, click here.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/12/10/scotus.crack.cocaine
To read more about the Kimbrough case, click here.
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=000&invol=06-6330
May 2008
ODBA HOSTED 68th ANNUAL MEETING AT THE SHERATON HOTEL WEST IN RICHMOND
The Old Dominion Bar Association hosted its 68th Annual Meeting at the Sheraton Hotel West in Richmond May 29
through June 1, 2008. The meeting began Thursday evening with a well-attended wine and cheese reception honoring
government attorneys at the Black History and Cultural Center in historic Jackson Ward. The Honorable L. Douglas
Wilder, Mayor of the City of Richmond, was the President’s Luncheon speaker on Friday, and Hon. James W. Benton,
recently retired judge of the Virginia Court of Appeals, addressed conference participants at the Judicial Luncheon on
Saturday. Following the luncheon, judges in attendance donned their robes for a group picture. During the luncheon
Judge Benton was presented with a plaque and will receive a framed copy of the group photograph, as well.
President of the American Judges Association, Hon. Eileen A. Olds, a judge of the Chesapeake Juvenile and Domestic
Relations District Court, was the Annual Banquet speaker Saturday evening. Members and guests were treated to live
jazz at the pre-banquet reception and during the Annual Banquet. Dais guests included Senator Henry L. Marsh and
Senator Yvonne Miller, both of whom received the Harold Marsh Sr. Community Service Award, which recognized their
leadership and legislative initiatives to improve the legal system.
Retired Judge Gammiel Poindexter received the Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her
outstanding service to the bench, bar and public. Federal judge Raymond Jackson received the L. Douglas Wilder
Vanguard Award as did Chidi James, Esq. Judge Jackson’s award recognized his outstanding achievement in
exercising judicial discretion when applying federal sentencing guidelines in crack cocaine cases, which was recently
upheld by the United States Supreme Court. Attorney James’ award recognized his outstanding leadership as a
member and officer of Northern Virginia Black Attorneys Association. Leonard L. Brown, Jr. received the ODBA
Member of the Year Award in recognition of his substantial contributions and personal sacrifice as a former President
and Executive Committee member, and outgoing President S. Howard Woodson III received the Association’s
Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his devoted and dedicated service as President.
For relaxation and fun, conference participants were treated to complimentary hot stone massages and were given
the opportunity to compete in two competitive events. The Bid Whist Tournament winning team was Bobby Stafford
and Gammiel Poindexter. Members of the winning Golf Tournament foursome were Joyce Newsome, Judge Angela
Roberts, Vincent Robertson, and Mario Reynolds.
The conference ended with a Sunday Brunch and inspirational words from speaker Barbara Arnwine, Executive
Director of Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, who spoke passionately of the need for continued
involvement with voting rights issues.
To view photos of the event, click here.
MARJORIE ARRINGTON SWORN IN
Former Norfolk Deputy Commonwealth ’s Attorney Marjorie Arrington was sworn in as a judge of the Chesapeake
Circuit Court on May 9, 2008. Judge Arrington succeeds Bernard Goodwyn who was recently elevated to serve as a
justice of the Virginia Supreme Court.
MARILYNN GOSS SWORN IN
Former Old Dominion Bar Association President and Executive Committee member Marilynn Goss Thornton was
sworn in as a judge of the Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court on May 16, 2008. Judge Goss was
urrounded by family and friends as Richmond Chief Circuit Court Judge Pete Stout administered the oath of office.
Prior to her appointment, Judge Goss was managing attorney of Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc.
April 2008
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPOINTS THREE AFRICAN-AMERICANS TO JUDGESHIPS
On Wednesday April 23, 2008, the General Assembly appointed three African-Americans to judgeships. With his
elevation to the Alexandria Circuit Court bench, Nolan D. Dawkins, Chief Judge of the Alexandria Juvenile and
Domestic Relations Court, became the first African American to serve on the Alexandria Circuit Court. Judge
Dawkins, a native of Alexandria, served on the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court for fourteen years and is a long
time member of Old Dominion Bar Association. Richmond attorney Marilynn C. Goss, Managing Attorney at Central
Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc. and a substitute judge, was appointed to serve on the Richmond Juvenile and Domestic
Relations Court. A graduate of the T. C. Williams School of Law in Richmond, Judge Goss practiced the full range of
poverty law for twenty-five years. She is a long time member and former president of Old Dominion Bar Association.
Marjorie A. Arrington, Norfolk Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney since 2001, was appointed to serve on the
Chesapeake Circuit Court. Judge Arrington, a graduate of the Walter F. George School of Law in Macon, Georgia,
began her legal career as an attorney for Tidewater Legal Aid Society. Before joining the Norfolk Commonwealth’s
Attorney Office, she was a prosecutor in Portsmouth and Suffolk.
Judge John W. Scott, Jr., 59, died unexpectedly on April 16, 2008, as he was leaving Johns Hopkins Hospital after eye
surgery. A Circuit Court judge since 1989, Judge Scott sat primarily in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He became the first
African-American judge in the area when he was appointed to the Stafford County General District Court Bench. He
was a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law and worked for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund before
joining Hill, Tucker & Marsh, the Richmond law firm renowned for its civil rights work. Judge Scott, a long-time
member of the Old Dominion Bar Association, is survived by his wife, Alda White, Esq., and three sons. A memorial
service wasl held for Judge Scott on Saturday, April 26, 2008 at James Monroe High School in Fredericksburg,
Virginia. Judge Scott is a former President of the Old Dominion Bar Association.
March 2008
David Baugh Appointed as Capital Defender
On March 1, 2008 renowned defense attorney David P. Baugh, Esq. replaced John B. Boatright III as the capital
defender for the Central Virginia office of the Indigent Defense Commission. Baugh, a former Assistant United States
Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas and the Eastern District of Virginia, received the Virginia State Bar’s Lewis F.
Powell Jr. Pro Bono Award in 2006. The American Bar Association named him “Human Rights Hero” in 2006, as well.
During his career Baugh has represented unpopular defendants, including a terrorist and a Ku Klux Klan member.
Attorney Baugh is a member of the Old Dominion Bar Association.
January 2008
Old Dominion Bar Association Winter Meeting Held at T. C. Williams School of Law
On January 26, 2008, The Old Dominion Bar Association held its Winter Meeting at the University of Richmond’s T.C.
Williams School of Law. Presenters were Charlotte Peoples Hodges, Esq., former Assistant Bar Counsel with the
Virginia State Bar; Henry McLaughlin Esq., Executive Director of Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc., and Charles
Lewis, Esq., a former federal public defender, of HicksTymas LLC. The guest speaker was criminal defense attorney
David P. Baugh, Esq., who spoke of the Constitution and challenged his listeners to consider whether they were
Americans or African-Americans. The attendees enjoyed refreshments at a reception following the meeting.
Retired Judge James Madison Walton, Sr. Dies
James M. Walton, a retired judge, passed away on January 15, 2008. He was 81 years-old. A funeral service was held
on January 22, 2008 at The Historic First Baptist Church in Norfolk, Virginia. Judge Walker retired from the Cook
County, Illinois bench in 1986. After relocating to Virginia, he established a law practice in Chesapeake, Virginia, and
was a supporter and member of the Old Dominion Bar Association. He is survived by his wife, Jean B. Walton and four
children.
Old Dominion Bar Association Held Annual Winter Meeting
On January 26, 2008, The Old Dominion Bar Association held its 2008 Winter Meeting at the T.C. Williams
School of Law at the University of Richmond. Presenters included Charlotte Peoples Hodges, Esq., former Assistant
Bar Counsel with the Virginia State Bar; Henry McLaughlin Esq., Executive Director of Central Virginia Legal Aid
Society, Inc., and Charles Lewis, Esq., Counsel, HicksTymas LLC and former Federal Public Defender. This year's
guest speaker will be David P. Baugh, Esq., former Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia
and the Eastern District of Texas. Mr. Baugh is the 2006 Recipient of the VSB Lewis F. Powell Jr. Pro Bono Award and
was named a “Human rights Hero” by the American Bar Association. To register, please download the following form:
UPCOMING EVENTS
2010 Winter Meeting - Tidewater
2010 Annual Meeting - Tidewater