2012

2012 Annual Meeting - Northern Virginia

February 2012 - HOLLAND NAMED SUFFOLK CITY ATTORNEY

The Suffolk City Council has appointed Helivi L. Holland as City Attorney, effective March 16, 2012.  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 as the Director for Juvenile Justice for the State of Virginia.  She previously was an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Suffolk.   A graduate of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, she received her law degree from the College of William & Mary.

2010

May 2010 - 70TH ANNUAL MEETING IN VIRGINIA BEACH
Old Dominion Bar Association held its 70th Annual Meeting at the Sheraton Oceanfront Hotel in Virginia Beach May 20-23, 2010, where judges and lawyers from Virginia and surrounding areas gathered for four days of fellowship, luncheons, meetings, and workshops. Friday’s activities included continuing legal education seminars and the President’s Luncheon.  Professor W. Sherman Rogers of Howard University School of Law was the keynote speaker.  Outgoing President Beverly A. Burton presented the President’s Award of Merit to outgoing Treasurer, Helivi Holland in recognition of and appreciation for the excellent manner in which Ms. Holland acquitted herself during her two-term tenure as the organization’s Treasurer.  Later that evening, members and their guests  enjoyed a relaxing evening on Virginia’s Jewel Yacht Dinner 
Cruise. The traditional Judicial Luncheon was held after Saturday morning’s continuing legal education seminars.  The keynote speaker, Hon. Robert J. Humphreys, a judge on the Virginia Court of Appeals, spoke of the need for diversity on the bench and in the legal profession generally.  

New officers and executive committee members were elected during Saturday’s business meeting.  The officers are  President, Robert A. Williams, Esq., President-Elect, Vinceretta T. Chiles., Esq., Vice-President, Leonard L. Brown, Jr., Esq., Secretary, Doris Causey, Esq., and Tabrica Rentz, Esq.  Beverly A. Burton, Esq. is Immediate Past President.  Executive Committee members are:  Helivi Holland, Esq., S. Howard Woodson, Esq., Clarence Brooks, Esq., David Lassiter, Jr., Esq. Rondell Herman, Esq.,  Jennifer Williams, Esq., Chidi James, Esq., Johnda Scott, Esq., Inga Watkins, Esq., Pamela Boston, Esq., and Reginald Barley, Esq.

Prominent trial lawyer, philanthropist and motivational speaker Willie E. Gary, Esq. was the keynote speaker for the concluding banquet Saturday evening.   Gary urged the attendees to use their powerful positions to benefit the community and charged them to "reach back and give back." "We are in a unique position to help bring about the change that can help this great nation become a greater nation," he said. “The room was filled with excitement tonight and it was very clear that Mr. Gary left these lawyers, judges and leaders with much to contemplate,” said 
Congressman Bobby Scott, who represents the 3rd District of Virginia.

One of three guests of honor receiving awards, Gary was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing his humanitarianism, philanthropy, and distinguished career as a trial lawyer. Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court, Hon. Leroy R. Hassell, Sr., received a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his service on the bench, contributions to the community, and many efforts on behalf of the bench, bar, and public to improve the quality of legal services in the commonwealth. Clarence M. Dunnaville, Jr., Esq. received the Harold Marsh, Sr. Community Service Award that acknowledged his legal scholarship, leadership in civil rights, and many contributions to the community.  

Attendees at Sunday morning’s business meeting adjourned to join their guests and families for leisurely fellowship during the Sunday Send-Off brunch.

ODBA TREASURER IS NEW DIRECTOR OF JUVENILE JUSTICE
Governor Bob McDonnel has appointed ODBA treasurer Helivi Holland, Esq. Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice.  Ms. Holland is a native of Suffolk, Virginia, and a graduate of Virginia Tech.  She received her law degree from  the College of William Mary Marshall-Wythe School of Law. Ms. Holland has served as a senior prosecutor, an adjunct professor, a deputy city attorney and as a guardian ad litem, and has served four years as treasurer of ODBA.  Her 
appointment was effective May 1, 2010.

ODBA AT THE JUDICIAL CONFERENCE
The Judicial Conference of Virginia for Circuit Judges convened in Norfolk  May 10-12, 2010, with 175 judges in attendance.  ODBA member Hon. Wilford Taylor, Hampton Circuit Court, provided a well-received update on Virginia Supreme Court cases.  ODBA President Beverly Burton attended as a guest of the Conference.  Executive Committee members Leonard L. Brown, Jr., Esq., Vinceretta T. Chiles, Esq., Pamela F. Boston, Esq., and S. Howard Woodson, Esq. also attended the conference, at which Judge Taylor was honored for 25 years of service on the bench.

INFLUENTIAL WOMEN OF COLOR
Virginia Lawyers Weekly recently introduced its 2010 Class of Influential Women of Virginia.  The awards recognize the outstanding efforts of women in law, business, health care, education and the arts and are present to those making notable contributions to their professions, their communities and society.  African-American honorees were Hon. Cleo E. Powell, a judge of the Virginia Court of Appeals, Hon. Birdie H. Jamison, a judge of the Richmond General District Court, Misti Mukherjee, Esq. an attorney with Jackson Lewis LLP in Reston, Virginia, Cressondra B. Conyers, Esq., Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney in Williamsburg/James City County, and Michelle Clayton, M.D., medical director of the Pediatric Forensic Nurse Examiner program at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk.  The honorees will be feted at a luncheon in Richmond on May 20, 2010.

CHIEF JUSTICE WILL STEP DOWN
Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leroy Rountree Hassell, Sr. announced on May 11, 2010, that he will step down as head of the court, but will contine serving as a justice.  Justice Hassell has served as Chief Justice since February 2003, when he was the first person to be selected by a majority of the sitting justices to serve in that capacity.  Prior to his selection, the Chief Justice was determined by seniority.  Justice Hassell is Virginia’s first African-American Chief 
Justice and the second African-American to serve on the Court.  

MALVEAUX APPOINTMENT
In March 2010 Governor Bob McDonnell appointed Courtney Malveaux, Esq. to head the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry.  Malveaux served as an Assistant Attorney General at the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia, where he enforced state and federal consumer protection laws.  He also represented the Office of the Attorney General on the Freedom of Information Advisory Council

APRIL 2010 - ODBA PRESIDENT ATTENDS VLF AWARDS CEREMONY
President Beverly Burton attend the Virginia Law Foundation’s Rule of Law and legacy of Neuremberg Award Ceremony at the Holocaust Museum in Richmond on April 30, 2010.  Senior U. S. District Court Judge Richard L. Williams  received the Legacy of Neurembert Award, and Judge Ilana Rovner  of the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit was presented the Rule of Law Award.  President Burton is a Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation.

ODBA VETS JUDICIAL CANDIDATES
Members of ODBA’s Judicial Selection Committee participated in the evaluation of candidates to fill federal judicial vacancies in the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia.  Virginia’s state-wide bar associations interviewed candidates at the offices of the Virginia State Bar on April 19, 2010.  Committee members participating in the evaluation process were Leonard L. Brown, Jr., Esq., S. Howard Woodson, Esq., Robert A. Williams, Esq., Carolyn C. Eaglin, Esq., and ODBA President Beverly A. Burton, Esq.


MARCH 2010 - ODBA PRESIDENT MEETS WITH LEAD VIRGINIA

 President Beverly Burton met with officials of Lead Virginia, a nonprofit 
and nonpartisan organization dedicated to educating leaders in the community about regional differences and how these differences impact the lives of all Virginians.  Lead Virginia, a state-wide leadership program, came into existence in 2005 as a result of a call to action by former Governor Mark Warner and is actively recruiting women and minorities for participation in its seven-month program.  More information about Lead Virginia is available on the organization’s web site at http://www.leadvirginia.org.  Please email BABurton@aol.com if you are interested in 
becoming a participant.  

FEBRUARY 2010 - BAR COUNCIL MEETING 

The Virginia State Bar Council met in Richmond at the Omni Hotel on February 27, 2010.  Bar 
Council President Irving M. Blank stated that the VSB is financially healthy, and dues will not increase.  Michael L. Davis, chair of the MCLE Board reported that the Board had amended its regulations to limit hours attorneys may earn from pre-recorded CLE programs to eight per year.  Proposed amendments to trust account rules were returned to the Standing Committee on Legal Ethics for reconsideration. ODBA President Beverly Burton attended the meeting and the Bar Council Dinner at the Holocaust Museum on February 26.   For a full report of the Bar Council meeting, please go to:  http://www.vsb.org/site/news/item/highlights-feb2010-council.    

JANUARY 2010 - YOUNG LAWYERS CONFERENCE DINNER 

The Young Lawyers Conference of the Virginia State Bar held its annual bench-
bar dinner in honor of newly appointed and elevated minority and female members of the Virginia judiciary on January 25, 2010 in Richmond.  Hon. Barbara Milano Keenan, a justice of the Virginia Supreme Court and the keynote speaker, noted in her remarks that “courts should look like the people they serve”.   The honorees were Hon. Rossie D. Alston, Jr., Hon. Michelle J. Atkins, Hon. Joel C. Cunningham, Hon. Harriet D. Dorsey, Hon. Pamela O. Evans, Hon. Mary Jane Hall, Hon. Tonya Henderson-Stith, Hon. Bonnie L. Jones, Hon. Kenneth R. Melvin, Hon. Deborah S. Roe, and Hon. Amy B. Tisinger.  ODBA President Beverly Burton attended the dinner.

WINTER MEETING

ODBA held its Winter Meeting at the T.C. Williams School of Law in Richmond on January 23, 2010.  Participants were treated to excellent continuing legal education presentations on constitutional law, Medicare set-aside law for personal injury attorneys, and avoiding problems in appellate practice.  The presenters were David P. Baugh, Esq.,  Kari Lou Frank, Esq., and Elwood “Sandy” Saunders, Jr., Esq.  Following remarks by luncheon speaker Robert J. Grey, Jr., Esq. was a roundtable discussion on diversity.  The day’s activities concluded with a relaxing reception.

CHIEF DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL NAMED

Charles E. James, Jr. became Virginia’s Chief Deputy Attorney General on January 19, 2010.  A litigation partner in the Williams Mullen law firm immediately prior to his appointment, Mr. James will oversee the day to day operation of the five divisions of the Office of the Attorney General.  In addition, he served as a prosecutor in the U. S. Attorney’s Office 
for the Eastern District of Virginia and in the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division in Washington, D.C.  Mr. James is listed in Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Stars magazine. Virginia Business magazine has listed him as one of the “Legal Elite”.

DECEMBER 2009 - FORMER ODBA VP DIES 

Edward Delk passed away December 31, 2009, at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center.  Mr. 
Delk, a graduate of  Howard University School of Law, had a private law practice in Norfolk until 1987.  He was also a real estate consultant and developer and had an extensive community service record that included a stint as executive director of the Urban Coalition of Norfolk.  He also served as Chairman of the Norfolk Public School System’s Community Oversight Committee, which was charged with the responsibility of preventing racial discrimination in the allocation of human and physical resources of the school system.  He is survived by his wife, Shirley C. Delk, and two sons.  Mr. Delk was a former Vice President of Old Dominion Bar Association.

FORMER ODBA PRESIDENT DIES
Past president Philip S. Walker died on December 6, 2009.  A funeral service was held on December 11, 2009, at Carver Memorial Presbyterian Church in Newport News.  Mr. Walker was a graduate of Virginia Union University and earned his law degree from Howard University.  He was an NAACP attorney and argued desegregation cases in the 1950's, one of which led to the desegregation of Norfolk public schools. Mr. Walker was president of ODBA from 1964-
1966. Click here for complete obituary.

SALES TO BE GOOCHLAND COUNTY ATTORNEY
Richmond City Attorney Norman B. Sales, who recently announced his retirement for personal reasons,  will become Goochland County Attorney effective January 18, 2010.  Sales is a graduate of Old Dominion University and earned his law degree from the Marshall Wythe School of Law at William & Mary.  He served as Richmond’s City Attorney for four years.

HENDERSON-STITH APPOINTED TO HAMPTON BENCH
Tonya Henderson-Stith was appointed to serve on the Hampton General District Court in June 2009.  She filled one of two vacancies in the Hampton General District Court where Judge Bonnie Jones served prior to her elevation to the Hampton Circuit Court.  Judge Henderson-Stith, formerly an attorney with the law firm of McDermott, Roe & Walter, is a 1990 University of Virginia graduate and earned her law degree from the University of Baltimore in 1994.

PHAM APPOINTED TO ADVISORY BOARD
ODBA member Tony Pham has been appointed by Governor Timothy Kaine to serve on the Virginia Asian Advisory Board.  The Board advises the Governor on issues affecting the Asian Community.

PHAM IS PRESIDENT OF APABA-VA 

ODBA member Tony Pham assumed the presidency of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Virginia November 1, 2009.  Pham, an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Richmond, was formerly a prosecutor in the Richmond Commonwealth Attorney’s Office.  APABA-VA is a state-wide bar association and an affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.  Pham is a graduate of the University of Richmond’s T.C. Williams School of Law and will serve a one-year term as APABA-VA’s president.

JAMES WINS HOUSE OF DELEGATES SEAT

Matthew James won the 80th district seat in the House of Delegates in the election on November 3, 2009.  The seat was left vacant when Kenneth Melvin, who held the seat for 24 years, was appointed to serve as a judge of the Circuit Court for the City of Portsmouth.  Delegate James is married to ODBA member Karen James, an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Suffolk.

ODBA PARTICIPATES IN ELECTION PROTECTION AGAIN 

Several ODBA Executive Committee members participated in the Election Protection project during the November 3, 2009 election.  Prior to the election, these members participated in preparatory conferences with organizers of the effort, as well as in the recruiting and training of volunteers.  Beverly Burton and Vinceretta Chiles worked on in the Richmond Command Center on Election Day.  Leonard Brown represented ODBA in the Tidewater area and Howard Woodson in northern Virginia.  Election Protection is a nationwide non-partisan and continuing project of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.  ODBA began its participation last year at the urging of the National Bar Association, of which ODBA is an affiliate.  This was ODBA’s second year of participation in this effort to ensure that all who are entitled to vote get to exercise that 
right.

2009

OCTOBER 2009 - Virginia Lawyers Weekly feted its 2009 Leaders in the Law at a reception on October 22, 2009.  The reception was held at the historic Bolling-Haxall House in Richmond.  ODBA President Beverly Burton was one of 28 honorees recognized for their contributions to the community and to the legal profession. She was specifically recognized for her efforts  in connection with the non-partisan Election Protection effort during the 2008 presidential election. 
Richmond attorney Henry McLaughlin, honored for his many years of service to legal aid, was selected “Leader of the Year”.

PHAM IS IN RICHMOND’S TOP 40 UNDER 40
In this year’s canvassing for its Top 40 Under 40,  Style Weekly, Richmond’s premier  cultural watchdog publication, tapped ODBA member Tony Pham as one of 2009’s shining stars.  Pham’s selection recognizes  his leadership and community service.  A recipient of ODBA’s 2009 Presidential Award of Merit, Pham is a graduate of the T.C. Williams School of Law in Richmond.  Formerly a Richmond prosecutor, Pham is currently an Assistant City Attorney in the Richmond City Attorney’s Office.

ODBA EVALUATES SUPREME COURT CANDIDATES
ODBA’s Judicial Selection Committee convened on October 12, 2009, in Richmond, along with other statewide bar associations, to participate in the vetting of candidates for the Virginia Supreme Court seat held by Justice Barbara Keenan.  President Barack Obama recently appointed Keenan to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

AUGUST 2009 - ODBA President Honored
Virginia Lawyers Weekly announced that ODBA President Beverly Burton was selected as a member of  the Class of 2009 in its “Leaders in the Law” program. The project recognizes lawyers who set the standard for other lawyers – by changing practice, serving the community, changing the law or improving Virginia’s justice system. The honorees will be feted at a reception Oct. 22, 2009 at the Bolling-Haxall House in downtown Richmond.

ODBA PRESIDENT  AND SECRETARY ATTEND JUDICIAL CONFERENCE
President Beverly Burton and Secretary Regina Turner Sykes attended the Judicial Conference of Virginia for District Court Judges August 9-11, 2009, at the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach.  Hon. Leroy Rountree Hassell, Sr., Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court, opened the conference with remarks on the State of the Judiciary.  The substantive presentations included an update on Virginia civil statutory and case law, evidence, juvenile court case law, and a mental health law update, among others.  President Burton also attended the Virginia Association of Women Judges breakfast Tuesday morning at the invitation of the association’s president, Judge Roxy Holder.

ODBA PRESIDENT ATTENDS NBA CONVENTION
President Beverly Burton attended the National Bar Association’s 84th Annual Convention & Exhibits in San Diego, California.  The convention was held at the  San Diego Hilton Bayfront Hotel August 1 – 9, 2009 and  opened with Gala Night’s live performance by singing group En Vogue.  The Convention offered a plethora of continuing legal education seminars and also included The Presidential Showcase Seminar, which provided a panel discussion among national 
leaders on changing domestic and global dynamics after President Obama’s election and the role of African American lawyers in the future.  Elections for officers were held on Tuesday, and President Burton attended the NBA Affiliate chapter Presidents’ and President-Elect’s dinner Wednesday evening.  The Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major for Justice advocacy competition, which involved high school students competing for scholarships, was held on Thursday evening.  New officers, including President Mavis T. Thompson, were sworn in during Friday’s annual banquet.

JULY 2009 - CUNNINGHAM INVESTITURE
The investiture ceremony for Hon. Joel Cunningham was held on July 29, 2009.  The former General District Court Judge was sworn in as a Circuit Court Judge and is the first African American circuit judge in the Tenth Judicial Circuit.  Before his elevation to the bench,  Judge Cunningham, a graduate of Virginia State University and the University of Virginia School of Law, was the managing attorney for Virginia Legal Aid Society for a number of years and thereafter engaged in private practice.  The ceremony was attended by a host of family, friends, judges, and members of the bar.   In congratulating Judge Cunningham during the ceremony, Old Dominion Bar Association Vice-President Robert A. Williams, said, “We celebrate here today another movement forward by this Commonwealth and America toward the true promise that no matter the origin of one’s birth or the color of one’s skin, one can rise to the heights of accomplishment.”

JUNE 2009 - PHAM ON THIRD DISTRICT DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE
ODBA member Tony Pham has been selected to serve on the Virginia State Bar’s Third District disciplinary committee, which addresses lawyer disciplinary matters arising in Henrico County and the City of Richmond.  Pham, formerly a prosecutor in the Richmond, is an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Richmond.

GOODE HONORED BY VSB
ODBA member Freddie L. Goode, Senior Managing Attorney at Central Virginia Legal Aid Society in Richmond, received the Virginia State Bar’s Legal Aid Award on June 19, 2009, at the VSB’s Annual Meeting.  The award, presented by the Special Committee on Access to Legal Service, recognizes a Legal Aid attorney’s advocacy skills, high quality of services, and impact beyond the attorney’s service area.  In addition to his managerial duties in Richmond, Petersburg and Charlottesville Legal Aid offices, Goode handles a very large caseload and supervises numerous volunteers.  Goode earned his law degree from the University of Florida and has worked with Legal Aid since 1988.

JUDGE GOSS HONORED BY VSB
The VSB’s Tradition of Excellence Award was presented to Hon. Marilynn C. Goss, a judge of the Richmond Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court on June 20, 2009 at the VSB Annual Meeting.  The award was presented the VSB General Practice Section and recognizes an attorney who represents the highest tradition of personal and professional excellence and who has benefitted a community and enhanced the esteem of general practice attorneys 
in Virginia.  The award recognizes Judge Goss’ twenty-five plus years of service representing indigents as an attorney with the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society.  Judge Goss, a University of Richmond Law School graduate, also served as Managing Attorney of Legal Aid Justice Center and later returned to Central Virginia Legal Aid Society as a senior managing attorney.  She received the VST Legal Aid Award in 2000 and is a former president of Old Dominion Bar Association.

VSB  APPROVES DIVERSITY CONFERENCE
The Virginia State Bar Council voted to establish a Diversity  Conference to  “promote diversity in the profession and the practice of law” at its meeting on June 18, 2009.  The Council also voted to give the chair of the Diversity Conference a seat on the Council, and also voted to not give the chair a seat on the VSB Executive Committee.  As approved, the Conference will be privately funded through a nonprofit organization, and no bar dues will be used to pay for the Conference’s operations or programs.  The next step is for the Supreme Court of Virginia to approve the Conference.  President Beverly Burton attended the VSB Annual Meeting and was present when the Council approved creation of the Conference.

FORMER VABWA PRESIDENT DIES
Brenda Friend Briggs, Esq., former President of Virginia Association of Black Women Attorneys died on June 10, 2009.  A funeral was held   on June 17, 2009 at First Baptist Church, Centralia, in Richmond, and she was buried in the Friend Family Cemetery.  She is survived by her husband, Kenneth A. Gary, her daughter, Nicole Briggs-Gary, her mother, Louise Friend, and her brother, James B. Friend, Jr.  Ms. Briggs received her law degree from T. C. Williams School of Law in Richmond.

CARLA GREGORY BURIED
Carla Lewis Gregory, organizer of ODBA’s Spouse Auxiliary, passed away on June 6, 2009 and was buried in South Hill Virginia on June 12, 2009.  A celebration of her life was held on June 11, 2009 at St. Paul’s Baptist Church in Richmond.  She is survived by her husband, Hon. Roger L. Gregory, her mother, Eura H. Lewis, and three daughters, Adriene Gregory Carter, Rachel Gregory and Christina Gregory.

MAY 2009 - ODBA's 2009 ANNUAL MEETING
Old Dominion Bar Association held its Annual Meeting at the luxurious Gaylord National Resort in Oxon Hill, Maryland May 28-31, 2009.  “Celebrating Justice Through Creative Advocacy” was the theme of this year's Annual Meeting. The continuing legal education seminars began Friday morning with “Best Practices: A View from the Bench” presented by a three-judge panel  that included Hon. S. Bernard Goodwyn of the Virginia Supreme Court, Hon. Nolan B. Dawkins of Alexandria Circuit Court, and Hon. Marilynn C. Goss, Richmond J & D Court.  Following the session, Virginia State Bar President Manuel  Capsalis spoke about the need for diversity in the bar and the VSB’s diversity initiative.  Hon. Margaret P. Spencer of Richmond Circuit Court, Charles Simpson, Jr., of Accident Analysis & Reconstruction, and Jeffrey Taylor of CrossPlatform Design gave individual presentations on “Computer Generated Evidence”, and their panel was followed by Thomas A. Elliot, Esq. and Fabienne Chatain, Esq., both with Elliot & Maycock, LLP, who spoke 
on “Immigration Consequences of Criminal Convictions”.  Congressman Bobby Scott was the keynote speaker at Friday’s President’s Luncheon, during which President Beverly Burton presented several members with the President’s Award of Merit for their participation in the Election Protection effort, which was  ODBA’s community service project last year.  Only ODBA members are eligible for this award, and recipients were:  Leonard L. Brown, Jr., Vinceretta Chiles, Tony Pham, Diana Gaston, W. T. Mason, Robert Hagans, Sandra Robinson, Regina Turner, and Howard Woodson.  Unfortunately, the much anticipated golf tournament was the victim of inclement weather.The Northern Virginia Black Attorneys Association, the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Virginia sponsored a lovely Friday evening reception at McCormick & Schmick Restaurant, where Tony Knotts, a member of the Prince George’s County Council, presented ODBA with a Proclamation welcoming its members to the County and recognizing ODBA’s  many contributions.  Following the reception, members joined President Burton in the hospitality suite for conversation and occasionally noisy games of 
bid whist. Saturday morning’s CLE offerings included a session on “Effective Jury Selection & Communications” presented by Hon. William T. Newman, Jr. of Arlington County Circuit Court, Senator  A. Donald McEachin, and Maura burke Weiner of JuryMatters.  Senator McEachin, along with Del. Charniele Herring, provided a legislative update, followed by “Objections! Evidence in Action”, which was presented by Hon. Gerald Bruce Lee, U. S. District Court, Hon. Stanley P. Klein of Fairfax County Circuit Court, and Prof. Cynthia E. Jones of American University’s Washington College of Law. Thomas G. Spahn, Esq. of McGuireWoods rounded out the morning sessions with a presentation on “The Ethics of Email”.  Hon. Rossie D. Alston, Jr., recently appointed to serve on the Virginia Court of Appeals, was the Judicial Luncheon keynote speaker on Saturday. At the pre-banquet reception, members and guests were entertained by the Marcus Williams Trio, a jazz ensemble that also provided the musical backdrop for the Annual Banquet.   The banquet  program began in earnest with the attendees singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing”.  Hon. Roger Gregory, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, introduced those being honored as courageous advocates for justice:  David Baugh, Esq., Elaine Jones, Esq., L. Douglas Wilder, Esq., and William Moffitt, Esq.  Highlights of each honoree’s career were presented in impressive video montages. Mr. Moffitt was honored in memoriam for his stellar career as a criminal defense attorney.  Following the montage on her late husband’s achievements Edna Moffitt, Esq. came onstage to acknowledge the tribute, and later in the program President Burton presented Mr. Moffitt’s daughter with a plaque commemorating the honor.  President Burton presented David Baugh, Esq. Capital Defender for the central region of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission, with ODBA’s Harold Marsh Sr., Community Service Award.  Hon. L. Douglas Wilder, the first African-American governor in the country, received ODBA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his many achievements over the years, the most recent being the first popularly elected Mayor of the City of Richmond.  Mr. Wilder joined President Burton in presenting the L. Douglas Wilder Vanguard Award, ODBA’s highest honor, to Elaine R. Jones, Esq. President and Director-Counsel Emeritus of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.,   in recognition of her unwavering dedication as a civil rights advocate.   Following Ms. Jones’ inspirational remarks, the banquet program concluded with  President Burton thanking the honorees for leaving their inspirational footprints and challenging the attendees to follow them and leave footprints of their own. After Sunday morning’s business meeting, ODBA members, friends and family  gathered  at Ben Brenman Park in Alexandria for a picnic before heading home.Conference attendees were very pleased with all aspects of the conference, and the  2009 Annual Meeting Planning Committee members were:  Co-Chairs Lorrie Sinclair and Todd Pilot,  Hon. Gerald Bruce Lee, Hon. Ivan Davis, Hon. Nolan Dawkins, Malik Drake, Esq., S. Howard Woodson, Esq., Juanita Ferguson, Esq., Melinda VanLowe, Esq., Carla Brown, Esq., Crystal A. G. Fisher, Esq., Alfred Carr, Esq., Sonya Sacks, Esq., Carolyn C. Eaglin, Esq., Chidi James, Esq., Marcia Thompson, Esq., Marcia Wright, Esq., Morris Parker, Esq., and Kenya Gregory, Esq.

CAUSEY ELECTED TO BAR COUNCIL
ODBA member Doris Henderson Causey was elected to one of five seats allotted to the Thirteenth Judicial District on the Council of the Virginia State Bar In May 2009. Attorney Causey, formerly in private practice, is currently a staff attorney at Central Virginia Legal Aid Society.  Causey will begin serving her term as a Bar Council member on July 1.

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.

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.

2008

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.  

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, visit
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/12/10/scotus.crack.cocaine.  To read more about the  Kimbrough case, visit 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 surrounded 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 was  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. WilliamsSchool 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.