2010 commission on professionalism

This action is a key step in a continuing effort by the VBA, led by Immediate Past President William R. Van Buren III of Norfolk, to enlist support from the Virginia judiciary and members of the bar for the creation of a set of aspirational principles of lawyer professionalism.

The Commission has been charged with developing proposed principles of professionalism to be submitted to the Supreme Court of Virginia for consideration. If approved by the Supreme Court, the principles would be expected to serve as a teaching tool for law students and new attorneys, a guide and reference for practicing lawyers and as a public statement of the importance Virginia lawyers attach to professional integrity and civility. More than a dozen states have adopted similar principles with reported beneficial effects for the legal profession and the public in those jurisdictions.

Members of the Commission, listed below, represent the diversity of the legal profession in Virginia, including representatives of the judiciary, statewide bar organizations, educational institutions and law firms of varying sizes from multiple geographical regions of the Commonwealth.

Hon. Gerald L. Baliles
Miller Center of Public Affairs
P.O. Box 400406
Charlottesville, Virginia 22906
(434) 924-6061 FAX: (434) 982-2739
Email: gbaliles@virginia.edu

Reginald Barley, Old Dominion Bar Association
Attorney at Law
2025 East Main Street, Suite 210
Richmond, Virginia 23223
(804) 783-8468 FAX: N/A
Email: rmblaw1@msn.com

Irving M. Blank
ParisBlank, LLP
1804 Staples Mill Road
Richmond, Virginia 23230
(804) 355-0691 FAX: (804) 353-1839
Email: irvBlank@parisBlank.com

Hon.  B. Waugh Crigler
U.S. Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court- Western District
255 West Main Street, Room 328
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
(434) 296-7779 FAX: N/A
Email: bcrigler@courts.state.va.us

Hon.  Joel C. Cunningham
Halifax Circuit Court
P.O. Box 729
Halifax, Virginia 24558
(434) 476-3385 FAX: N/A
Email: jcunningham@courts.state.va.us

Patricia K. Epps
Hunton & Williams LLP
951 East Byrd Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-4074
(804) 788-8249 FAX: (804) 788-8218
Email: pepps@hunton.com

Cheshire I’Anson Eveleigh
Wolcott Rivers Gates
Convergence Center IV
301 Bendix Road, Suite 500
Virginia Beach, VA 23452-1385
(757) 497-6633 FAX: (757) 497-7267
Email: eveleigh@wolriv.com

H. Duncan Garnett, Jr., Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein
12350 Jefferson Avenue, Suite 300
Newport News, Virginia 23602
(757) 223-4500 FAX: (757) 249-3242
Email: dgarnett@pwhd.com

Robert J. Grey, Jr.
Hunton & Williams LLP
951 East Byrd Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-4074
(804) 787-8044 FAX: (804) 788-8218
Email: rgrey@hunton.com

Michael N. Herring
Commonwealth Attorney's Office
400 N. 9th Street, Suite 100
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 646-3500 FAX: (804) 225-8406
Email: michael.herring@richmondgov.com

Chandra Lantz, Virginia Women Attorneys Association
Hirschler Fleischer, PC
P.O. Box 500
Richmond, Virginia 23218-0500
(804) 771-9586 FAX: (804) 644-0957
Email: clantz@hf-law.com

Manuel E. Leiva, Jr., Hispanic Bar Association of Virginia
Levia & Marks, P.L.C.
4011 Chain Bridge Road
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
(703) 352-6400 FAX: (703) 352-5226
Email: mleiva@leivamarkslaw.com

Hon.  Donald W. Lemons
Justice, Supreme Court of Virginia
P.O. Box 1315
Richmond, Virginia 23218
(804) 786-2251 FAX: (804) 371-8530
Email: dlemons@courts.state.va.us

Heman A. Marshall, III
Woods Rogers, PLC
P.O. Box 14125
Roanoke, Virginia 24038-4125
(540) 983-7654 FAX: (540) 983-7711
Email: marshall@woodsrogers.com

Dana D. McDaniel, Virginia State Bar
Spotts Fain PC
P.O. Box 1555
Richmond, Virginia 23218
(804) 697-2065 FAX: (804) 697-2100
Email: dmcdaniel@spottsfain.com

Howard C. McElroy
McElroy, Hodges & Caldwell
P.O. Box 429
Abingdon, Virginia 24212
(276) 628-9515 FAX: (276) 628-7808
Email: hmcelroy@mcelroyhodges.com

Martha W. Medley
Daniel Medley & Kirby
110 North Union Street
Danville, Virginia 24541
(434) 792-3911 FAX: (434) 793-5724
Email: mmedley@dmklawfirm.com

Hon. R. Terrence Ney
Fairfax County Circuit Court
4110 Chain Bridge Road
Judge's Chambers, Fifth Floor
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
(703) 246-4111 FAX: (703) 385-4432
Email: rtney@fairfaxcounty.gov

Hon. Robert E. Payne
U.S. District Court-Eastern District
701 East Broad Street, Suite 5212
Richmond, Virginia 23219-1849
(804) 916-2260 FAX: (804) 916-2269
Email: robert_payne@vaed.uscourts.gov

Anita O. Poston
Vandeventer Black LLP
101 West Main Street, Suite 500
Norfolk, Virginia 23510
(757) 446-8606 FAX: (757) 446-8670
Email: aposton@vanblk.com

Dean Rodney A. Smolla
Washington and Lee University
School of Law
506 Sydney Lewis Hall
Lexington, Virginia 24450
(540) 458-8502 FAX: (540) 458-8488
Email: smollar@wlu.edu

Phillip C. Stone
Bridgewater College
402 East College Street
Bridgewater, Virginia 22812
(540) 828-5605 FAX: (540) 828-5718
Email: pstone@bridgewater.edu

Ashley L. Taylor, Jr.
Troutman Sanders LLP
Troutman Sanders Building
1001 Haxall Point
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 697-1286 FAX: (804) 698-6018
Email: ashley.taylor@troutmansanders.com

Frank A. Thomas, III
Shackelford Thomas & Gregg, PLC
P.O. Box 871
Orange, Virginia 22960
(540) 672-2711 FAX: (540) 672-2714
Email: fthomas@stgvalaw.com

Hon. Winship C. Tower
Virginia Beach Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
2425 Nimmo Parkway, Building 10
Judicial Complex 10A, Municipal  Center
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23456
(757) 385-4391 FAX: (757) 426-5683
Email: wtower@courts.state.va.us

John M. Tran, Asian American Bar Association
DiMuroGinsberg, PC
908 King Street, Suite 200
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
(703) 684-4333 FAX: (703) 548-3181
Email: jtran@dimuro.com

William R. Van Buren, III, The Virginia Bar Association
Kaufman & Canoles, PC
P.O. Box 3037
Norfolk, Virginia 23514-3037
(757) 624-3220 FAX: (757) 624-3169
Email: wrvanburen@kaufcan.com

Stanley P. Wellman, Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys
Harman, Claytor, Corrigan & Wellman, P.C.
P.O. Box 70280
Richmond, Virginia 23255
(804) 762-8015 FAX: (804) 747-6085
Email: swellman@hccw.com