YLD Leadership

Activities and Projects

YLD Publications

Division News is the VBA Young Lawyers Division's e-newsletter (PDF). News should be sent to Communications/Publicity
Co-Chairs Liz Breen and W. Brian McCann.

July 2004
September 2004
November 2004
February 2005
June 2005
August 2005
December 2005
January 2007
March 2007

VBA/YLD Seeks Volunteers!
The VBA Young Lawyers Division is looking for volunteers to assist in coordinating new and current projects, including projects that seek to help immigrants, children and victims of domestic violence. Click the link for descriptions of committee activities and contact information. Lawyers of all ages and career stages are invited and encouraged to participate!

Historical Highlights • Chairs • Awards

The Young Lawyers Division of The Virginia Bar Association was organized as a separate entity of The Virginia Bar Association in 1957 at the Association's 67th Annual Meeting at The Greenbrier. The organization, originally called The Junior Bar Section, later became known as the Young Lawyers Section and in 1993, in recognition of its unique place in the VBA structure, it became the Young Lawyers Division. At the first meeting a decision was made to affiliate with the Junior Bar Conference, now known as the Young Lawyers Division, of the American Bar Association. A close relationship with the ABA's Young Lawyers Division continues to this day.

The Division's initial project was to sponsor a special ceremony before the Virginia Supreme Court at which 40 new members of the bar were introduced by the deans of the four law schools in the Commonwealth at the time. The ceremony was followed by a luncheon that was attended by the Governor and the Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

In the formative years of the Division, a number of projects were initiated that remain a part of present activities. For example, in 1959 the Division became the sponsor of the regional National Moot Court Competition. In 1960-61, the Division began the annual "Bridge-the-Gap" seminars. In 1962, a practical guide for new lawyers entitled Virginia Lawyer's Basic Practice Handbook, the precursor to The Virginia Lawyer (1966), was first published. The first Law Day ceremony was held in 1964.

The Division's bylaws provide that the purposes of the Division "shall be to further the objectives of the Association, to stimulate and promote the interests of young lawyers and the activities of the Association, to encourage public service by young lawyers, to assist in the establishment, improvement and coordination of affiliated local young lawyers organizations, and to encourage and promote fellowship among young lawyers." True to our charge, the Division's activities historically and presently have involved service to the public and the bar.

As with any organization, emphasis on certain types of activities has changed periodically. Thus, committees commonly are disbanded and new committees formed as projects are completed and new projects are initiated. The common thread between the committees and participating young lawyers of yesterday, and those presently engaged in the Division's activities, is the dedication to making a contribution to the public and the bar, and enjoying collegiality in the process.

The Division as a whole currently meets once each year at the Association's Annual Meeting. The Division's Executive Council, which is composed of all of the Committee Chairs and the Executive Committee, meets four times each year: at the Association's Annual and Summer Meetings, and during the spring and fall. The Division's Executive Committee meets at least twice independently of the Executive Council in order to more effectively manage Division activities. The Division Chair and Chair-Elect also serve on the Executive Committee of the VBA and on its Administrative Committee.

The Division's early roots have grown into more than 40 active committees. The various special and ongoing projects and activities are as varied as the needs of the public and the bar. A complete list of current VBA/YLD committees, with contact information and a description for each committee, is available on this website.

Concomitant to our proud heritage is the obligation to expand the quantity and quality of our service to the public and the bar. The young lawyers of today and those of tomorrow will be the beneficiaries of a rich tradition of helping others by joining in our activities.

Portions of this article are reprinted from, and graciously attributed to, the following articles published in The Virginia Bar Association Journal, a publication of The Virginia Bar Association: "The Young Lawyers Section of The Virginia Bar Association—A Tradition of Service to the Bar and Public," by J. Robert McAllister, III; and "The Young Lawyers Section: A Tradition of Excellence," by Peggy O'Neal Haines.

Historical Highlights
1956: Special Committee for Younger Members of the Bar proposes the establishment of a Junior Bar Section.
1957: VBA bylaws amended to establish a permanent Junior Bar Section of members 36 years of age or younger. Section sponsors a special ceremony to introduce attorneys to the Supreme Court of Virginia.
1958: Section obtains authority to sponsor the regional competition of the 10th National Moot Court Competition of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York for 1959.
1959: Award of Achievement Committee established.
1960: Section is requested to handle all tournament arrangements at Annual Meetings.
1961: First Executive Committee composed; Manual and lectures for a “Bridge-the-Gap” course prepared. Annual Meeting Committee sponsors first program.
1962: The Basic Practice Handbook offered for sale. Junior Bar first referred to as “Young Lawyers Section.”
1963: VBA Executive Committee votes unanimously that Junior Bar Chair serve as an ex officio member; Junior Bar program of service significantly expanded.
1964: Law Day Committee established.
1965: First ABA Award of Achievement received; Legal Aid and Defense of Indigent Committees established.
1966: Panels of young attorneys speak before law school graduating classes for first time.
1967: ABA Liaison Committee established; Law School Liaison Committee implemented.
1968: Admissions Committee holds first qualification ceremony before Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
1969: Law-and-Clergy Committee holds first all-day seminar for ministers in Richmond.
1970: Section endorses development of law-related education (LRE) programs for Virginia high school students as major project.
1971: Youth and the Law Committee formally established.
1972: Section Executive Committee endorses proposed legislation on indeterminate sentencing drafted by the Crime and Crime Control Commission.
1973: Disaster Legal Assistance Committee formed.
1974: LRE programs offered to all seventh-graders in Richmond public schools.
1975: Model Judiciary Committee formed to educate Virginia high school students about the judicial process through mock trial competition; Legal Services to the Public Committee formed to provide LRE through community colleges.
1976: Acclaimed film, “The Supreme Court,” is produced by Law Day/Liberty Bell Award Committee and shown regularly at U.S. Supreme Court.
1977: Disaster Legal Assistance Committee aids flood victims in Southwest Virginia; “The Supreme Court” honored by ABA as top young lawyer project in U.S.
1978: Joint Committee on Law-Related Education formed with VSB Young Lawyers Conference.
1979: Child Abuse Project sponsors TV public service announcements.
1980: First Fellows Award presented in recognition of members’ promoting the VBA’s mission through outstanding service.
1981: First ABA Award of Achievement Competition first-place comprehensive award received.
1982: First Town Hall Meeting Committee formed.
1983: First VBA executive director hired; VBA headquarters moved to Richmond from Charlottesville.
1984: First-of-its-kind “Statewide Call-a-Lawyer Program” is aired on public TV.
1985: Town Hall Meeting Committee sponsors gubernatorial candidates’ debate; Lawyers for the Arts Committee formed.
1986: VBA/YLD receives three ABA Awards of Achievement for the first time.
1987: First Recruiting Roundtable held by Law School Liaison Committee; Law and Citizenship Studies Committee produces documentary on the Constitution.
1988: First woman chair of the YLD takes office.
1989: VBA/YLD prepares a regular column in Virginia’s The Farm Bureau News.
1990: VBA/YLD and Richmond Bar begin major pro bono initiative in housing and family law assistance to the indigent.
1991: Pro Bono Hotline concept first discussed; Minority Recruitment Program formed.
1992: Minority Recruitment Program develops relationships with numerous minority high school and college students interested in law as a career.
1993: The first Pro Bono Hotline is created in Richmond with Central Virginia Legal Aid and becomes a model for other areas.
1994: The Working Parent’s Handbook: A Guide to the Legal and Practical Aspects of Childcare is published.
1995: VBA receives ABA’s Harrison Tweed Award for Pro Bono Hotlines, recognized as the top U.S. pro bono project.
1996: First Pro Bono Hotline Summit held; NCAA Circuit Riders Program launched to assist Virginia high school athletes with understanding NCAA eligibility criteria.
1997: Hampton Roads Town Hall Meeting Committee sponsors attorney general candidates’ debate.
1998: Domestic Violence Project Committee offers training in Northern Virginia for advocates; Legal Services for Mentally Ill receives state and national honors.
1999: Child Support Enforcement Committee established.
2000: Disaster Legal Assistance receives top American Bar Endowment honors as Outstanding Public Service Project.
2001: VBA/YLD sweeps Division IC first-place honors in the Comprehensive, Service to the Bar and Service to the Public categories in the ABA Awards of Achievement competition.
2002: “Protecting Children” video produced and distributed statewide to mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse.
2003: “Protecting Children” video honored by the ABA as the top public service project in the nation; “Wills for Heroes” project launched.
2004: VBA/YLD publishes Division News, the VBA's first regular electronic newsletter.
2005: “Protecting Adults at Risk” video honored by the ABA as the top public service project in the nation.

Chairs of the VBA Young Lawyers Division

Vernon M. Geddy Jr., Williamsburg, 1957 G.R.C. Stuart, Abingdon, 1957-58 William L. Shapero, Norfolk, 1958-59 Angus H. Macaulay, Richmond, 1959-60 Edward T. Caton, Virginia Beach, 1960-61 Charles W. Laughlin, Richmond, 1961-62 Frank O. Meade, Danville, 1962-63 Walter J. McGraw, Richmond, 1963-64 Robert J. Rogers, Roanoke, 1964-65 Collins Denny III, Richmond, 1965-66 Charles B. Arrington Jr., Norfolk, 1966-67 Andrew P. Miller, Abingdon, 1967-68 David G. Simpson, Winchester, 1968-69 Jesse B. Wilson III, Fairfax, 1969-70 Hugh L. Patterson, Norfolk, 1970-71 Thomas T. Lawson, Roanoke, 1971-72 Roderick B. Mathews, Richmond, 1972-73 Kenneth S. White, Lynchburg, 1973-74 John W. Pearsall III, Richmond, 1975 J. Robert McAllister III, Arlington, 1976 C. Edward Russell Jr., Norfolk, 1977 James A.L. Daniel, Danville, 1978 David Craig Landin, Charlottesville, 1979 Charles F. Midkiff, Richmond, 1980 Thomas C. Brown Jr., Fairfax, 1981

Clifford A. Cutchins IV, Richmond, 1982 John E. Wetsel Jr., Winchester, 1983 Paul D. Fraim, Norfolk, 1984 William G. Hancock, Richmond, 1985 Charles M. Lollar, Norfolk, 1986 Thomas F. Farrell II, Alexandria, 1987 Peggy O’Neal Haines, Bristol, 1988 David G. Shuford, Richmond, 1989 Stephen D. Busch, Richmond, 1990 William R. Van Buren III, Norfolk, 1991 James E. Ballowe Jr., Washington, D.C., 1992 Alison M. McKee, Norfolk, 1993 Robert L. Brooke, Richmond, 1994 Matthew W. Broughton, Roanoke, 1995 Alfred M. Randolph Jr., Norfolk, 1996 John L. Walker III, Richmond, 1997 Harry M. Johnson III, Richmond, 1998 Philip W. Parker, Roanoke, 1999 James V. Ingold, Fairfax, 2000 David N. Anthony, Norfolk, 2001 Vaughan Gibson Aaronson, Richmond, 2002 Stephen D. Otero, Richmond, 2003 King F. Tower, Richmond, 2004 R. Braxton Hill IV, Richmond, 2005 Lori D. Thompson, Roanoke, 2006 Matthew E. Cheek, Richmond, 2007

Awards of the VBA Young Lawyers Division

The VBA/YLD Sandra P. Thompson Award (known as the Fellows Award until it was renamed in 2002) recognizes an individual for outstanding work and long-term service. 1979 Daniel A. Carrell, Robert H. Powell III 1981 Gregory N. Stillman 1983 Patricia M. Schwarzchild 1985 Thomas G. Bell Jr., Robert M. Rolfe 1989 John D. Epps, E. Tazewell Ellett 1990 D. French Slaughter III 1991 Kurt J. Krueger 1992 Michael F. Urbanski 1993 Michael P. Falzone 1994 Lynne Jones Blain, Amy T. Holt 1995 Nancy N. Rogers 1996 Mary Hoge Anderson, Bruce M. Steen 1997 Kevin P. Oddo 1998 Brian K. Jackson 1999 Attison L. Barnes III 2000 Charles G. Meyer III 2001 Mary C. Zinsner 2002 Monica Taylor Monday, Melissa Amos Young 2003 Katherine Harman-Stokes, King F. Tower 2004 Nicole Chrisman Daniel 2005 Elizabeth Mason Horsley 2006 Richard H. Ottinger

The VBA/YLD Emerson G. Spies Award recognizes an individual Division member for enthusiasm, loyalty and dedication in the work of the Association during a given year. 1991 Douglas M. Nabhan 1992 Mary Hoge Ackerly, Anne K. Walker 1993 Philip W. Parker 1994 Cheryl Watson Smith 1995 Harry M. Johnson III 1996 Attison L. Barnes III 1997 Mary Catherine Zinsner 1998 Erica S. Beardsley, Katherine Harman-Stokes 1999 Stephen D. Otero 2000 Patrick R. Hanes 2001 Cyane B. Crump, Agustin E. Rodriguez 2002 Michael L. Walton 2003 Daniel Ortiz 2004 Molly Shuttleworth Evans 2005 Rudene Mercer Bascomb 2006 Heather K. Hayes