The VBA Young Lawyers Division recognized the efforts of three members in Williamsburg Jan. 19. The award winners are just a few of the many young lawyers throughout the state who voluntarily contribute to the division’s numerous projects.

Receiving awards were the following Richmond attorneys:

• Graham Bryant with the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia,
• Alexandria E. Cuff with McGuireWoods LLP and
• Steven W. Lippman with Christian & Barton, LLP.

They are recent leaders of two of the division’s proudest achievements: the Virginia Legal Food Frenzy and the YLD’s award-winning quarterly newsletter, Opening Statement.

The Young Lawyers Division, or YLD, is a group of about 700 attorney members of The Virginia Bar Association who are ages 40 or younger or new to legal practice. The YLD promotes fellowship and professional growth while advancing VBA objectives, with a particular focus on public service and service to the bar. The VBA is the first and largest statewide voluntary bar organization in Virginia.

The leader of the YLD in 2023, R. Patrick Bolling of Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black PLC in Lynchburg, presented the Sandra P. Thompson and the Emerson G. Spies awards during the VBA’s 134th Annual Meeting.

Sandra P. Thompson Award

Graham Bryant

Graham Bryant received the YLD’s highest honor. The Sandra P. Thompson Award recognizes outstanding work and long-term service.

Bryant joined the YLD Executive Board in 2017 and from 2019 to 2022 used his legal writing and photography skills as editor-in-chief of the Opening Statement newsletter. The newsletter is for and predominantly by young lawyers.

In presenting the award, Bolling said, “Graham produced 14 issues of the Opening Statement, wrote at least a half-dozen articles himself, took thousands of pictures of our events and taught a number of CLEs at our meetings.” Bryant is “a wellspring of enthusiasm for the success of others,” Bolling added.

Emerson G. Spies Awards

These recipients have demonstrated enthusiasm, loyalty and dedication in the work of the association during 2023 — the hallmarks of recipients of the Emerson G. Spies Award.

Alex Cuff
Since 2019, Alex Cuff has been at the helm of the Legal Food Frenzy, an annual fundraising competition among law practitioners held in partnership with Virgina’s attorney general and the Federation of Virginia Food Banks.

“Every year that Alex has been involved, we’ve fed more people than we did the year before,” Bolling said. “When she started, we donated the equivalent of 1.1 million meals. This past year, as so many Virginians are facing inflationary stress and food insecurity, it was up to 1.6 million.”

The friendly statewide contest, heading into its 18th year this coming April, has raised the equivalent of more than 22 million pounds of food for Virginians. “More than 5.5 million of those meals were donated under Alex’s watch,” Bolling said.

Steven Lippman
Steven Lippman is the current editor-in-chief of the YLD newsletter, having taken on that role in 2022. He has produced eight issues, attended YLD functions, taken photos and chased down written content. “It’s a tremendous amount of work, but he is always on time, and the work is always excellent,” Bolling said.

Opening Statement “gives young lawyers a chance to show off their work product, to let the bar know what they can do, and to announce where they intend to take their careers,” Bolling added. “It gives the YLD a platform to brag a little bit about our good works and accomplishments. … For 16 straight years, the [American Bar Association Awards of Achievement program] has recognized the Opening Statement as the best publication in its class.”

Both Lippman and Cuff joined the YLD Executive Committee in 2022.