News and Updates   

Twice a month, the VBA highlights its newest members to join the association.

Virginia Bar Association Past President Jeanne F. Franklin will be honored next month for her distinguished public service.

Three VBA leaders - our president, the head of the LPMD and a section chair - have been tapped as 2025 "Leaders in the Law" by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. 

A new Virginia State Bar Legal Ethics Opinion addresses the impact of use of artificial intelligence on lawyer billing. A lawyer who uses generative artificial intelligence does not have to cut the fee charged the client to the actual time spent on the matter, under a new Legal Ethics Opinion approved by the Virginia State Bar Council on June 12. 

The Virginia Bar Association has canceled the gubernatorial debate it planned to host July 19. Neither candidate for governor accepted the VBA invitation by a June 9 deadline. On April 28, the VBA announced that it had invited the two candidates, former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, to a debate during the VBA Summer Meeting in Hot Springs.

The 19th Annual Legal Food Frenzy contributed greatly to a more food-secure Virginia by raising $358,273 and collecting 9,049 pounds of food. The two-week event in April involving law firms, law schools and public sector offices across the commonwealth was coordinated by the VBA Young Lawyers Division in partnership with the Attorney General’s Office and the Federation of Virginia Food Banks. Donations stay local and benefit Virginia’s seven food banks and the organizations they support.

Fourteen members of The Virginia Bar Association have been chosen for the Class of 2025 of the Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame, started by Virginia Lawyers Weekly in 2018, honors Virginia attorneys who have been practicing for 30 years or more and who have made lasting marks on the legal field across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The VBA actively proposes legislation, and members take an active role. They form legislative committees of the sections, develop and vet possible legislative with other groups, suggest bill language, help inform lawmakers and testify before the General Assembly to support improvements to Virginia law.

Every attorney in Virginia takes an oath: “I do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

Today, in the spirit of that oath, the undersigned Virginia legal organizations join together to reaffirm our unified commitment to:

• The Rule of Law, emphasizing its role in safeguarding our democratic institutions and ensuring equal justice for all;
• Judicial Independence, protecting the judiciary from undue influence and preserving its ability to impartially administer justice; and
• Independence of the Legal Profession, upholding our ethical obligations and ensuring our ability to advocate for our clients without fear of reprisal.

The Virginia Bar Association has invited Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, to a debate July 19 at the VBA Summer Meeting in Hot Springs.