Editor’s Notebook: ‘It’s only the nine’

Rehearing petition may work, says court

By Peter Vieth
Published: April 30, 2013
Tags: Bar Associations, Judge Teresa M. Chafin, Justice Cynthia D. Kinser, Justice Elizabeth A. McClanahan, Virginia State Bar

ABINGDON – If the Supreme Court of Virginia denies your client’s petition for appeal, take a serious look at a second try, members of the high court said at an April 26 “town hall meeting” on appellate practice. Chief Justice Cynthia D. Kinser, joined fellow Justice Elizabeth A. McClanahan and Court of Appeals Judge Teresa [...]

Hospitals must bill health insurance first

By Peter Vieth
Published: April 19, 2013
Tags: Bar Associations, General Assembly, Gov. Bob McDonnell, Insurance

Trial lawyers hope a new Virginia law will put an end to a hospital billing tactic that threatened to take a bite out of accident victims’ compensation. The General Assembly passed, and Gov. Bob McDonnell signed, a bill requiring hospitals to bill patients’ private health insurance, when available, rather than holding out for a larger [...]

Toughen up to seek tough job as judge

By Deborah Elkins
Published: April 17, 2013
Tags: Bar Associations, Judgeships, Justice Elizabeth A. McClanahan

Being elected as a judge in Virginia may look like a genteel affair, compared to the hurly-burly of direct election as used in other states. But it doesn’t necessarily feel that way to the would-be judges. You need to develop “skin as thick as an armadillo,” said Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth A. McClanahan. She appeared [...]

Chief Justice Kinser knows both sides of mentoring

By Deborah Elkins
Published: April 8, 2013
Tags: Bar Associations, Justice Cynthia D. Kinser

As the General Assembly worked to fill vacant judgeships on April 3, Chief Justice Cynthia D. Kinser reflected on her own election to the Supreme Court of Virginia. Kinser joined the Metro Richmond Women’s Bar Association to celebrate the bar group’s highly successful mentoring program. Responding to an audience member’s question, Kinser reported being conflicted [...]

Koontz receives VTLA’s Distinguished Service Award

By Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Published: March 28, 2013
Tags: Bar Associations, Justice Lawrence L. Koontz Jr., Virginia Trial Lawyers Association

WILLIAMSBURG–Virginia Supreme Court Justice Lawrence L. Koontz Jr. retired from the high court in 2010, after 43 years as a judge. Since leaving the court full-time, he has remained busy, sitting on appeals as a senior justice and working as a mediator with The McCammon Group. On March 23 in Williamsburg, Koontz received one of [...]

Supreme Court to weigh criminal discovery reform

By Peter Vieth
Published: February 28, 2013
Tags: Bar Associations, Discovery, Supreme Court of Virginia News, Virginia State Bar

After nine years of study and open conflict alternating with utter disregard, a proposal to liberalize criminal discovery in Virginia is now before the Virginia Supreme Court. With only three negative votes, the Virginia State Bar council on Feb. 23 sent to the court a recommendation for opening prosecutors’ files that emerged from a VSB-appointed [...]

VBA taps leaders for the coming year

By Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Published: February 7, 2013
Tags: Bar Associations, Virginia Bar Association

WILLIAMSBURG – Roanoke lawyer Thomas R. Bagby became president of the Virginia Bar Association at the group’s annual meeting in late January. The other new officers of the VBA: John L. Walker III of Richmond as president-elect, Harry M. “Pete” Johnson III of Richmond as chair of the Board of Governors, and Hugh M. Fain [...]

Fairfax needs judges

By Peter Vieth
Published: February 4, 2013
Tags: Bar Associations, Fairfax County Circuit Court, General Assembly, Gov. Bob McDonnell, Judge Dennis J. Smith, Judge Jonathan M. Apgar, Judge Robert P. Doherty Jr., Roanoke Circuit Court

Lawyers and legislators from various Virginia locales, including populous Fairfax County, say Gov. Bob McDonnell missed the mark when he proposed money to fill certain judgeships. The governor overlooked areas badly in need of judicial help, in part because the available caseload numbers are unreliable, Fairfax lawyers say. Other regions – including Arlington, Charlottesville, Roanoke, [...]

An ‘unzip’ drive: Defense bar pushing new rules for broader access to prosecutors’ files

By Peter Vieth
Published: January 28, 2013
Tags: Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, Bar Associations, Commonwealth's Attorneys, Criminal, Discovery, Public Defenders, Virginia State Bar

Weary of case-by-case skirmishing over discovery, the criminal defense bar has seized the initiative to push for broad change to the rules governing access to prosecutors’ files. Defense lawyers are one step closer to winning wider access to police reports and prosecutors’ files, as new recommendations go before the Virginia State Bar at the end [...]