The VLW Blog

Andrew Harding of Harrisonburg has been elected to the Virginia State Bar Council representing the 26th judicial circuit. He replaces George Shanks who now is VSB president-elect.
Harding outpolled Carter Foulds of Winchester 101-77 in a special election.
By Peter Vieth

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Virginia’s two U.S. Senators have recommended U.S. Magistrate Judge Mike Urbanski of Roanoke and federal public defender Arenda Wright Allen of Norfolk for two vacant federal district judgeships in Virginia.
Urbanski has served as a magistrate judge in the Western District since 2003. He is being advanced as a successor to District Judge Norman Moon of [...]

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The en banc Court of Appeals has rejected a writ of actual innocence for Dustin Turner, the former Navy Seal trainee who has been serving time for a murder he says he did not commit.
Turner was convicted in 1996 of abduction with intent to defile and murder and sentenced to 82 years in prison.
Last [...]

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The Supreme Court of Virginia has granted a writ in a wrongful death drowning case where a judge held the claims against the city of Lexington fell short of gross negligence.
The case arose from the 2006 drowning death of a 16-year-old boy below a dam on the Maury River in a city park. Circuit Judge [...]

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Norfolk Circuit Judge Mary Jane Hall will allow small groups of plaintiffs to try their Chinese drywall cases together, rejecting defense arguments that disparate personal injury claims would make trial consolidation unfair.
Hall announced her decision in a June 23 letter opinion.
Hall already had consolidated scores of Chinese drywall lawsuits for pretrial rulings, including her March [...]

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Attorney’s fees are the cherry on the sundae for an IP lawyer who wins a trademark case. It takes an “exceptional” case for a fee award under 15 U.S.C. § 1117(a).
The 4th Circuit has decided a pair of such “exceptional” cases in recent weeks, upholding a handsome fee award each time.
Super Duper Inc. sued Mattel, [...]

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A dishonest former lawyer from the D.C. suburbs was exposed when he was cheated by one of those all-too-common e-mail scams, authorities say.
Bradley Schwartz of Rockville, Md., reportedly took the bait when he was asked to help an “Asian” client collect funds. When a big cashier’s check arrived, he deposited it and started making payments, [...]

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Virginia’s state prison population has remained relatively stable over the past two years, while state prison population in the U.S. as a whole has dropped for the first time since 1972.
Over 1.6 million people were serving time in state and federal prisons as of Dec. 31, 2009, according to data from the U.S. Department [...]

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As a member of the “Monty Python” troupe, John Cleese helped transform the epic, and to some, dull tales of King Arthur’s life into comic relief. He helped create a generation of comedy centered on hilarious stupidity.
From parts in Broadway musicals, movies, to the Monty Python series, Cleese (right) has simply done it [...]

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Local and state officials were on hand for the christening of the 16-story Williams Mullen Center in downtown Richmond.
Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones and Gov. Bob McDonnell were among about 150 attorneys and community members who attended the outdoor dedication, reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
After the dedication, the firm hosted a reception on the 16th floor [...]

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