The VLW Blog

Chesterfield County Deputy County Attorney Stylian “Stel” Parthemos has been honored by the Local Government Attorneys of Virginia, Inc. with the 2013 Cherin Award for Outstanding Deputy or Assistant Local Government Attorney, presented at the association’s recent spring conference in Roanoke. Parthemos has been with the county attorney’s office since 1987; he became deputy county [...]

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Dozens of law firms, legal departments, government offices, and law schools joined together to raise more than 1.5 million pounds of food for Virginia’s hungry during the seventh annual Legal Food Frenzy in Virginia. The results of the two-week drive in April brought the cumulative seven-year total raised to the equivalent of more than 10 [...]

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The Virginia Chamber of Commerce is out with its legislative wish list for the 2013 General Assembly and tort reform measures loom large on the Chamber agenda. The Chamber will continue efforts to change Virginia’s 40-year practice of barring depositions from summary judgment motions, an issue already aired in a July 18 hearing. The chamber [...]

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The Virginia State Bar Legal Ethics Committee has withdrawn two 1990 legal ethics opinions out of concern they might lead lawyers astray in matters involving powers of attorney. The two opinions – LEO 1313 and 1339 – take the view that a law firm hired to prepare a power of attorney is representing the attorney [...]

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Following angry reactions prompted by examination of the rules for “waived in” lawyers, the Supreme Court of Virginia is proposing to drop its full-time practice requirement. The change would affect lawyers who were licensed in other states and then admitted to the bar in Virginia by reciprocity, without taking the Virginia bar exam. Many of [...]

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HOT SPRINGS – Trial judges need to do their share to prevent rude and unprofessional conduct among lawyers, according to a justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. Justice Donald W. Lemons said trial judges actually contribute to incivility when they offer only mild admonishment in the face of bad lawyer behavior. Speaking at a [...]

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Richmond lawyer Steven D. Benjamin has taken the helm of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Taking office Saturday as the 2012-13 president of NACDL at the group’s San Francisco meeting, Benjamin pledged to promote the use of scientific evidence on behalf of the accused. Benjamin said defense lawyers have learned to challenge the [...]

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Legislation aimed at preventing large-scale attorney defalcation has been recommended by a Virginia State Bar task force. The payee notification bill approved in April by the VSB Payee Notification Task Force would have insurance companies notify personal injury claimants when settlement checks are being mailed to their lawyers. The idea gained force after a Woodbridge [...]

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A lawyer did not violate an ethics rule when he wrote about his cases on the Internet without client consent, a three-judge panel said today. The panel overturned a district discipline committee’s finding of misconduct under Rule 1.6, which governs confidentiality of information. In a decision announced by Portsmouth Circuit Court Judge Kenneth R. Melvin, [...]

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A Henrico County lawyer who wanted another tour of duty on the Virginia State Bar Council will get his wish, after defeating an incumbent representative. Daniel L. Rosenthal, who previously served two three-year terms, will return to council after competing with the two incumbents who sought reelection, Thomas A. Edmonds and Roger T. Creager. Edmonds, [...]

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