The VLW Blog

Senior U.S. District Judge Richard L. Williams, a founder of what is now McGuireWoods LLP and a federal judge for more than 30 years, died at his home on Feb. 19. He was 87.
A native of Morrisville, Judge Williams joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps after graduating from high school and survived the Japanese attack [...]

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The Senate confirmed John A. Gibney Jr. tonight for a U.S. District Court seat in Richmond.
Gibney, a partner in the Richmond firm of ThompsonMcMullan, was recommended for the seat in September 2009 by Virginia’s Democratic Senators, Jim Webb and Mark R. Warner. President Barack Obama nominated him in April and the Judiciary Committee [...]

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President Barack Obama has nominated federal public defender Arenda Wright Allen and U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael F. Urbanski for two U.S. district court judgeships in Virginia.
Wright Allen is the assistant federal public defender in charge of the Norfolk office. She is nominated to replace District Judge Jerome Friedman.
Urbanski has been a U.S. magistrate judge based [...]

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President Obama nominated Jimmie V. Reyna, head of the internal trade and customs practice at Williams Mullen and a leader in the Hispanic bar, yesterday to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Reyna works in Williams Mullen’s Washington office and has published two books on international trade. A third is scheduled for publication [...]

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Roanoke U.S. District Judge Glen Conrad is now chief judge for the Western District of Virginia. A federal statute required the change when Judge James Jones reached the age of 70 this year.
Conrad ascended to the chief judge’s post in time to preside over the traditional Monticello naturalization ceremony on July 4, according to an [...]

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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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As debate rages over how and where to try accused terror mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a Virginia federal judge with terror trial experience will address the management of high visibility cases this month at Washington & Lee University.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema will speak at W&L on Tuesday, March 16. According to the school, Brinkema [...]

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The chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit says he will retire, according to The Wall Street Journal.  Paul Michel made the announcement Friday evening.  Circuit Judge Randall Rader will become chief judge on June 1.
According to the paper, Michel surprised many listeners Friday by saying he will be retiring [...]

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Five more bar organization have submitted their endorsements for a vacancy on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals or for a district court opening in the Eastern District of Virginia.
The Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys endorsed Barbara Milano Keenan, Patricia A. Millett and John Charles Thomas for the 4th Circuit, and Randy I. Bellows, [...]

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The Virginia Bar Association and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association have both recommended Sen. John S. Edwards and Virginia Supreme Court Justice Barbara Milano Keenan for a vacancy on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and U.S. Magistrate Judge M. Hannah Lauck for a judgeship in the Eastern District of Virginia.
Although the lists share that [...]

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