The Inn crowd

Virginia just got its 10^th American Inn of Court, with the establishment of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation American Inn of Court.

The American Inns of Court are a relatively new concept in this country; they are modeled after the old English Inns of Court. Essentially, they are legal societies that allow judges, lawyers and legal academics the opportunity to meet, socialize, discuss important issues and generally lift the quality of legal life in an area.

There are more than 350 American Inns of Court in cities all over the country, which is pretty good considering the movement only got going in 1985. The immediate past president of the board of trustees of the national AIC organization is Virginia’s own Justice Donald W. Lemons, who served in that post from 2010 to this year.

Back to the Workers’ Compensation Inn.

Richmond lawyer Andy Reinhardt noted that the newest Inn is a bit unusual, in that its organizing members come from all over the state. And its emphasis is workers’ compensation law. American Inns can be of general interest, or they can organize around a legal specialty. For example, there are 15 intellectual property Inns, including two in Virginia. There are only four workers’ comp Inns, the one here, plus Inns in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Reinhardt added that the response to the group’s call for membership has been excellent. It will hold its first meeting Tuesday night, Nov. 18, in Charlottesville, the night before the Workers’ Compensation Commission annual attorneys meeting. Lemons will be the speaker.

The inaugural officers of the new Inn are:

• Judge Wesley G. Marshall, Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission, president
• Robert A. Rapaport, Norfolk, counselor
• Kathleen Grace Walsh, Occoquan, secretary
• James G. Muncie, Richmond, treasurer
• Andrew J. Reinhardt, Richmond, membership co-chair
• Ramesh Murthy, Abingdon, membership co-chair
• W. David Falcon, Falls Church, programming co-chair
• Claire C. Carr, Richmond, programming co-chair

And for those wondering for whom the other nine Inns in Virginia are named and where they are, here you go:

The George Mason American Inn of Court, Arlington

The I’Anson-Hoffman American Inn of Court, Norfolk and Williamsburg

The James Kent American Inn of Court, Norfolk

The John Marshall American Inn of Court, Richmond

The Lewis F. Powell Jr. American Inn of Court, Richmond

The Pauline Newman IP American Inn of Court, Alexandria

The Ted Dalton American Inn of Court, Salem

The Thomas Jefferson American Inn of Court, Charlottesville

The Thomas Jefferson Intellectual Property American Inn of Court, Richmond

The Virginia Workers’ Compensation American Inn of Court