Class of 2022 Unsung Legal Heroes named

Virginia Lawyers Weekly is pleased to present the Unsung Legal Heroes for 2022.

This program recognizes the Old Dominion’s most talented and dedicated legal support professionals.

The honorees consistently go above and beyond the call of duty. This year’s class includes accounting and finance professionals, law firm administrators and office managers, paralegals and legal assistants, legal secretaries, librarians, docket administrators and receptionists.

Attorneys will tell you they are only as good as the team behind them. Some of these honorees cast the first impression for clients, while others work behind the scenes. All are vital to the success of the firm or legal department through their commitment and dedication.

A special section featuring profiles of this year’s honorees will be published in December.

Please join us in congratulating the Class of 2022 Unsung Legal Heroes.

• Cheryl Abrigo, Housing Litigation Paralegal, Virginia Legal Aid Society
• Kaitlyn Colón, Litigation Paralegal, Sands Anderson
• Cheryl George, Office Manager, Fredericksburg Public Defender
• Patricia Gitlin, Paralegal, Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black
• Pam Harris, Front Desk Coordinator / Front Office Administrator, Carrell Blanton Ferris & Associates
• Lynn Heller, Administrator and LRS Coordinator, Prince William County Bar Association
• Michelle Ingram, Receptionist, Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen
• Faith Jenkins, Marketing Director, Rawls Law Group
• Tamara Langston, Paralegal, The Cooper Law Firm
• Jeremy Leinen, Administrative Officer, Office of the Federal Public Defender, Eastern District of Virginia
• Karen Longworth, Legal Practice Assistant, Troutman Pepper
• Christina May, Legal Administrative Assistant III, Dominion Energy
• Sharon McCaffrey, Senior Paralegal, The Geller Law Group
• Dede Minter, Investigator/Paralegal, Charlottesville Public Defender Office
• Madelaine Notaro, Receptionist, Glasser and Glasser
• Patrick Ramos, Law Library Assistant, Loudoun County Law Library
• Kenny Rickerson, Accounting and Office Services Manager, Gentry Locke
• Alexis Sadural, Legal Assistant, Pesner Altmiller Melnick DeMers & Steele
• Kevin Smith, Director – ELCS and Legal Operation, Dominion Energy
• Abigail Southern-Kline, Paralegal, Commander Law
• Wendy Spivey, Judicial Docket Administrator, City of Norfolk Circuit Court Judges’ Office
• Eduardo Valle, Legal Assistant, Airington Law
• Jennifer Webb, Administrative Assistant/Secretary, PennStuart
• Tammy Weeks, Legal Assistant, TimberlakeSmith
• Lakelyn Wiley, Legal Assistant / Paralegal, Gentry Locke
• Irina Winder, Paralegal and Office Manager, Phelan Petty PLC
• Jackie Young, Paralegal, Spotts Fain

2021 honorees

The Class of 2021 included:

• MaryAnn Abate, O’Hara Law Firm
• Jennifer Akers, Slominski Law
• Misty Brooks, Golightly Mulligan & Morgan
• Dominika Bui, Alexandria Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
• Michael Byser, Hampton Circuit Court
• Danna Chavez Calvi, Legal Aid Justice Center
• Tedilee Chiara, Rutter Mills
• Margaret Collard, Harman Claytor Corrigan & Wellman
• Kara Crane, Geoff McDonald & Associates
• Stacy Cuskelly, Bean Kinney and Korman
• Leigh Dunnagan, Glenn Robinson Cathey Memmer & Skaff
• Melissa Elliott, Vandeventer Black
• Clifton Fuller, Hunton Andrews Kurth
• Debra Gellert, Blankingship & Keith
• Debra Kiggins, Vandeventer Black
• Grace Knighton, Goodman Allen Donnelly
• Wendy Lough, Farrell & Croft
• Anita Mattox, Gentry Locke
• Selma Modeste, DiMuroGinsberg
• Tricia Muller, Chesterfield Circuit Court
• Kerry O’Neill, Vandeventer Black
• Megan Pfeifle, Cook Craig & Francuzenko
• Lynne Rhoades, Venable
• Melissa Ross, Farrell & Croft
• Angela Shiflett, MartinWren
• Katie Sistek, MercerTrigiani
• Mandy Truman, Pathfinder Injury Law
• Quinton Washington, Hunton Andrews Kurth
• Stephanie Washington, Hook Law Center
• Anne Whitt, Roger W. Mullins
• Gretchen Williams, Office of the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney
• Donna Winters, Consumer Litigation Associates