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Court-appointed mediators win pay boost
Court-appointed mediators in many Virginia divorce cases involving children should see their pay double later this year. A measure approved by both the General Assembly and the governor specifies that, for mediators appointed for both child custody or visitation matters and spousal support issues, the referral is considered two separate appointments. The state budget included […]
Bill to reform mediator pay advances in Assembly
A measure to boost pay for court-appointed mediators in Virginia divorce cases appears on track to win approval at the Capitol. Legislation approved by the General Assembly would double the fees paid to mediators in many cases. Money for the change is included in both House and Senate versions of the state budget, according to […]
VBA targets ‘felony creep’ in ’16 agenda
The Virginia Bar Association will again seek to raise the $200 felony threshold in Virginia, one of the lowest in the country. The monetary trigger for felony thefts has not been raised since 1980 and legal reformers say the low bar can saddle minor criminals with career-crippling felony convictions. Retailers and law enforcement advocates have […]
Reform panel to propose judicial screening statewide
A government integrity study commission is expected to recommend screening panels for Virginia trial judges statewide, modeled after evaluation procedures used by some local bar groups. The goal is to reduce the influence of politics on judicial selection, said former U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, co-chair of the governor’s Commission on Ethics and Integrity in State […]
VBA marks 125 summers
HOT SPRINGS–The Virginia Bar Association held its annual summer meeting at The Homestead July 23-25, and this year’s do had a festive historical theme: It was the group’s 125th summer meeting. The weekend was both a hat tip to the past and a call to make the 2015 confab as memorable as the others. At […]
ODBA celebrates 75
“Spawned from the need to confront a policy that offended personal and professional dignity,” African-American lawyers in Virginia began organizing 75 years ago to form the Old Dominion Bar Association, according to ODBA history. Members of the statewide bar group have been foot soldiers and major players in the history of civil rights in the […]
‘The help he needs’
Decades ago, the wisdom of one non-lawyer helped define the need for a counseling and treatment resource for attorneys struggling with drugs and drink. Then a practicing lawyer, Donald W. Lemons volunteered on a discipline panel for the Virginia State Bar. The discipline committees – then and now – each included one lay member. Reflecting […]
VBA’s new leaders: Johnson, Guy, Mercer
WILLIAMSBURG — The Virginia Bar Association installed its new leadership at the group’s 125th annual meeting Jan. 22-24. Harry M. “Pete” Johnson III, a partner at the Richmond office of Hunton & Williams LLP, will serve as president this year. Johnson is co-chair of the VBA Pro Bono Committee and was an organizer of the […]
Virginia to launch U.S. Magna Carta observance
The document that inaugurated the concept of constitutional government eight centuries ago will get an international celebration this year, with a grand premiere in Williamsburg this month. A renowned British historian and an authoritative Virginia constitutional law professor will join hands to host the observance of the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta at the […]
Last Call: Jim Guy ending regular gig with Irish band, entering leadership with VBA
The ringmaster struts to the stage and strikes a chord on his guitar. The show is off and running, with an enthusiastic crowd very much on board. It’s one of the final performances of a band with a 16-year tradition in Richmond, led by a big firm lawyer with an impressive list of corporate clients […]
A night for history
The Virginia Bar Association and the Old Dominion Bar Association made history in late January, as the two bar groups held their annual meetings together for the first time. And at the black-tie banquet Jan. 24 at the Williamsburg Lodge, the sense of history – both for the bar groups and for the Commonwealth of […]
VBA taps new officers, members of its board
WILLIAMSBURG—Richmond lawyer John L. Walker III become president of the Virginia Bar Association at the group’s annual meeting in Williamsburg Jan. 25. With Walker’s installation, the VBA made history. He is the third member of his family to serve as VBA leader. John L. Walker Jr., his father, was VBA president in 1983. His grandfather, […]
Verdicts & Settlements
- Plaintiff injured in crash with oncoming vehicle — $235,000 settlement
- Driver killed in rear-end collision with tractor-trailer — $1.5M settlement
- Man died from pancreatic cancer after delayed response — $1.8M settlement
- Worker fell off roof, rendering him a paraplegic — $1.25M settlement
- Driver sustained permanent hearing loss after traffic collision — $240,000 settlement
- Plaintiff suffered concussion in rear-end collision — $81,000 verdict
- Builder misrepresented home status to buyers — $675,000 verdict
- Low potassium led to cardiac arrest, death of patient — $1M settlement
- Excessive propofol caused death in dialysis patient — $850,000 settlement
- Pedestrian struck in crosswalk in hit-and-run incident — $300,000 settlement
- Navy veteran killed in collision with box truck — $1.85M arbitration award
- Motorcyclist ejected from bike in collision with SUV — $1.5M settlement
Opinion Digests
- Company owner dodges breach of contract suit
- Employee’s own allegations doom minimum wage claim
- Federal government defeats former employee’s claims
- Principal wasn’t entitled to exclusively remote work
- USPTO properly redacted info in responsive documents
- Untimely lawsuit allowed to proceed
- Engineering consultant dismissed from suit
- Rule 60 motion was filed too late
- Nonprofit directors immune from ex-employees’ claims
- City, employees immune from whistleblower claims
- Experts excluded in condemnation damages suit
- Judgment entered against company for horse’s death
