At the VBA, it's happening

The latest news and information from your law partner for life

The VBA Voice

The independent voice of Virginia lawyers June 12, 2017

Dear ,

How'd it get to be June already?! Perhaps because the VBA had an active May and start to this month. We hope you are looking forward to the 127th Summer Meeting, July 20-22. Find out more. Read on!

Board of Governors spring meeting

Book drive a feature of BoG Spring Meeting 2017

Before settling down to an afternoon of meetings at the spring Board of Governors session in early May, members contributed hundreds of books for preschoolers to the Head Start program serving eastern Virginia and the local community around The Tides Inn. The effort showed again the VBA's commitment to community service.

Spring Fling and two VBA section socials

VBA Past President Thomas C. Brown Jr. and Sally Guy Brown played host to a Spring Fling membership social May 13 in Northern Virginia. The first of what is hoped to become regional membership recruiting receptions across Virginia attracted 50 registrants. At left above, in a photo by Sally Guy Brown, Past President Jeanne Franklin describes the benefits of VBA membership to some of the 25 as-yet non-VBA attorneys enjoying the reception.

At center is a photo from the Corporate Counsel and Business Law sections' rooftop social, held June 1 in Richmond. The HofGarden is a Bavarian-style biergarten located inside of and on top of the historic Hofheimer Building in the Scott's Addition area of the city. Attendees enjoyed appetizers and a drink sponsored by the VBA substantive law sections.

The photo on the right features the Administrative Law Section's ninth spring social, held at Sine Irish Pub in Richmond. Sixteen individuals registered to attend. This substantive law section invited members to bring a colleague, summer intern or friend and show them why it's so great to be a part of the VBA.

Do you know a nonmember attorney who would be an asset to the VBA? Share this e-newsletter and encourage him or her to join.

JOIN THE VBA

Young Lawyers Division Spring Meeting

In addition to a business meeting, young lawyer leaders at their spring meeting benefited from a CLE program given by experts discussing Virginia's shellfish agriculture. U.S. Rep. Robert Whittman joined the group for lunch on Saturday.

Participants praise Legal Writing Workshop

A Legal Writing Workshop in May, co-sponsored by the VBA Law Practice Management Division, attracted 25 lawyer registrants for two days of instruction and mentorship. Jeff H. Geiger handled LPMD coordination and helped with securing volunteers to teach, and Will Dickinson arranged for the donation of instruction space at Williams Mullen in Richmond. Faculty included David Spratt and Heather Ridenour from American University's Washington College of Law, who have written Writer's Block columns in the VBA Journal. This was the second year for the program, which once again received high grades and positive comments from its participants.

Upcoming events

JULY 20-22 - Register for the 127th Summer Meeting at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs. Sign up by June 23 (just 11 days from now) to enjoy early bird savings toward up to 7.5 MCLE credits (4.5 Ethics) and a whole lot of fun. The room block deadline is July 6. Book rooms online or by phone, fax or mail. Find details on the event webpage, vba.org/vbasummer17.

LATER THIS YEAR - Fall is shaping up to be chock full of CLEs. Find a list here and another one here, or click on the Calendar button below. Tell your colleagues who aren't members, but still need 12 hours of CLE programs, that they can sign up to receive targeted emails about specific VBA conferences that occur before the Oct. 31 MCLE deadline.

CALENDAR

Construction is slated to begin!

Crews are preparing to transform the shell space in the Bank of America building at 1111 E. Main St. in Richmond into your member center, called VBA on Main. Contractors predict a September completion. We have a new logo and efforts are moving on numerous fronts to prepare for your new member center, featuring shared working and meeting space. We'll follow up with pictures and updates as they occur. See photos from the first construction meeting on-site on VBA President David Mercer's Instagram account, vbaprezmercer.

Diane Willard joins the VBA staff as membership coordinator

Diane Willard previously was director of administration, marketing and membership services for Pamplin Historical Park in Petersburg. She looks forward to working with members and building relationships.

Earlier in her career she was director of membership and annual giving at The American Civil War Museum in Richmond, and was office manager and bookkeeper with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Richmond.

She attended the College of Hampton Roads, where she studied accounting. Please welcome her. Reach her at 804-644-0041 Ext. 116 or by email at dianewillard@vba.org.

Gearing up for the gubernatorial debate

Remember to vote tomorrow, June 13, in the primaries. Results from the election will determine the parties' nominees for the November election. The VBA plans a debate of gubernatorial candidates at the Summer Meeting.

Submit your debate questions now for consideration by debate moderator Judy Woodruff (and to be live streamed via the internet by the "PBS NewsHour" crew).

SUBMIT DEBATE QUESTIONS

Phone-A-Thon attains results

The April 27 membership renewal Phone-A-Thon by VBA volunteers and board members resulted in 148 renewed memberships. Thank you volunteers! If you know of someone who's been a member but changed employment positions and may not have alerted the VBA to a new email address, please reach out and encourage them to reactivate now for 2017 - and update their VBA online profile. Members can always receive assistance with updates by calling the VBA office at 804-644-0041.

Insurance corner: Did you know?

Did you know that the consequences of lost business are having a greater impact on the cost of data breach? Lost business has potentially the most severe financial consequences for an organization. The cost increased from a total average cost of $1.33 million in 2014 to $1.57 million in 2015. This cost component includes the abnormal turnover of customers, increased customer acquisition activities, reputation losses and diminished goodwill. (Per the Ponemon Institute, 2015 Cost of Data Breach Study: Global Analysis)

We would be happy to help analyze your firm's exposure and provide insurance solutions. Please contact Virginia Barristers Alliance Inc. (VBAI) or call 1-844-370-9218 and let's get started. Who better to help you than an agency founded by lawyers, for lawyers?

CONTACT VBAI

The VBA Foundation depends on you

Make sure your contribution is listed among donors at the VBA Summer Meeting and in the fall issue of the VBA Journal. If you haven't contributed yet this year, please consider doing so by July 1 for Summer Meeting recognition and by July 31 for inclusion in the upcoming VBA Journal. Your support of The Virginia Bar Association Foundation makes it possible to enhance several VBA activities.

GIVE TO THE VBA FOUNDATION

Member news

Elizabeth Smith Olcott has joined Christian & Barton, L.L.P., as an associate in the firm's health care and corporate practice groups. She received her law degree from William & Mary.

Life Member Willard J. Moody Sr. is a Lifetime Achievement selection for America's Top 100 Attorneys. Less than half of 1 percent of active U.S. attorneys receive this honor.


	Dean Davison M. Douglas presents award to Heidi W. Abbott. Photo by Odd Moxie.

The William & Mary Law School Association presented its highest recognition or 2017 to Heidi W. Abbott of Hunton & Williams LLP in Richmond. The Citizen-Lawyer Award is given annually to a graduate or friend of the law school who has made a lifetime commitment to citizenship and leadership.Abbott earned a J.D. in 1991 from W&M. Among her numerous recognitions, in 2014 she received the Richmond Humanitarian Award from the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities for touching "many aspects of Richmond life with her compassion and generous spirit." The award recognized her efforts as chairman of the board of the Richmond Police Foundation to raise funds for a Violence Free Zone at George Wythe High School and for an initiative that provided homeless teenagers with dress clothes for their high school graduations. She also received the Governor of Virginia's 2012 Outstanding Adult Volunteer Award, the 2014 Ukrop Community Vision Award from Leadership Metro Richmond, and the 2016 YWCA Outstanding Woman Award in the Human Relations & Faith category.

A. Benjamin Spencer, a law professor at the University of Virginia and former VBA Board of Governors law school representative, will join the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules of the U.S. Judicial Conference for a three-year terms that begins Oct. 1. The committee is one of five for U.S. courts that evaluate rules changes to ensure they run smoothly and equitably.

William Davis Powell has joined the Richmond law office of Hancock, Daniel, Johnson & Nagle, P.C., and its medical malpractice team.

Mehagen McRae and Kimberly Skiba-Rokosky have become members of Surovell Isaacs & Levy PLC. McRae joined the Fairfax law firm in 2014 and focuses mainly on family law and domestic violence issues. Skiba-Rokosky joined in 2015 and focuses on family law and estate planning and administration.

Crystal Shin VSB Young Lawyer of the Year 2017

Crystal Shin is a co-recipient of the Young Lawyer of the Year Award from the Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Conference. She is director and clinical assistant professor of law at William & Mary Law School and supervises and instructs students in the Parents Engaged for Learning Equality Special Education Advocacy Clinic. Shin serves as co-chair of the VSB's Children and the Law Commission, one reason for her nomination, along with her exceptional devotion to the conference, the legal profession, and the community throughout her career.

Angela A. Ciolfi, litigation director at the Legal Aid Justice Center in Charlottesville, will receive the Virginia Legal Aid Award for 2017 at the Virginia State Bar Annual Meeting. She previously won the Oliver White Hill Law Student Pro Bono Award and is the first lawyer to win both VSB pro bono honors. The VSB calls her involvement with legislative and legal matters affecting children "extensive."

In Memoriam
Life Member John P. Ackerly died May 18 at age 82. He had practiced law at Mays, Valentine, Davenport & Moore, now Troutman Sanders, and was a University of Virginia rector.

Life Member Waller H. Horsley died May 10 at age 85. He practiced at Hunton & Williams for 33 years and then formed the Horsley & Horsley law firm in 1992. He retired in 2005.

Say hello to the 12 new or reactivating members who joined the VBA in May . Welcome!

The Virginia Bar Association is the first and largest statewide voluntary bar for lawyers, judges and law professors.

Reach us at 804-644-0041 | thevba@vba.org | www.vba.org

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