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Henrico Bar News
October 2018
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Henrico County Bar Association
P.O. Box 70147
Richmond, Virginia 23255
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From the Desk of Natalie T. McClearn, HCBA President
With the bar year underway, I want to highlight some of the innovations that are taking place in our organization this year. The Henrico County Bar Association is now on Facebook. Please be sure to like our Facebook page and visit it periodically for news concerning our organization's activities.
We have a fresh new logo that is the product of board direction and membership voting. Our logo project was led by President-Elect Ryan Young, who guided the board in selecting graphic artists and narrowing design options. Our membership then voted to select the winning logo from the design pool. Thank you to our members and to Ryan for helping us update the HCBA brand.
My mission as President this year has been, "Let's get to know each other." Our membership is comprised of attorneys of exceptional caliber with valuable experiences to share with each other. To support our members in getting to know each other better, we have been hosting happy hours at Buz and Ned's following some of our monthly board meetings. The happy hours do not require an RSVP, so they offer a wonderful informal opportunity for members to socialize and wind down at the end of the day. I have enjoyed the opportunity to mingle with those of you who have attended, especially new members.
As we approach the holidays, please mark your calendars for to our annual Holiday Reception on December 5, 2018, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. We are holding the event at a new location, the Wine Loft, at West Broad Village. I look forward to enjoying new food selections, wine, and ambiance with each of you.
Thank you to our Board of Directors for your contributions to these initiatives and to our other fall events. I am proud to serve on the Board alongside a brilliant group of leaders. The Ethics CLE, organized by Emily Bishop, presented valuable information on lawyer impairment. The Breakfasts with the Judges planned by Susan Parrish and David Stock provided important opportunities to hear from the judges and socialize will fellow members. A special thank you to Susan Parrish for managing the Court Docent Program this year. The time she has devoted to the organizational aspects of the program is significant and sincerely appreciated. Also, thank you to our Administrator, Mary Lou Wellman, for assisting with crucial details that make each HCBA event a success.
I invite you to contact me to share your suggestions, ideas, and concerns, or if you are looking for opportunities to become more involved, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Natalie T. McClearn
President
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Breakfast with the Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court Judges
On Friday, September 21, 2018, members of the Bar enjoyed breakfast with the Henrico Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court judges. Chief Judge Randall Johnson and Judges Margaret Deglau, Denis Soden, Rondell Herman and Stuart Williams joined members over coffee, bagels and donuts in Courtroom 6 of the JDR Courts Building.
Chief Judge Johnson addressed the group and reminded attorneys to please notify the Court if they are running late or delayed for their hearings for any reason. He and Judge Deglau told the group that the Court is happy to reschedule cases if, between the dates the case is set and the hearing, parties determine that a longer time allotment is needed. The Court would rather receive a motion to continue than have several witnesses show up for a case that has been docketed for ten minutes.
Shanda Ellis, Clerk of Court, attended as well and enjoyed the opportunity to put faces with so many folks she has "talked" to via email. She would love to meet all attorneys who are practicing in the JDR Courts, so if you haven't met her face to face, please stop by the Clerk's Office the next time you are in JDR to introduce yourself to Ms. Ellis.
It was noted that Henrico County Public Schools has two new attorneys: Mary Hart handles special education issues and can be reached at (804) 652-3712 or
[email protected]., and
Megan Watkins handles school discipline issues and can be reached at (804) 652-3731 or
[email protected]
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Finally, Judge Herman reminded everyone that JDR is on Twitter! The handle is
@HenricoJDRCourt. If you are on Twitter please follow the Court's account - the Court regularly posts announcements and information about the Court, to include inclement weather closings. (Also, Judge Herman would not mind staying ahead of Richmond JDR and Chesterfield JDR in a friendly competition of who has more followers -- keep Henrico in the lead!)
This year's breakfast proved to be another great chance to chat and socialize with the judges and bar members outside the courtroom. Thanks to everyone who attended!
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| Judge Johnson addresses the bar. |
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| Judge Williams and Casey Coleman |
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| Andrew Kolp and Judge Herman |
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| Mike Feinmel and Judge Deglau |
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| Susan Parrish, Shanda Ellis and Natalie McClearn |
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| Adam Rellick and Judge Soden |
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Breakfast with the Circuit Court and General District Court Judges
The annual HCBA Breakfast with the Circuit and General District Court Judges took place on Wednesday, September 26, 2018, at Café 1611 in the Henrico County Administration Building.
All the judges of both courts were in attendance and approximately 60 members of the HCBA took the opportunity to mingle with them. A big THANK YOU! goes out to Collaborative Professionals of Richmond for sponsoring the event. Mary Hunt gave remarks explaining the services they offer.
Judge Yoffy praised the civility and professionalism exhibited regularly by the members of the Henrico County Bar and he invited those in attendance to offer suggestions on how to improve the dockets in the Circuit Court. Judge Dunkum reminded those practicing before the General District Courts to make efforts to speak to their clients and try their best to negotiate resolutions before court dates.
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| Judge Honey, Judge Dunkum and Judge Wallerstein |
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| Judge Bondurant and Judge Marshall |
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| Judge Yoffy, Judge Harris and BJ McGee |
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| Eddie Whitlock and and Judge Steverson |
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| Jennifer Wheeler and Judge Chucker |
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| Michelle Marken, Judge Hicks and Briyanna Scott |
For more pictures from the Breakfast, please
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Member Spotlight
Full Name: Marc Alan Boyko
Employer and Position: Partner, BoykoNapier, PLLC.
College: Rollins College (Winter Park, FL)
Law School: University of Richmond
Years in Practice: 10
Hobbies and Interests: Probably too many, including: spending time with family/friends, traveling, reading fiction, writing fiction, poker, Green Bay Packers, golf.
Favorite Movie: Impossible to answer. Seen a lot. Maybe Shawshank Redemption.
Favorite Book: Impossible to answer. Read a lot. Maybe The Catcher in the Rye.
Favorite Pro and College Sports Team: Green Bay Packers, Richmond Spiders
One Thing You Might Not Know About Me: I have two rabbits.
Best Thing About Practicing Law in Henrico: The people. Everyone is great to work with and it is a pleasure to appear in front of the judges in this jurisdiction.
Funniest Experience as an Attorney: During a preliminary hearing in a neighboring jurisdiction, an officer was testifying and suddenly his cell phone began to ring. His ring tone - which must have been on the highest volume setting - was a rap song with powerful lyrics. He struggled for 15+ seconds before he managed to silence it.
Advice to Young Attorneys: Work hard. Ask questions. Treat all of your clients as you would want to be treated. Find a practice area that you are passionate about.
Full Name: Nancy Douglas Cook
Employer and Position: Partner, Family Law Associates of Richmond, P.C.
College: University of Alabama
Law School: University of Richmond
Years in Practice: 23
Hobbies and Interests: Spending time with grandchildren, traveling, walking -- especially on the beach, reading, cooking, barre classes, volunteering at Hope Thrift.
Favorite Movie: Sound of Music
Favorite Book: Pride and Prejudice
Favorite Pro and College Sports Team: Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Braves and VCU Rams basketball
One Thing You Might Not Know About Me: My second job, although strictly volunteer, is as a cashier at Hope Thrift. You will find me there most Saturday afternoons. I love it. It's a great change of pace from practicing law, and all for a good cause.
Best Thing About Practicing Law in Henrico: Great judges and, with few exceptions, a very collegial bar.
Funniest Experience as an Attorney: Practicing family law, there's not often a lot of humor. It's challenging, and can be very rewarding, but not usually funny. But one thing that often amuses me is how divorcing couples will pay three to four hundred dollars an hour to have their attorneys argue over the personal property, like Disney tickets, a wedding dress, vanity license plates, a pool table, a plywood Peter Rabbit shelf, and even a collection of beanie babies. I don't necessarily think it's funny, but it sure is silly!
Advice to Young Attorneys: Don't cut corners. Be kind. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. (If you won't allow an extension on discovery this time, don't expect them to cut you any slack the next time you're in a bind.) If your gut tells you not to take on a client, pay attention to your gut. I'm afraid I've lived to regret not listening to mine more than once.
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Save the Date
Holiday Reception
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The Wine Loft
Spring Luncheon
Thursday, March 21, 2019
12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Westwood Club
Please check the Calendar of Events on our website at
www.henricobar.org for the most up to date information.
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Annual Dues Reminder
If you have not already sent in your annual dues, please do so. Dues statements were mailed in August. If you have not received yours, please contact our administrator, Mary Lou Wellman, at
[email protected]
. HCBA membership dues are $90 for the 2018-2019 year. We are offering a reduced rate of $60 for members admitted to the Virginia State Bar in the last three years (July 2015 or later). Payments may be made online through our PayPal address which is
[email protected]
or mailed to the Henrico County Bar Association at P.O. Box 70147, Henrico, VA 23255.
Ethics CLE
On Wednesday, October 24, 2018, Jeffrey Geiger of Sands Anderson presented to members on the topic of lawyer impairment. Sponsored by Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company, "A Sobering Look at Lawyer Impairment" provided insight into the prevalence of lawyer impairment to include not only alcohol and substance issues, but also mental health and cognitive issues. Mr. Geiger discussed some of the warning signs and provided hypotheticals to educate members on how to handle these issues. Members learned about the duties placed upon managing and supervising attorneys to report any such issues to the bar and were given resources to contact with any questions or concerns.
Our thanks go out to Jeffrey Geiger, Esq., MLM Insurance Company and Joy Malbon-Griffiths, Esq., for providing this timely and insightful ethics CLE.
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| Jeffrey Geiger, Esq., of Sands Anderson, educates the bar |
For more pictures from
the Etics CLE, please
Clerk's Corner
Henrico J&DR Court
To see a list of contacts at the Henrico JDR Clerk's Office. please click
here
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Please check out the Twitter page for the Henrico Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
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VSB Bar Council
Virginia State Bar Council is the 81-lawyer body that oversees all other boards, committees, and bar functions. Bar Council consists of 65 lawyers elected from the 31 circuits throughout the commonwealth, as well as nine at-large members appointed by the Supreme Court of Virginia, four conference chairs, and three officers. Council representation ranges from a high of 14 lawyers for Circuit 19 (Fairfax) to a minimum of one lawyer for 22 other circuits. Council members may serve two three-year terms but must be re-elected to serve a 2nd term. The 14th Judicial Circuit (Henrico) has three representatives: Marissa Mitchell (first term expires 2020), Craig Davis (first term expires 2020), and Stephanie Grana (first term expires 2021).
As your representatives for the 14th Judicial Circuit (Henrico), we wanted to keep you aware of our meetings and solicit your input. Highlights from our last meeting held on June 14 can be found here.
Our next meeting is in Newport News on October 26. If you have any concerns, questions or comments about the work of the VSB or Bar Council, please contact us. Your input helps us better represent you and will also help Council make more informed decisions. Marissa can be contacted at 501-5734 or by email at
[email protected]
. Craig can be contacted at 359-5500 or by email at
[email protected]
. Stephanie can be contacted at 343-4372 or by email at
[email protected]
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Lastly, if you are interested in serving on the disciplinary district committee which handles local complaints and investigations into lawyer misconduct, please let us know. Applications in the form of a resume and short statement of interest are due February 28, 2019 to Stephanie Blanton either by email at [email protected] or mailed to her Virginia State Bar, 1111 East Main Street, Suite 700, Richmond, VA 23219. Bar Council members nominate from the applicant pool within their districts and the entire council body votes on nominees at the VSB Annual Meeting in June. More information about joining the disciplinary system can be found here.
Welcome New Members
Jamie L. Allgood
Eone M. Beck
Stephanie E. Grana
Elena J. Hernandez
Pamela M. Herrington
Hampton Lamb
Christopher C. Leslie
Joseph T. McNally, Jr.
Dennis McLoughlin, Jr.
Meghan R. Murphy
W. Davis Powell
Mansi Shah
Megan Watkins
Leslie A. Winneberger
Clayton A. Worthington
Harman Claytor is pleased to welcome Sarah M. Collie to their firm. Sarah graduated from the University of Richmond's School of Law in May of 2018 and joins their Richmond office as an Associate. She will focus her practice on the defense of civil litigation matters.
If you have recently changed jobs or been promoted, please share your news with the Henrico Bar. We would like to post your announcement in our newsletter and update your member profile.
Announcements can be emailed to Mary Lou Wellman at
[email protected]
. Please include your name, firm or employer's name, new title and areas of concentration.
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Officers and Directors
President
Natalie T. McClearn
President-Elect
Ryan C. Young
Vice President
Emily P. Bishop
Secretary
Jason M. Hart
Treasurer
Michael R. Gill
Jeffrey P. Miller
Susan L. Parrish
David A. Stock
Jennifer S. Wheeler
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