Artificial Intelligence

At our Board meeting in April, the VBA established a Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, charged with assessing the impact of AI on the legal profession and helping VBA members stay on top of it. This will be a multi-year effort, building on previous work that has positioned the VBA as Virginia’s leader in AI education.

Recent AI education includes fantastic programming at our last Summer Meeting and Annual Meeting, a continuing series of free AI webinars for all lawyers, and targeted projects by our Special Committee on Small-Firm and Solo Practice. 

In short order, we’ll debut a VBA Model AI Policy for Law Firms, the first such template tool in Virginia, with a companion webinar on June 25.

State of the Profession

While AI is thriving, new lawyer numbers are dwindling. Bar exam takers are down about 60% in Virginia compared to a decade ago, with sweeping implications for the legal profession and access to justice. Already, critical public sector positions are strained or unfilled, private firms are recruit from a shrinking pool of candidates, and attorneys in essential practice areas may soon retire with few qualified successors.

At our meeting in April, the VBA Board established a multi-year Task Force on the Future of the Legal Profession, with the explicit aim to understand how this trend will affect our profession, including the judiciary, and what can be done. We’ve also made this a focus for our Committee on Special Issues of National & State Importance.

Advocating for Justice

The VBA is lobbying for the legal profession. We are proud of our longtime success in the Virginia legislature, having developed a reputation as “the honest broker” on both sides of the legislative aisle for our dedication to recommending balanced, non-partisan measures to improve clarity and fairness in Virginia law. We’ve also fought for our judiciary, as perhaps no other body in Virginia can do. 

This year, VBA sections and committees put forward 21 bills, 16 of which are now law, making this one of the VBA’s most successful legislative seasons.

Mentoring Young Lawyers

We’re also emphasizing and supporting our Young Lawyers Division. This Summer our YLD is launching a pilot program to pair selected YLD Summer Meeting first-timers with experienced VBA mentors.

In the Fall we’ll be at work building a specialized Leadership Academy designed to prepare young VBA lawyers for success at the highest levels. 

What we learn will be applied to broader programming as part of our Career & Professional Development Track for 2025 and beyond.