Membership
Membership Information
Organized in 1967 as one of the largest sections, the Section on Criminal Law broadly represents prosecutors, defense counsel, trial judges and academics concerned with the criminal justice system in the Commonwealth. It also has one of the most active continuing legal education programs. For the past 30 years, the section has held its annual Criminal Law Seminar in February in two locations in the state. Outstanding speakers, including nationally renowned luncheon speakers such as Bobby Lee Cook and Gerry Spence, make this seminar the most highly successful CLE program on criminal law in Virginia. In addition, from time to time the section presents its "Carrico Professionalism Award" to a member of the public or the profession. The section also publishes approximately eight issues a year of the Criminal Law News.
Board of Governors
Membership Application
What Does Criminal Law Section Membership Offer You?
Superior Publications
The Section's Criminal Law Newsletter is published about eight times a year - every six or seven weeks - to keep members current on recent developments in the field of criminal practice in Virginia. Each issue contains Section news, the Section chair's letter, digests of recent criminal law and criminal procedure decisions by the Virginia Supreme Court, the Virginia Court of Appeals and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, a calendar of upcoming Continuing Legal Education programs of interest, and periodic articles on criminal justice topics. The Newsletter also, when appropriate, summarizes important recent Virginia and federal legislation in the criminal law and procedure area.Reports of important studies by committees of the Section on subjects of interest to members are also frequently included in the Newsletter. Reports in recent years have dealt with videotape usage in the courtroom, specialization, defense of indigents, professionalism, and handling capital cases in Virginia.The Section also was instrumental in the preparation of the Capital Case Trial Manual, published in 1991, to aid in the competent and professional handling of cases involving the death penalty.
Education Programs
In February of each year, the Section sponsors the annual Criminal Law Seminar featuring outstanding speakers discussing the "how-to's" of important techniques in the handling of criminal cases. A luncheon speaker of note highlights each program which annually is the best-attended continuing legal education program on criminal law topics in the Commonwealth. Luncheon speakers have included such prominent individuals as Bobby Lee Cook, Gerry Spence, F. Lee Bailey, Janet Reno, Roy Black, Vincent Bugliosi, Professor Michael Tigar, and 'Racehorse' Haynes. A reception for Section members precedes each Seminar. Section membership entitles one to a significant discount on the registration fee for the Criminal Law Seminar, as well.
Prominent speakers on criminal justice and procedure subjects are also presented at the Annual Meeting of the Virginia State Bar and periodically at the Midyear Meeting.Advocate for
Criminal Justice Reform
There is no other organization in Virginia that is so broadly representative of prosecutors, defense counsel, and trial judges concerned with the criminal justice system in the state. The Section Board of Governors includes prosecutors, defense attorneys, a Circuit Court judge, a General District Court judge, a Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court judge, a U.S. District Court judge, as well as a representative of the Virginia Attorney General, and a U.S. Attorney. The Section, in spite of and because of this diversity, has been effective in speaking with one voice for the improvement of criminal justice in Virginia. In past years, the Section led the way to the establishment of the Virginia Public Defender Commission, conducted a statewide bail reform study, spearheaded the efforts leading to the adoption of rules on guilty pleas, evaluated the use of videotape in pretrial and trial proceedings , studied and assisted in improving the fees for representation of indigents charges with crime, and established a statewide system for the appointment of attorneys in capital cases, among other matters.The Section has frequently been called upon by the members and Committees of the General Assembly for its advice on matters affecting the criminal justice system in the Commonwealth. Section members and past chairs have also been called on to sit as citizen members on legislative studies.
Add Your Voice to Those of the Thousands of Other Section Members Who Preceded You
The benefits outlined above can be yours by filling out the short application for Section membership on the back of this brochure and forwarding it with your check for $20.00 to the Virginia State Bar office today. There are few comparable bargains in the Bar within Virginia. If you are interested in criminal law, you should join the multitude of other Section members who are already joined in the bond of membership.
Membership Application
Updated: Monday, October 1, 2007 4:45 PM