Message from the Chair

When I became 2004–2005 chair of the SLC at the VSB Annual Meeting in Virginia Beach, in June of 2004, I was highly honored and looked forward with pride to leading such a great organization. The Conference was then three years old and annual membership had increased to over 9,000. In being on the board during these past years, and in looking back, I was greatly impressed by our accomplishments and leadership.

Frank Brown of Richmond, got us off to a running start in 2001–2002, Cal Thomas of Staunton gave us outstanding leadership in 2002–2003 and Pat Barton of Springfield followed in 2003–2004 graciously and energetically leading the Conference to accomplish many of the projects initiated by Frank and Cal and to begin new projects.

Over these years, the Conference, in addition to its dramatic increase in membership, has accomplished much:

* Convinced the VSB Council to adopt a resolution designating the SLC chair a member of the Executive Committee and of the Council of the Virginia State Bar

* Established a website under the leadership and hard work of Frank Brown, which is one of the best, if not the best, website of any of the VSB sections or conferences

* Published newsletters on the website and, beginning with last year, circulated to Conferences members a printed copy of the Spring 2004 issue

* Sponsored and participated in SLC Workshops at the Annual Meeting on Estates, Healthcare Litigation and other matters of importance to senior lawyers and senior citizens

* Published high quality articles on Civility and Professionalism

* Published and circulated the Senior Citizens Handbook, in a joint effort with the Young Lawyers Conference

* Sponsored a luncheon each year at the Annual Meeting to honor VBS lawyers who have completed 50 years of service as members of the VSB

* Published articles on Retirement Planning for Lawyers and presented CLE programs on this subject

* Developed a plan for the continuation or concluding of law practices and protection of clients in the event of a lawyer's death or disability

* Had a continuing committee on how senior lawyers may make pro bono contributions

* Distributed information and participated in conferences addressing national healthcare issues

* Developed a proposed amendment to the Rules of the Supreme Court, called the Emeritus Rule, which would allow attorneys who have retired to provide pro bono legal services to the indigent.

Chief Justice Hassell, from the time of his election to this office, has given the SLC his ongoing encouragement, appreciation and leadership. At the annual VSB meeting last year, at his request, an informal meeting was held between the Chief Justice, his senior staff attorney, Greg Lucyk, Pat Barton, Bill Wilson, Harriette Shivers and me to discuss the Chief Justice's ideas for various initiatives in which senior lawyers could participate in and contribute to. As an outgrowth of this meeting, the Chief Justice requested me to name a committee to study involuntary commitment procedures in Virginia and, in particular, as they relate to the elderly.

Thereafter, I appointed SLC Board members Robert Hunter Manson of Reedville, Harriette E. Shivers of Roanoke, Robert Lathan Calhoun of Alexandria, Thomas F. McPhaul of Norfolk, John Grant Mizell, Jr. of Richmond, and non-Board members John T. Molumphy of Roanoke, and R. Shawn Majette of Richmond, with Earle Garrett of Danville as chair. This committee worked with the Chief Justice's Office and as a result, a meeting was held at the Supreme Court with the Chief Justice, members of his staff, members of the SLC Ccommittee and SLC officers and special justices throughout the state who handle commitment proceedings. The outgrowth of this meeting is a conference now scheduled for September 30, 2005 in Charlottesville to be attended by a broad range of persons involved in involuntary commitment proceedings including special justices and attorneys, and social service organization representatives, as well as the SLC committee members, the chair and chair-elect. In the meantime, committees have been appointed by the Chief Justice to further the planning of this conference and to study involuntary commitment procedures include all of the members of the SLC committee.

My tenure as Cchair is complemented and supported by a board that is enthusiastic and proactive. Pat Barton has been in charge of circulation of the Senior Citizens Handbook; Cal Thomas and Ned Slaughter of Charlottesville are developing a CLE program on civility and professionalism; Bill Wilson of Covington, our Chair-Elect, is working diligently towards the establishment of standards of care for assisted living facilities and he and Jack Burch of Richmond, our secretary, have written an article for the Virginia Lawyer on assisted living care issues. Bob Cox of Richmond continues as treasurer and prepares our budget; Frank Brown continues as editor of our newsletter and Web master of our Website, is chair of our nominating committee and makes many more invaluable contributions to the work of the SLC than I can mention; Matt Archer of Portsmouth has just been appointed as the SLC liaison to the Lawyers Helping Lawyers Committee and Judge Joe Spruill is serving as alternate liaison; Clarence Dunnaville of Richmond is working with board member Henry Woodward, from the Legal Aid Society in Roanoke, and other members of the board to develop a pro bono program for senior lawyers to contribute pro bono services to legal aid societies throughout the state; John Tate of Marion is active in his area in promoting CLE programs addressing senior issues; Cal Thomas and Ned Slaughter are continuing to work together to address the causes and cures of lawyers' incivility and unprofessionalism; Judge Davis Reed of Virginia Beach assists in editing the Senior Citizens Handbook. Opie Pollard, who completed his term on our board in June, has agreed to continue as editor of the Senior Citizens Handbook and to chair the SLC Indigent Defense Committee. I should also mention that our board is extremely proud that Opie has just been awarded the 2005 Harry L. Carrico Professionalism Award sponsored by the Criminal Law Section of the VSB.

Pat Sliger, our VSB liaison, deserves this separate paragraph in her honor and in appreciation of all the hard work, enthusiasm and positive contributions, she makes to the SLC.

I am sure that I have failed to mention some of our accomplishments and ongoing programs and some of our members who are active in them. I do hope that I have presented a fair picture of an organization that is so valuable to the legal profession in Virginia and to its senior citizens. I will always appreciate and fondly remember my participation in the SLC.

William B. Smith Chair,
Senior Lawyers Conference
115 South Lynnhaven Road, Suite 100
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23452
Telephone: (757) 463-4900
Facsimile: (757)463-3521
E-mail: ddd2@daviddickerson.com