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Henrico Bar News
May 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
I am honored to serve as your President for the upcoming bar year. I am grateful to Brian Schneider for his leadership over the past year and I look forward to continuing the success of his tenure. Although I already know most of you, I look forwarding to getting to know each of you better at our events throughout the year. I hope you will all join me in my mission for the members of our organization to further develop our connections with each other. Our bar association offers a variety of opportunities each year not only to further our legal understanding, but also to share in each other's frustrations and successes. Our membership is comprised of attorneys in diverse practice areas with rich and interesting lives. This year we plan to offer more social events to provide the opportunity to enjoy the company of fellow members and benefit from each other's experiences. Let's get to know each other and learn what we each have to offer.
I look forward to working with our Board of Directors, Ryan Young, Emily Bishop, Jason Hart, Andrew Newby, Mike Gill, Jeff Miller, Susan Parrish, David Stock and Jennifer Wheeler. Thank you to each of you for embarking upon this journey with me. Also, please check out our new page on Facebook
@henricobarva.
Sincerely,
Natalie T. McClearn
President
From the Desk of Brian J. Schneider, HCBA
Immediate Past President
It is difficult to believe how quickly the year has passed for the HCBA. We recently held our annual Legislative Update and Spring Reception (more about both below), the latter of which culminated in the installation of Natalie McClearn as the Association's new President. Natalie's commitment to the HCBA is unequaled. She will be a great ambassador for our bar.
In addition to Natalie, I would like to thank Ryan Young, Emily Bishop and Jason Hart; as well as our Directors: Michael Gill, Jeffrey Miller, Andrew Newby, Susan Parrish and David Stock. The HCBA could not have enjoyed the year it did without their good efforts. And finally to our Administrator, Mary Lou Wellman, without whom none of this would be possible.
Finally, let me extend a personal note of thanks to all of you as members of the HCBA. Your commitment and contribution to our spirit of collegiality and professionalism is what makes our bar so special. My very best wishes to each of you. It has been a pleasure to serve.
Sincerely,
Brian J. Schneider
Immediate Past President
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Annual Spring Reception
On May 11, 2018, members of the Henrico County Bar Association gathered at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden for the Annual Spring Reception to bring to a close to the 2017-2018 bar year and swear in the new Board of Directors. Juridical Solutions, represented by the Hon. Catherine C. Hammond, retired judge, and Planet Depos, represented by JJ Rochefort, sponsored the reception. Thank you to Juridical Solutions and Planet Depos for your generous support in sponsoring the event. Henrico County Bar Association President, Brian J. Schneider, thanked the Board and administrator, Mary Lou Wellman, for their work and accomplishments throughout the bar year.
The new Board of Directors was sworn in by the Hon. Dennis F. Soden, who presides over the Henrico County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. Before swearing in the new Board, Judge Soden entertained guests with witty remarks about serving on the bench. Incoming President, Natalie T. McClearn, spoke and encouraged members to join in her mission for the upcoming year of getting to know each member better. She encouraged members to build upon the collegial nature of the Henrico Bar by deepening their social connections and sharing more of their personal and professional experiences with each other.
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Judge Soden swears in the new 2018-2019
Officers and Board of Directors
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Keith Barker and Dan and Beth Rosenthal
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Clayton Worthington, Aubrey Brown,
Steve Bryant and Judge Honey
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David Stock, Susan Parrish,
Brian Schneider and Ryan Young
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Jennifer Wheeler, Elaine Yeatts and Eddie Whitlock
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Mary Hunt, Natalie McClearn and Judge Soden
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Brittany Rainey and Lynn and John Tucker
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David Irving and Adalyn Brugger
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For more pictures from the Spring Reception, please
visit
our
website at www.henricobar.org.
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Legislative Update
With the General Assembly's Regular Session over and the Special Session just beginning, four Henrico legislators took time out of their schedules to share reports with the Bar at its annual Legislative Update. Always a popular CLE opportunity, this year's program did not disappoint. The members, who showed up in force, were treated to new perspectives at the lectern in the familiar quarters of the Westwood Club.
Senators Jennifer McClellan and Siobhan Dunnavant represented the very best of their chamber while recounting the triumphs and obstacles of another lengthy legislative session. Meanwhile, newcomers Schuyler VanValkenburg and Dawn Adams showed the bright future Henrico has in its representatives in the House of Delegates.
After our four guests of honor each took to the podium to deliver remarks on the highlights of the legislative session, the panel kindly took questions from the audience on a variety of topics. After the hour-plus session concluded, our members and distinguished guests enjoyed fellowship over drinks and snacks courtesy of The McCammon Group. Good company and many laughs followed until the last revelers were ushered out of the banquet room by our patient hosts.
We want to thank the membership and our legislators for making this year's event another memorable success. We also want to thank The McCammon Group, not only for their generous sponsorship, but also for allowing the membership to reconnect with a former panelist, Senator Walter Stosch.
Hear! hear! for our legislators!
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Andrew Newby, Jeff Miller, Sen. Dunnavant, Del. VanValkenburg, Sen. McClellan and Del. Adams
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Sen. Walter Stosch, Katrina Jones and Mike Harman
of The McCammon Group
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Denise Letendre and Jason Hart
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George Elmore and Marissa Mitchell
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Jeff Miller and Tom Edmonds
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Harry Shaia, Paul Georgiadis and Dan Rosenthal
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Eddie Whitlock and Sen. Walter Stosch
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Andrew Newby and John McChesney
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Paula Hough, Susan Parrish,
Mike Huberman and Greg Hough |
For more pictures from the Legislative Update, please
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Member Spotlight
Full Name: Jennifer S. Wheeler
Employer and Position: Lafayette, Ayers & Whitlock, PLC - Associate Attorney
College: Christopher Newport University, 2011
Law School: University of Richmond, 2014
Years in Practice: 3
Hobbies and Interests: I enjoy spending time with my son, James (1 year old), and my extended family, cooking and baking, crafting, and reading when I have some time alone.
Favorite Movie: I don't have a favorite movie right now, but I enjoy any lighthearted movie playing at the time.
Favorite Book: The Harry Potter series is always a go to, but my guilty pleasure is cheap, fun novels.
Favorite Pro and College Sports Team: I can't pretend I care too much for sports.
One Thing You Might Not Know About Me: My undergraduate degree is in Human Resources and I had no intention of going to law school until my senior year of college.
Best Thing About Practicing Law in Henrico: I have lived in Henrico my entire life. No matter how many counties and cities I practice in, it is always nice to come home to Henrico.
Funniest Experience as an Attorney: It is hard to pick just one. Every day brings new adventures and people. You just have to find the humor in all of the things you encounter along the way.
Advice to Young Attorneys: Don't let the smaller details or individual experiences get to you. As frustrating or difficult part of your day is, step back from the tree and look at the forest.
Full Name: Irvine Lee Reaves, Jr.
Employer and Position: Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney's Offfice, Assistant Commonwealth Attorney
College: University of Virginia, B.A. Economics
Law School: George Mason School of Law
Years in Practice: Six Years
Hobbies and Interests: I spend a significant portion of my free time coaching basketball at J.R. Tucker High School. Recently, I've been teaching my daughter Madison (7) how to ride a bike and my son Irv III (3) to dribble.
Favorite Movie: The Usual Suspects
Favorite Book: Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
Favorite Pro and College Sports Team: All University of Virginia Athletics, the Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia 76ers and the Atlanta Braves.
One Thing You Might Not Know About Me: I played the trombone in Richmond Public Schools All-City Band for six years.
Best Thing About Practicing Law in Henrico: Our defense bar and prosecuting office have a good relationship. There is an understand that some cases have to be litigated but it is rare that litigation becomes disrespectful.
Funniest Experience as an Attorney: When I was in defense practice, I had a brand new briefcase that I used to carry my day to day files. One morning in Henrico, while I was planning to run to another jurisdiction I realized I locked my keys in the car. I immediately called "pop a lock". While waiting for their arrival I placed my briefcase down beside the car and made a phone call. My car was eventually opened and I flew down route 301 to Hanover Circuit Court.
Later on that afternoon, I received a strange call from Henrico County. They told me that a briefcase had been left on the third floor of the parking garage and they were about to "take care of it". Apparently, "take care of it" meant treating my briefcase like an incendiary device, plugging in charge and blowing it up. I raced from my office in Chesterfield, to the Henrico Courts building, up the stairs to the third floor just in time to see an officer in full "Hurt Locker" regalia walking away from my bag. Fortunately for my bag and my pride I was able to stop the demolition of my new briefcase before it was blown to thousands of pieces.
Advice to Young Attorneys: Take advantage of the experiences of other counselors of law. I spend a fair amount of time watching and listening to the arguments of more experienced counsel. I encourage any young attorney who wishes to become a litigator to watch a jury trial from voir dire to sentencing, with the express purpose of taking away trial advocacy pointers. During my time in Henrico I have adopted the legal arguments, presentation themes and evidence presentation of more experienced litigants to build my own cases. There is a great benefit to be had from learning from the successes and setbacks of others.
I would also encourage any young attorney to respect the contributions of support staff and clerk's offices. Your reputation does not end when your arguments are over. Support staff and clerks of court can make your day a breeze or grind whatever plans you had to a halt. It has been my experience that if you respect what their contributions are that they can quickly become an invaluable logistic resource.
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Save the Date
Your new board is hard at work planning events for the upcoming year.
Please check the Calendar of Events on our website at
www.henricobar.org for the most up to date information.
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Patrick Henry Joins the HCBA for Lunch
On March 22, 2018, Patrick Henry joined over 50 HCBA members for our annual Spring Luncheon. Dressed in full patriotic attire and with polished flair, he shared his revolutionary musings, including key parts of his famous "Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death" speech that he delivered in 1775 before Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and others gathered for the Second Virginia Convention held inside historic St. John's Church in Richmond.
Following a wonderful speech, Mr. Henry took several questions from the audience. He pontificated on the joys of being a country lawyer, how the Founding Fathers would view our political system today, and whether we have gone beyond the founder's intent for the 2nd Amendment. All in all, we enjoyed having such a special guest and invited him to please join us as an honorary member for any future HCBA events.
Special thanks to Michael Wells, Esq., who suited up to allow us this authentic visit with one of Virginia's honored sons. Mr. Wells has been practicing law in the Richmond area since 1985. He is a partner at Smith, Barden and Wells, P.C., where he handles bankruptcy matters, civil litigation, wills, and estate planning. He has been portraying Patrick Henry for several years and delivers his speech in full character on a weekly basis at historic St. John's Church. We also deeply appreciate SELTEK, Inc. for sponsoring this event and making it possible for us to bring Patrick Henry to the HCBA.
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| Patrick Henry, portrayed by Michael Wells, Esq., entertains the bar |
Clerk's Corner
Henrico J&DR Court
As of April 2, 2018, to enhance customer service and processing time for the public, Henrico JDR will no longer processes petitions, motion to amends or show causes at the time of filing. We will continue to process at filing Appeals and ER hearings on the same day of filing.
We welcome to our office
Erin Jacoby,
Ashley Jennings,
Nicole Jones and
Latasha Sutton.
Please check out the Twitter page for the Henrico Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
@HenricoJDRCt.
Henrico Circuit Court Clerk's Office
As of June 1, 2018, we will be changing our public office hours from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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Drug Court News
On April 18, 2018, Drug Court held its annual basketball game where the participants competed against staff, Sheriff's deputies, and members of the Commonwealth Attorney's Office. As always, this event brings a lot of fun and enthusiasm from everyone. Our hope is to provide pro-social activities for participants and their families throughout the year and we couldn't do it without the support of the CA's and Sheriff's offices.
This year is our 15th year of operation and we have dedicated all of our graduations for the year to our alumni. On May 18, 2018, we graduated our 200th participant and our guest speaker was Brittney Welsch, a January 2017 graduate. Ms. Welsch currently works as a Peer Recovery Coach for Henrico County Mental Health and was a recent recipient of our Alumni Challenge Award where she successfully provided monthly negative drug screens for 12 months post-graduation.
Lastly, be on the lookout for information regarding our upcoming Run for Recovery 5k in September. This will be our second event and all proceeds benefit our current participants and alumni by affording them the opportunity to have graduation celebrations, pro-social activities and family days! HCBA's support last year was tremendous and we look forward to seeing you this year!
VSB Bar Council
Your Henrico County representatives on the Virginia State Bar Council will meet June 14 in Virginia Beach. If you have any concerns over the management or business of the VSB, we would be interested in hearing from you.
Dan Rosenthal
804-527-0699
Marissa Mitchell
804-501-5734
Craig Daniels
804-359-5500
Welcome New Members
Michael J. Beste
Sean Breit-Rupe
Stephen T. Harper
Mary Kathryn Hart
Charles M. Matthews
Saemi Murphy
Andrew J. Reinhardt
David L. Robinson
Alvin J. Williams, III
Harman Claytor Corrigan & Wellman welcomes Saemi Murphy, Britton R. Wight and Charles M. Matthews to the firm. Saemi joins our Richmond office as a Senior Associate and will defend claims involving civil rights, wrongful death, personal injury, construction defect, logging/trucking accident, malicious prosecution, excessive force, premises and professional liability. Britton joins our DC/Metro office as a Senior Associate and will focus his practice on general civil litigation. Charles joins our Richmond office as a Junior Associate and will focus his practice on general civil litigation.
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
admin@henricobar.org
. 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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