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2007 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 737
Commending The Virginia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division on its 50th anniversary.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 12, 2007
Agreed to by the Senate, January 18, 2007

 

WHEREAS, the Young Lawyers Division was established as a separate entity of The Virginia Bar Association (VBA) at the association's 67th Annual Meeting held at the Greenbrier in 1957; and

WHEREAS, the mission of the VBA Young Lawyers Division is to attract and retain the best among the young lawyers of Virginia whose common bonds include commitments to foster and encourage service to the unmet legal needs of society; improvements in the law and the administration of justice; upholding the highest standards for the legal profession; and developing leadership service to the bar and the public, all in concert with the purposes of The Virginia Bar Association, while enjoying enduring camaraderie with their peers; and

WHEREAS, originally called the Junior Bar Section, the organization became known as the Young Lawyers Section, and, in recognition of its important role in the VBA, it was officially renamed the VBA Young Lawyers Division in 1993; and

WHEREAS, the VBA Young Lawyers Division became affiliated with the Junior Bar Conference, which is now the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, a reciprocal and valuable relationship that endures today; and

WHEREAS, the first activity sponsored by the VBA Young Lawyers Division was a special ceremony before the Virginia Supreme Court where 40 new members of the bar were introduced by the deans of four Virginia law schools, followed by a luncheon attended by the Governor and the Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, in the early years of its existence, the VBA Young Lawyers Division initiated numerous valuable projects, many of which survive today, including the regional National Moot Court competition; the annual Bridge-the-Gap seminars; the Model Judiciary Program; and the publication of a practical guide for new lawyers, Virginia Lawyer's Basic Practice Handbook, in 1962, and what is now known as The Virginia Lawyer in 1966; and

WHEREAS, the VBA Young Lawyers Division has grown and evolved into a dynamic and committed membership that serves on more than 40 committees, supporting a multitude of special and ongoing projects that meet the diverse legal needs of people across the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, since 1976 the VBA Young Lawyers Division has received more than 70 American Bar Association Awards of Achievement for its many exemplary projects; and

WHEREAS, the VBA Young Lawyers Division is dedicated to helping others, making a lasting contribution to the public and to the legal community, and enjoying collegiality with other young lawyers in the process; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend and congratulate the Young Lawyers Division on celebrating 50 years of outstanding service to the Virginia Bar Association and the Commonwealth; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to The Virginia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division on the occasion of its 50th anniversary as an expression of the General Assembly’s gratitude for its members' dedication to quality legal services for all of the citizens of Virginia and best wishes for continued success in the years ahead.