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2018 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 146
Commending George H. Hettrick.

 

Agreed to by the Senate, February 22, 2018
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 2, 2018

 

WHEREAS, George H. Hettrick, a respected legal professional with more than 30 years of experience, has announced his retirement as of March 31, 2018, thus bringing to an end his long and exemplary career as an attorney at Hunton & Williams and as a national leader in promoting pro bono services in the legal profession; and

WHEREAS, George Hettrick earned his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in 1962 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1965; and

WHEREAS, a veteran of the United States Army, George Hettrick worked as a special counsel to the Governor of Virginia before joining the law firm of Hunton & Williams, where he forged a successful practice in corporate and finance law; and

WHEREAS, since 1989, George Hettrick has served as the chair of Hunton & Williams’ pro bono committee; under his diligent leadership, the firm has achieved 100 percent attorney participation in pro bono projects and opened pro bono offices in Richmond and Charlottesville; and

WHEREAS, George Hettrick’s many pro bono efforts have included assisting veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, overseeing three international child abduction cases, overturning a wrongful conviction in a murder case, and aiding low-income residents in a variety of legal matters; and

WHEREAS, along with serving as managing partner of Hunton & Williams’ pro bono offices, George Hettrick has helped create Firms in Service, a group of law firms and legal departments that meets bimonthly to collaborate on pro bono issues; and

WHEREAS, a member of the Virginia Access to Justice Commission and the advisory board of the Greater Richmond Bar Foundation, George Hettrick also works on the treatment team at the federal drug court in Richmond and serves as a board member emeritus of Lawyers Helping Lawyers, a group that assists attorneys with drug and alcohol addiction; and

WHEREAS, George Hettrick’s tireless support of pro bono legal efforts has earned him many awards and recognitions, including the 2015 Lewis F. Powell Jr. Pro Bono Award from the Virginia State Bar and a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from The American Lawyer magazine; and

WHEREAS, in 2015, the Greater Richmond Bar Foundation created the George H. Hettrick Leadership Award in George Hettrick’s honor; the award recognizes lawyers who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to aiding underrepresented groups; and

WHEREAS, in 2017, George Hettrick was one of 26 people named a Person of the Year honoree by the Richmond Times-Dispatch; the award recognized his many influential contributions to pro bono efforts in the Richmond legal community; and

WHEREAS, throughout his distinguished career, George Hettrick has brought his talent and experience to the aid of countless people in need and has consistently been a force for positive change in the community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend George H. Hettrick for his many years of distinguished pro bono service on the occasion of his retirement from Hunton & Williams; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to George H. Hettrick, as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his dedication to aiding the residents of the Commonwealth.