Bar Association of the Year Award

The Virginia State Bar’s Conference of Local and Specialty Bar Associations seeks to recognize and honor the Bar Association of the Year. This award will be presented to a bar association that demonstrates the impact it has made upon the legal community and community at large, regardless of the size of that bar association.

The Conference of Local and Specialty Bar Associations will present the Bar Association of the Year Award during its annual meeting on Friday, May 31, 2024, in Virginia Beach.

All entries must be postmarked or received via e-mail no later than Friday, April 12, 2024.

11th Annual Bar Association of the Year Award Nomination Criteria

Eligibility

All CLSBA member bar associations in the state will be considered. When judging nominees, emphasis will be placed on activities during the last year. Emphasis will not be put on the size of the bar, but rather the accomplishments of the bar association relative to its size. Previous winners are ineligible.

Entry Instructions & Deadline: April 12, 2024

  1. All entries shall have a cover page with the following information:
    1. Name of the nominated bar association and the number of members in the bar;
    2. Name and address of the president of the bar association and the names and addresses of the officers of the bar association;
    3. Name, address, and phone number of the individual making the nomination; and
  2. In addition to the cover page, the nomination shall include a explanation of why the nominee should be named Bar Association of the Year. This nomination, including any supplemental materials, but not including the cover page, shall not exceed five (5) 8½ x 11 pages.
  3. All entries should be emailed to [email protected]
    —OR—
    Mailed to:
    Paulette Davidson
    Virginia State Bar
    1111 East Main Street, Suite 700
    Richmond, VA 23219-0026
    Phone: (804) 775-0521
  4. All entries must be postmarked or received via e-mail no later than Friday, April 12, 2024.

Judging

A subcommittee appointed by the chair of the CLSBA will judge the competition.

Entries will be judged according to:

  1. Member Support: CLEs, programs that mentor young lawyers, guidance with local rules, member events, membership directories, teaching and promoting civility, promoting contact between the bench and bar, and programs helping with substance/alcohol abuse and mental health issues for lawyers.
  2. Community Outreach: So You’re 18 presentations; presentations to senior citizens in senior centers and nursing homes; hosting candidate forums; presentations to elementary, middle, and high school students; Color of Justice programs (exposing minority children to careers in the law); and efforts to improve the overall reputation of lawyers and the justice system in the community.
  3. Charitable Works: Work at homeless shelters/domestic violence shelters, collections for food shelters, holiday events/parties/celebrations for underprivileged children, work with at-risk children and teens, and assistance in disaster relief.
  4. Pro Bono Work: Assisting with the Bar’s efforts to encourage members to do pro bono work; incentives by the bar association for the members to do pro bono work; the existence of a pro bono committee within the bar association; and the percentage of members involved in GAL, court-appointed, or civil commitment work.
  5. Details: Membership participation percentage (how many bar members actually participated in something in the past year as opposed to merely holding status as member); New projects during the last calendar year; Novel or unusual projects (is a bar doing something that no other bar is doing); and Sustained projects (projects that the bar has been doing for five or more consecutive years).
  6. Other: Any and all other activities regarding your local bar association that the applicant believes should be considered.

The winner will be notified via telephone by Friday, May 10, 2024.

Past Recipients