April 18, 2025

Supreme Court of Virginia Approves VSB Budget for FY26

On April 16, 2025, the Supreme Court approved the fiscal year 2026 budget of the Virginia State Bar (VSB) and, in light of significant budgetary challenges, ordered that the VSB’s four conferences be converted to sections no later than June 30.

Together, the four conferences have combined budgets totaling $243,000. Under the Court’s reorganization, the Young Lawyers, Senior Lawyers, and Diversity Conferences and the Conference of Local and Specialty Bar Associations will convert to voluntary sections and become self-funded beginning July 1, 2026. The order will increase the number of VSB sections to 24 and eliminate all conferences.

“We will work diligently to preserve the functions and activities of these four conferences, and we believe their operation as sections will give them significant flexibility to expand their programs and develop bold new initiatives,” said VSB President Michael York.

Under the Court’s order, the four new sections will retain their ex officio seats on the VSB Council and will continue to receive VSB funding for the coming fiscal year. Beginning July 1, 2026, the new sections will operate the same as the other 20 sections--based on additional voluntary section membership dues.

As a practical matter, the VSB encourages all members to continue their section membership(s) and to consider joining at least one of the four new sections. The annual dues for the current 20 sections range from $10 to $35. Dues for the four new sections will be set by those sections’ leadership.

VSB annual dues for active members will remain unchanged for fiscal year 2026 at $250.

Additionally, some of the current conferences’ functions, such as the Admission and Orientation Ceremonies and the Bar Leaders Institute, could be funded by the VSB’s general dues revenues.

A number of details are yet to be determined, and the VSB Executive Committee will consider many of these issues at its meeting on April 30.

Read the Court’s Order