May 11, 2026
Local and Specialty Bar Associations Receive 2026 Awards of Merit
The Local and Specialty Bar Section has recognized four projects completed by four individual bar associations with Awards of Merit.
This competition is designed to recognize outstanding projects and programs of local and specialty bar associations; share successful programming ideas and resources with all bar associations; encourage greater service to the bench, bar, and public; and inform the public about some of the excellent work of local and specialty bars and the legal profession in general.
This year’s Awards of Merit winners are:
Greater Peninsula Women's Bar Association
Lifting the Curtain on the Rule of Law and the American Dream: A Law Day Open House
The NAWJ Color of Justice
In an effort to combat misinformation about the purpose of judicial review and the rule of law, the GPWBA formed a Law Education Committee. The first project of the committee is planning an open house for Law Day 2026. The committee decided that Newport News was one of the most approachable locations due to the excellent bench-bar relations in that jurisdiction. Also, of great importance in the decision was that the design of their courthouses, with Circuit Court and General District Court located in one building, was most suitable for the event.
The Color of Justice is a program developed by the National Association of Women Judges. Its goal is to encourage historically underrepresented students to consider careers in the legal field. The GPWBA has presented this program for Newport News students in previous years; the last program was offered in May 2022 at Achievable Dream High School. The program was the first in almost 20 years offered to Hampton students.
Old Dominion Bar Association
2026 Black History Month Social Media Campaign
The goal of the social media campaign was to highlight the accomplishments of ODBA predecessors and the important work that they did in the profession, as well as to educate the public (both inside and outside the profession) about their stories and the context of their contributions. For each day of the month, ODBA posted a profile of a notable African American Virginia Lawyer or Judge highlighting their contributions so the profession and to society. These people were often a trailblazer, or “first” of some sort. To the extent that they were the first, they aimed to provide context to their work and contributions to the profession.
Richmond Bar Association
The Richmond Lawyer
In September 2024, the Richmond Bar Association launched The Richmond Lawyer, a complete reimagining of its member publication. The newsletter it replaced had served the RBA faithfully since 1988, but its format had not meaningfully evolved in over three decades: a black-and-white, text-heavy, 12-page document that communicated information but did not reflect the vibrancy of the association it represented today. The redesign transformed it into a full-color, 25-to-40-page digital magazine distributed nine times per year to more than 1,400 members, at no additional cost to the Association.
Roanoke Bar Association
RBA Centennial Celebration
RBA Centennial Communtiy Support
RBA History Project
The Roanoke Bar Association was incorporated in April 1925. To mark our 100th anniversary, the RBA organized a year-long series of events celebrating the RBA’s long history. With the increased use of virtual communication, one of their goals was to reinforce and enhance the personal connections and the collegiality that the bar is known for amongst its members. The membership includes attorneys and members of the judiciary from the surrounding state and federal courts. The celebration concluded in June 2025.
The RBA looked within their community for projects to support. A request for donations to fund these projects was made to the membership. This donation request was so successful that it allowed the RBA to fund a large project for the Legal Aid Society Roanoke Valley in fall 2024. With additional funds continuing to come in after the completion of that project, four additional projects were selected and funded in 2025–2026. The projects were selected in honor of the current long-time and ongoing service projects. These included the Barrister Book Buddies, Legal Food Frenzy, support for students who lack fixed, permanent housing, and an additional donation to Legal Aid for the printing of brochures.
To mark the 100Th anniversary, the RBA wanted to find a way to share its history with its members and the community. The decision was made to create a video, a mobile display, a new composite, and a gallery of memorabilia. The video included photos and the recorded interviews of selected members.
Allegheny-Bath Highlands Bar Association
So You're 18 Program
In 2024, the ABHBA featured a speaker who told the students about losing his young son to an overdose of fentanyl. As he spoke, you could have "heard a pin drop" as the students hung onto every word. That "add on" part of the program was inspired by Beth Macy's book "Dopesick," which told about the Drug Crisis in Western and Southwestern Virginia. The effect on the students was obvious and powerful. As a sad sequal to the program, the father committed suicide a few months later.
In 2025, the ABHBA conducted a similar program, adding again the "Drug Crisis" part. Again, the impact on the students was clear and powerful. Fentanyl is a powerful and additive drug, sometimes fatal, and the bar thought that educating students on the pitfalls of illegal drug use is not only a good idea, but an obligation of lawyers as public servants.
Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association
Volunteer Lawyer Program
The Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association’s (CABA) Volunteer Lawyer Program (VLP) launched in 2019 to provide a structured system for connecting members of the private bar with individuals who cannot otherwise obtain legal assistance. For more than six years, the VLP’s coordinator recruits volunteer attorneys, vets and places cases, provides training resources, and connects clients with appropriate legal and community services. The program has grown into one of the most active and successful pro bono initiatives operated by a mid-sized local bar in Virginia, and has connected hundreds of community members with volunteer attorneys while strengthening the culture of pro bono participation within the Charlottesville Albemarle legal community.
These organizations will receive their awards at the VSB's Annual Meeting in Virginia Beach.