May 15, 2025

Shellie S. Reid Receives 2025 Young Lawyer of the Year Award

The Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Conference has named Shellie S. Reid, manager of the Legal Services National Technology Assistance Project (LSNTAP), as the R. Edwin Burnette Jr. Young Lawyer of the Year. The award has been a harbinger of future success, with recipients going on to serve as VSB presidents, in the Office of the Attorney General, and as esteemed members of the bench and bar, and recognizes young lawyers who demonstrate dedicated service to the conference, the legal profession, and the community.  

Reid was nominated by the Young Lawyers Conference Board of Governors, who said her dedication to the YLC through her coordination of the 2024 Wills for Heroes program was invaluable. "[Her] commitment to the community through [her] tireless volunteerism with the Wills for Heroes program embodies the criteria of this prestigious award," said Craig E. Ellis, Immediate Past President of the Young Lawyers Conference.   

Reid serves as the committee co-chair of the Wills for Heroes program, where local attorneys provide basic estate planning documents at no cost to first responders and their spouses. As co-chair, Reid worked with her committee to coordinate with first responders across Loudoun County, planned informational estate planning sessions, and recruited volunteer attorneys from the legal community to participate in the event.

During law school, Reid sought opportunities to gain experience beyond the normal law school path. As an Access to Justice (ATJ) Tech Fellow, she learned of the many career options available to students who love legal and embrace technology. As a founding member of the Delta Model Lawyer research group, Reid helped formulate and test a competency model for lawyers. She gained experience working as a law clerk for a legal aid organization, a coordinator for a national non-profit, and as a student in the Center for Law, Technology & Innovation.  

Before law school, Reid was a recognized subject matter expert for software used by local governments across the country. She is a strong believer in the benefits of building a personal brand and network through social media, and her personal story was so profoundly impacted by the opportunities she found through social media that she funds a social media challenge at Michigan State University College of Law each year.    

The award will be presented by Judge R. Edwin Burnette, Jr., at the YLC Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner at the VSB Annual Meeting in Virginia Beach on Thursday, June 12.