OLD DOMINION BAR ASSOCIATION
"Virginia's Advocates for Equal Justice"       

NEWS AND EVENTS

May 2008

2008 Annual Meeting News
The Old Dominion Bar Association will hold its 68th Annual Meeting at the Sheraton West Hotel in Richmond.  
Beginning with a Thursday evening reception honoring government attorneys at the Black History and Cultural Center
in Richmond, the conference will offer an exciting program of continuing legal education courses, interesting
speakers and enjoyable activities for participants and their families, including fabulous hot stone chair massages, a
refereed bid whist tournament and a 9-hole golf tournament at the Crossings.  Free babysitting is available if the
request is received by May 15, 2008.  Election of officers who will serve for the next two years will occur at this
meeting.  If you are interested in serving as an officer, or know of someone interested, please contact Regina Sykes at
Akalaw08@hotmail.com.  Click here for the schedule of events, registration form, bid whist tournament rules and golf
tournament rules.  To reserve a hotel room at the discounted rate, click here.  

The Virginia State Bar Solo & Small Firm Practitioner Forum to be held on May 1, 2008

The Virginia State Bar Solo & Small Firm Practitioner Forum to be held on May 1 at the Virginia Historical Society in
Richmond, Virginia.  This is a free event and attorneys can receive 4.5 hours of continuing legal education credit.  For
the program schedule and registration form, go to http://www.vsb.org/site/events/item.

April 2008

On Wednesday April 23, 2008, the General Assembly appointed three African-Americans to judgeships.  With his
elevation to the Alexandria Circuit Court bench, Nolan D. Dawkins, Chief Judge of the Alexandria Juvenile and
Domestic Relations Court, became the first African American to serve on the Alexandria Circuit Court.  Judge
Dawkins, a native of Alexandria, served on the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court for fourteen years and is a long
time member of Old Dominion Bar Association.  Richmond attorney Marilynn C. Goss, Managing Attorney at Central
Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc. and a substitute judge, was appointed to serve on the Richmond Juvenile and Domestic
Relations Court.   A graduate of  the T. C. Williams School of Law in Richmond, Judge Goss practiced the full range of
poverty law for twenty-five years.  She is a long time member and former president of Old Dominion Bar Association.  
Marjorie A. Arrington, Norfolk Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney since 2001, was appointed to serve on the
Chesapeake Circuit Court.  Judge Arrington, a graduate of the Walter F. George School of Law in Macon, Georgia,
began her legal career as an attorney for Tidewater Legal Aid Society.  Before joining the Norfolk Commonwealth’s
Attorney Office, she was a prosecutor in Portsmouth and Suffolk.  

Judge John W. Scott, Jr., 59, died unexpectedly on April 16, 2008, as he was leaving Johns Hopkins Hospital after eye
surgery.  A Circuit Court judge since 1989, Judge Scott sat primarily in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He became the first
African-American judge in the area when he was appointed to the Stafford County General District Court Bench.  He
was a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law and worked for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund before
joining Hill, Tucker & Marsh, the Richmond law firm renowned for its civil rights work. Judge Scott, a long-time
member of the Old Dominion Bar Association, is survived by his wife, Alda White, Esq., and three sons.  A memorial
service wasl  held for Judge Scott on Saturday, April 26, 2008 at James Monroe High School in Fredericksburg,
Virginia. Judge Scott is a former President of the Old Dominion Bar Association.

March 2008

David Baugh Appointed as Capital Defender

On March 1, 2008 renowned defense attorney David P. Baugh, Esq. replaced John B. Boatright III as the capital
defender for the Central Virginia office of the Indigent Defense Commission.  Baugh, a former Assistant United States
Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas and the Eastern District of Virginia, received the Virginia State Bar’s Lewis F.
Powell Jr. Pro Bono Award in 2006.  The American Bar Association named him “Human Rights Hero” in 2006, as well.
During his career Baugh has represented unpopular defendants, including a terrorist and a Ku Klux Klan member.  
Attorney Baugh is a member of the Old Dominion Bar Association.


January 2008

Old Dominion Bar Association Winter Meeting Held at T. C. Williams School of Law

On January 26, 2008, The Old Dominion Bar Association held  its Winter Meeting at the University of Richmond’s T.C.
Williams School of Law.   Presenters were Charlotte Peoples Hodges, Esq., former  Assistant Bar Counsel with the
Virginia State Bar;  Henry McLaughlin Esq., Executive Director of Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc., and Charles
Lewis, Esq., a former federal public defender, of  HicksTymas LLC.  The guest speaker was criminal defense attorney
David P. Baugh, Esq., who spoke of the Constitution and challenged his listeners to consider whether they were
Americans or African-Americans.  The attendees enjoyed refreshments at a reception following the meeting.

Retired Judge James Madison Walton, Sr. Dies

James M. Walton, a retired judge, passed away on January 15, 2008.  He was 81 years-old.  A funeral service was held
on January 22, 2008 at The Historic First Baptist Church in Norfolk, Virginia.  Judge Walker retired from the Cook
County, Illinois bench in 1986.  After relocating to Virginia, he established a law practice in Chesapeake, Virginia, and
was a supporter and member of the Old Dominion Bar Association.  He is survived by his wife, Jean B. Walton and four
children.

Old Dominion Bar Association Held Annual Winter Meeting

On January 26, 2008, The Old Dominion Bar Association held its 2008 Winter Meeting at the T.C. Williams
School of Law at the University of Richmond.   Presenters included  Charlotte Peoples Hodges, Esq., former  Assistant
Bar Counsel with the Virginia State Bar; Henry McLaughlin Esq., Executive Director of Central Virginia Legal Aid
Society, Inc., and Charles Lewis, Esq., Counsel, HicksTymas LLC and former Federal Public Defender.  This year's
guest speaker will be David P. Baugh, Esq., former Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia
and the Eastern District of Texas.  Mr. Baugh is the 2006 Recipient of the VSB Lewis F. Powell Jr. Pro Bono Award and
was named a “Human rights Hero” by the American Bar Association. To register, please download the following form:

OCTOBER 2007

Virginia Supreme Court Appointment

Governor Timothy M. Kaine appointed Chesapeake Circuit Court Judge S. Bernard Goodwyn to the Virginia Supreme
Court seat vacated when former Justice Elizabeth B. Lacy retired.  Sworn in on October 19, 2007, Justice Goodwyn is
the third African-American to serve on the Virginia Supreme Court, preceded by Chief Justice Leroy Hassell and
former Justice John Charles Thomas.  The University of Virginia Law School graduate became the first African-
American judge in Chesapeake when he began serving on the Chesapeake General District Court bench.  He was
elevated to the Circuit Court in 1997.  Forty-six year old Goodwyn, a native of Southampton County, Virginia, is married
to Sharon Smith Goodwyn, Esq., both of whom are members of the Old Dominion Bar Association.

ODBA President-Elect Inducted as Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation

ODBA President-Elect Beverly Burton was inducted as a Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation.  This honor is conferred
on lawyers who have distinguished themselves by professional excellence, service to the Bar and to their
communities.  It is limited to one percent of the active and associate lawyers in Virginia.  A reception, dinner, and
induction ceremony was held January 17, 2008 at the Williamsburg Lodge and Convention Center in conjunction with
the Annual Meeting of the Virginia Bar Association.  Marilynn Goss, a former ODBA President, is a Virginia Law
Foundation Fellow and serves on the Foundation’s Fellows Council.  

SEPTEMBER 2007  

ODBA Member Named New American Judges Association President

Chesapeake Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge Eileen A. Olds, was sworn in on September 29, 2007, as
President of the American Judges Association at the organization’s conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.  A
1982 graduate of the Marshall Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary, Judge Olds, the first African-
American female to serve on the bench in Chesapeake, received the Thurgood Marshall Award from the National Bar
Association in August of this year.  She is a member of the Old Dominion Bar Association.

Former ODBA President Retires from Bench

Judge Gammiel G. Poindexter, ODBA President during 1980-1982, retired from the Sixth Judicial District General
District Court bench on October 1, 2007.  Judge Poindexter began serving on the bench September 1995, and presided
over civil and criminal matters in Greensville, Emporia and Sussex.   She handled one of the highest caseloads per
judge in the Commonwealth from 1995 until 2001, when another judgeship was added to the Sixth Judicial District.  
Judge Poindexter was Chief Judge of the General District Court from October 1999 to July 2002.  A  1969 graduate of   
Louisiana State University Law School, she was Commonwealth’s Attorney of Surry County from January 1, 1976 to
August 31, 1995.  She is married to Gerald G. Poindexter, Esq.,  Commonwealth’s Attorney for Surry County.  Both are
long-time members of the ODBA.

AUGUST 2007

ODBA Founder Dies

August 5, 2007 - Oliver W. Hill, Sr.  passed away at his home on August 5, 2007, at the age of one hundred.  Mr.  Hill,
one of the founders of the Old Dominion Bar Association, was a retired  civil rights attorney who, along with
Hon. Spottswood Robinson, and Hon.  Thurgood Marshall, paved the way for enormous social change in America
through  his work on behalf of Prince Edward County, Virginia school children in the  landmark Brown v. Board of
Education case.  Feted in honor of his 100th  birthday in May 2007, in 1999 Mr. Hill was awarded the highest American
civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in 2005 received the  Spingarn Medal, the NAACP's highest
honor.

Mr. Hill lay in state for  viewing by the public at the Executive Mansion in Richmond, Virginia, on  Saturday, August 11,
2007, and a memorial service was held on  Sunday, August 12, 2007 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in
Richmond, Virginia.  Mr. Hill was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Richmond.

ODBA Judicial Selection Committee Evaluates Virginia Supreme Court Candidates

August 17, 2007 - The ODBA Judicial Selection Committee evaluated  fourteen candidates for the seat of retiring
Virginia Supreme Court Justice  Elizabeth B. Lacy.   The ODBA  Executive Committee considered the Committee's
report at its August  18th meeting and reported its findings and recommendations to Governor Timothy Kaine.  The  
Judicial Selection Committee evaluated the candidates for retiring Virginia  Court of Appeals Judge James W. Benton
on August 30, 2007.

JULY 2007

ODBA Executive Committee Member Pamela Boston Elected Vice-President of NBA

ODBA Executive  Committee member and former Treasurer Pamela F. Boston, Esq.,was elected a  Vice-President of
the National Bar Association at its annual meeting in July.  Ms. Boston has served the NBA in several  capacities,
including Region IV Coordinator of the NBA MLK Advocacy Competition, Publisher/Editor of the Region IV Newsletter,
NBA Board Member-At-Large, and  most recently as Region IV Director.  A recipient of two NBA Presidential Awards,
Ms. Boston will oversee the  activities pertaining to membership for the NBA in her capacity as  Vice-President.  
Ms. Boston was  Associate General Counsel and Special Assistant Attorney General  for Virginia Commonwealth
University from November 1995 to January  2006.   She was appointed General Counsel and  Assistant Attorney
General for Norfolk State  University February  2006.

ODBA Treasurer Helivi Holland Sworn in Suffolk's first Deputy City Attorney

July 27, 2007 - ODBA Treasurer, Helivi Holland, Esq., was sworn in as the City of  Suffolk's first  Deputy City Attorney.   
Ms. Holland joined the Suffolk City  Attorney's Office in 2002 as an Assistant City Attorney after being a
prosecutor  in the cities of Portsmouth and Suffolk for a total of ten years.  Formerly an adjunct  community college
professor, she also was a certified trainer for the Virginia  Commonwealth University School of Social Work and
was a guardian ad litem for  more than 10 years.  Ms. Holland began  her legal career in Suffolk with Benn and Benn,
the law firm of the  late Herman T. Benn, Esq. and his widow, Marian Benn.

Virginia Court of Appeals Judge James W. Benton Announces Retirement

The Honorable James W. Benton, Jr., a judge of the Virginia Court of Appeals, announced he will retire Oct. 1, 2007.  
A graduate of Temple University and the University of Virginia School of Law, Judge Benton was appointed to the court
of appeals when it was created in 1985.  A long-time member of the Old Dominion Bar Association, Judge Benton was
the first, and only, African American appointed to the Virginia Court of Appeals.

Suffolk Attorney, Herman T. Benn, Dies

Herman T. Benn, Esq., a Suffolk, Virginia attorney and long-time member of the Old Dominion Bar Association, passed
away on July 20, 2007.  Mr. Benn's long career included a win before the United States Supreme Court in Johnson v.
Commonwealth of Virginia, in which the court held that "[s]tate-compelled segregation in a court of justice is a
manifest violation of the State's duty to deny no one the equal protection of its laws."  Mr. Benn represented an African
American who was charged with contempt of court when he sat in the section of court reserved for whites only.  His
widow, Marian Benn, Esq., is also a member of the Old Dominion Bar Association.  

Visit this link to a Virginian-Pilot newspaper story for details of Mr. Benn's career:  http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-
Pilot/issues/1997/vp970215/02150225.htm

APRIL 2007

ODBA President-Elect Receives Distinguished 2007 LGA Cherin Award

April 20, 2007 - Hampton - The Local Government Attorneys of Virginia, Inc. presented ODBA President-Elect
Beverly A. Burton with the 2007 Cherin Award for  Outstanding Deputy or Assistant City, County, or Town Attorney.  The
award recognizes an attorney who has demonstrated distinguished public service that has enhanced the image of
local
government attorneys in the Commonwealth and reflects a personal commitment to the highest ethical and
professional
principles.  Attorney Burton is the first African-American to win this award.


UPCOMING EVENTS

ODBA 68th ANNUAL MEETING
May 29 – June 1, 2008
Sheraton Richmond West Hotel

To reserve a hotel room at the discounted ODBA rate, click below:

http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/ODBA08

Click here for registration form.

Click here for schedule of events.

Click here for bid whist tournament rules.

Click here for golf tournament rules.

For questions about the 2008 Annual Meeting , contact Marilyn Goss at Marilynn@cvlas.org or Beverly Burton at
BABurton@aol.com.