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Alissa N. Hudson
Executive Director
Prince William County Bar Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 31
Manassas, VA 20108
Office Location
Prince William County Judicial Center
9311 Lee Avenue
Third Floor
Main Telephone: 703-393-8865
LRS Telephone: 703-393-2306
Facsimile: 703-331-5683
E-mail: info@pwcba.org
The Prince William County Bar Association,
Inc. (PWCBA) was established on July 25, 1941, by the seven
attorneys that comprised the total of this area's legal community
at that time. Though the membership has grown to include approximately
354 attorneys and members of the judiciary, the stated objectives
of the organization remain the same: to maintain the honor and
dignity of the profession of law, and increase its usefulness
in promoting the due administration of justice, and the mutual
improvement and social intercourse of its members.
The PWCBA accomplishes its objectives through
a variety of means:
EDUCATION: The PWCBA is a Virginia
State Bar, (VSB), accredited sponsor of Continuing Legal Education,
(CLE), seminars. As an accredited sponsor, the bar offers numerous
CLE courses annually, to enable members to fulfill their mandatory
continuing legal education requirements, as set forth by the
VSB. The PWCBA also sponsors a variety of educational programs
during monthly membership meetings on topics related to local
court procedures, new legislation, legal services, and other
topics useful in their practice. In addition to education for
members, the PWCBA sponsors many educational projects for the
local community to insure public access to and understanding
of the legal system.
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE: The PWCBA's
executive board and standing committees work regularly with
the courts to develop accepted protocols, organizational and
educational tools to aid in the in the administration of justice
and to meet the growing need for low cost or pro bono legal
services to the community. The PWCBA also operates a Lawyer
Referral which facilitates public access to an attorney.
LIAISON: Developing and maintaining
good working relationships with area legislators is accomplished
through sponsorship of Candidates Forums, Legislative Issues
Forums, the annual Legislators' luncheon and routine and constructive
contact with members of the Virginia General Assembly on matters
of importance to the bar association. The PWCBA also strives
to maintain a close relationship with the Virginia State Bar
(VSB) through active participation in the Conference of Local
Bar Association activities and through the establishment of
local practice section liaisons. PWCBA members routinely serve
the VSB in state leadership roles.
FELLOWSHIP: The annual Dinner Dance
is the largest social event planned by the PWCBA, where members
can enjoy an evening with their colleagues and with members
of the judiciary in a purely social setting. At this event,
individual members are recognized for their outstanding achievements
in the area of professionalism, pro bono legal service, for
their work as court appointed attorneys or guardians ad litem,
and for their roles in leadership capacities within the Bar.
The Bar celebrated its 60th Anniversary with great fanfare at
the February 2001 Dinner Dance. The evening included historical
presentations, recognition of all past presidents, and a presentation
of a Virginia General Assembly resolution, commemorating a lifetime
of service, to the Honorable Arthur W. Sinclair, Jr., the only
surviving founding member of the Bar Association. Other social
events planned throughout the years have included family picnics,
trips to baseball games and barbecues.
BENCH-BAR RELATIONS: The PWCBA interacts
with the judiciary in a myriad of ways, including: bench &
board meetings to discuss ideas for promoting the administration
of justice in the courts, involvement in the judicial screening
process when an opening is anticipated on the bench, annual
judicial evaluations, and sponsorship of investitures, retirement
celebrations and the commissioning of judicial portraits.
COMMUNITY SERVICE: Public relations
and community service activities are a significant focus for
the PWCBA. The bar association routinely supports programs in
the schools, reaches out to Senior citizens, and provides support
for programs to benefit local at-risk youth. Each year, through
the Beat the Odds® program, the PWCBA awards scholarships
and educational grants to youth who have been involved in the
juvenile justice system, and despite the odds against them,
have achieved academic and social progress. In addition, the
PWCBA produces a number of law related public education brochures
which are distributed throughout the courts
LAWYER DISCIPLINE: All regular members
of the PWCBA are required to be members in good standing of
the Virginia State Bar. The Virginia State Bar is the government
agency that regulates lawyers by testing, licensing, and enforcing
continuing education requirements. The VSB is also responsible
for the discipline of lawyers licensed by the state. To contact
the Virginia State Bar, Office of Bar Council, go to their web
site at http://www.vsb.org/site/regulation/inquiry/.
VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATON: The PWCBA is
a voluntary professional non-profit organization that provides
services and benefits to its members and to the local community.
Although participation in the PWCBA is voluntary, we are pleased
to report that a significant percentage of the attorneys licensed
in the Thirty-first Judicial Circuit maintain membership in
the PWCBA.
Many of the activities and objectives of the
Prince William County Bar Association, Inc. find their roots
in the goals outlined by its charter members over 60 years ago.
Regular meetings of the membership have been called,
as necessary, since the organization's inception, July 25, 1941.
These meetings have almost always taken place over a meal, (usually
at George's Diner in the early days.) From the mid 1960's on,
meetings have been held on a regular basis, with the current
luncheon and program format beginning in the early 1980s.
The collection of membership dues was
instituted early in the history of the PWCBA. The earliest recollections
indicate the amount was $15.00 per year.
The establishment of an Executive Board
and Standing Committees to conduct the work of the Bar
was initiated in the original constitution. The size and composition
of the Board and number of committees has changed over the years,
to meet the changing needs of the Association.
The PWCBA has taken an active role in the
Judicial Selection process, with the earliest references
being made to the appointment of Arthur W. Sinclair to the Circuit
Court in 1950. At that time, the Circuit included Arlington,
Fairfax and Prince William Counties.
The Annual Dinner Dance has been in
place since the early 1960's, though the format has changed.
It used to be called the President's Annual Social, and took
place at the current president's home. Other social events over
the years have included family picnics and attendance at sports
events.
Continuing Legal Education has been
a stated focus of the Bar since 1962. Mandatory Continuing Legal
Education requirements were set forth by the Virginia State
Bar in 1987. In 1992, the PWC Bar became an accredited sponsor
of CLEs.
Public relations has also been a stated
focus for the Bar since 1962, with projects and programs designed
to transmit a positive public image of the legal community and
to educate the public on law related issues. In prior years,
the Bar has sponsored mock trials for area students, supported
the American Heart Association's Cardiac Arrest, and conducted
Law Day activities. In recent years, the bar has sponsored Candidates
Forums, organized a 5K Run during the centennial celebration
of the creation of the family courts, distributed "So You're
18" booklets to high school seniors, sponsored the "Beat
the Odds" banquet to recognize youth that triumph in the
face of adversity, distributed the "Senior Citizen's Handbook"
to area senior citizens, volunteered to build homes for Habitat
for Humanity, and sponsored an essay contest which focused on
character building attributes for middle school students.
The regular publication of a newsletter,
to communicate with the membership, began in 1981. At that time,
the membership of the local Bar was approaching 100, making
communication through personal letters, memos, and phone calls
a cumbersome task. The name Hear Ye! Hear Ye! was adopted in
1996.
The PWCBA became a Virginia Corporation
in 1982.
In 1991, the Bar Association elected the first
woman President, Patricia F. Hammond. The membership
was approaching 200 members.
In 1992, The Prince William County Bar Association
established the Arthur W. Sinclair Professionalism Award
to recognize a member who demonstrates the highest standards
of honor, integrity, competency, and courtesy within the legal
profession. This award bears the name of the Honorable Arthur
W. Sinclair in fitting tribute to the integrity and professionalism
that he inspires--the same qualities that the PWCBA seeks to
recognize and encourage with this annual award. The first Sinclair
Professionalism Award was presented by the Chief Justice of
the Virginia Supreme Court, Justice Harry Carrico, to the late
Turner T. Smith.
The PWCBA also began recognizing local attorneys
for outstanding work as court appointed attorneys in the early
1990s. The 31st Judicial Circuit, which is comprised of the
Circuit, General District and Juvenile & Domestic Relations
District Courts for the County of Prince William and the Cities
of Manassas and Manassas Park, has a distinguished list of court-appointed
counsel. The PWCBA's Court-Appointed Attorney of the Year
Award recognizes the outstanding dedication, professionalism,
and competence of court appointed counsel in each of three courts
in our jurisdiction. The PWCBA's Guardian Ad litem of the Year
Award recognizes outstanding dedication, professionalism, and
competence of local attorneys serving as Guardian ad litems
for children and incompetent person's in the Juvenile and Domestic
Relations District Court.
By 1999 the PWCBA recognized the need for
and hired an Executive Director. Alissa Hudson became
the first Executive Director and represented the first paid
staff position supported by the PWCBA. With the establishment
of a staff position, came the creation of an infrastructure
to support the membership, an increase in the development and
implementation of community service projects, and the promise
of institutional memory through the years.
The Prince William County Bar Foundation,
Inc. was established in 2001 by members of the PWCBA for
the exclusive purpose of assisting, strengthening and extending
the work, services and objectives of the Bar Association. The
funding and support offered through the Foundation enables the
PWCBA to undertake projects otherwise beyond its reach. The
first such program was the development of a public education
brochure for clients receiving court-appointed counsel. The
PWCBA is eternally grateful for the hard work and dedication
of the members of the Foundation, and for the tremendous support
they lend to the quantity and quality of the projects that the
Bar Association undertakes.
The PWCBA web site was launched in
2002, providing general information about the bar to the public
and the membership, as well as easy access to the entire membership
database of the bar through searchable indexes based on practice
area of law, attorney's last name or firm name. Public access
to the membership of the bar through the web site helps to ensure
quality legal representation for all citizens in the Thirty-First
Judicial Circuit.
In 2003, the PWCBA established the Pro
bono Attorney of the Year Award to recognize an attorney
for their dedication to the development and delivery of pro
bono legal services to those in need. The attorney honored
with this award may have helped to organize a program through
which pro bono legal services were delivered to the public,
or may have provided direct pro bono legal representation
on behalf of the poor. The first recipient of this award was
E. Allen Newcomb.
In 2005, the PWCBA launched a Lawyer Referral
Service to facilitate public access to an attorney. Other
benefits of the LRS include positive public relations for the
legal profession in general, and potential business development
opportunities for the members of the bar. Integral to the success
of the Lawyer Referral Service was a public access office
for the PWCBA. An office was provided in the Prince William
County Judicial Center for use by the PWCBA in the Spring of
2005.
Benefits:
Membership in the Prince William County Bar Association, Inc.
(PWCBA) provides you with immediate access to your professional
colleagues, the judiciary for the Thirty-First Judicial Circuit,
and related service providers through a variety of programs
and services such as:
- Forums for networking and fellowship
through monthly general luncheon meetings and programs, working
committees, and annual social events such as the Bar Dinner
Dance.
- Membership support services such
as the publication of Hear Ye! Hear Ye!, the Bar's monthly
newsletter, maintenance of the PWCBA Web site, production
of a local membership directory, production of Circuit and
General District Court Time Savers Manuals, and a Mentoring
Program for those new to the Thirty-First Judicial Circuit.
- Locally produced CLEs at reduced
rates. The PWC Bar is an accredited CLE sponsor with the Virginia
State Bar.
- Legislative programs designed to
build and maintain a good working relationship with members
of the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates such as candidates
forums, legislative issues forums, and the annual legislators'
luncheon; as well as programs to keep the membership apprised
of newly promulgated legislation.
- Opportunities to participate in bench-bar
activities such as annual judicial evaluations, judicial
screenings to fill vacancies as needed, and judicial recognition
events such as investitures, retirement celebrations and the
commissioning of portraits.
- Easy access to the court-appointed counsel
lists for Circuit, General District and Juvenile and Domestic
Relations District Courts.
- Community service, business development,
and positive public relations programs, designed to heighten
awareness of the legal talents of local attorneys, to improve
the overall image of attorneys, and to keep legal business
in Prince William County.
- Access to the Prince William County
Lawyer Referral Service
There is much to gain by joining the PWCBA.
Eligibility: Regular membership is
open to all attorneys who are members in good standing of the
Virginia State Bar who either maintain a bona fide office
for the private practice of law; or who are employed as an attorney
by the Commonwealth of Virginia or the Federal government; or
who are employed as an attorney by a private organization, within
the Thirty-First Judicial Circuit.
Associate membership is available for
all attorneys who are currently licensed in another state, or
who do not maintain a bona fide office within the Thirty-first
Judicial Circuit.
Senior membership is available for
all attorneys who meet the requirements for regular membership,
but are also over 60 years of age and are not engaged in practice
full time.
Student membership is available for
those currently enrolled, either part time or full time, in
an accredited law school.
Sponsorship: Membership applicants
must obtain sponsorship by two current members in good standing
of the PWCBA. (For a listing of all members in good standing
with the PWCBA, go to the "Find a Member" section
of this web site). Student members need only one member in good
standing to sponsor.
The application must also be approved by a
majority vote of the Board of Directors.
Dues: Regular and Associate members
in practice for three years or less pay $100.00 per year.
Regular and Associate members in practice for four or more years
pay $125.00 per year.
Senior members pay $75.00 per year. Student members pay $25.00
per year.
Join Today! To apply for membership,
simply print and complete a copy of the application. (You will
need Adobe
Reader software to print this application.) Or call the
PWCBA office at 703-393-2306 to request an application.
MEMBERSHIP
APPLICATION
Current and Extended Membership: 379
Membership in the City of Manassas: 207
Membership in surrounding Prince William County
and City of Manassas Park: 108
Membership in Fairfax and surrounding jurisdictions:
64
Number of sole practitioners: 117
Number of law firms: 92
Legal disciplines represented by Association
members:
| Administrative/Government |
Criminal Law |
Local Government |
| Adoptions |
Criminal Prosecution |
Mediation |
| Adult Guardianship |
Disability Rights |
Medicaid |
| Aviation |
Education/School |
Medical Malpractice |
| Bankruptcy |
Elder Law |
Military Law |
| Business Law |
Eminent Domain |
Municipal Law |
| Church Related Issues |
Employment |
Negligence |
| Civil Rights |
Estate Planning/Wills |
Nonprofit |
| Collections |
Family Law |
Personal Injury |
| Civil Litigation |
Health Law |
Product Liability |
| Civil Mental Commitment Hearings |
Homeowners Associations |
Professional Liability Defense |
| Commercial Litigation |
Housing Law |
Real Estate |
| Commercial Real Estate |
Immigration |
Social Security
Disability |
| Condomunium |
Insurance |
Tax |
| Construction Defect |
Intellectual
Property |
Traffic |
| Consumer |
Juvenile Law |
Tax |
| Contracts |
Labor Law
|
Traffic |
| Corporate |
Land Use |
Workers Compensation |
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Landlord Tenant |
Zoning |
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View the By-laws
(89KB PDF)
Newsletter: Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
is the official publication of the Prince William County Bar
Association, Inc. (PWCBA). It is published monthly, with a circulation
of approximately 400 member attorneys and the judges of the
31st Judicial Circuit. Readership also includes non-attorney
staff and court services personnel. Display advertising, Inserts
and Classified advertising are accepted. View
the current rate card in PDF format.
Continuing Legal Education Seminars:
The PWCBA is an accredited CLE sponsor with the Virginia MCLE
board. The CLE committee surveys the membership annually to
determine topical preferences and sponsors CLEs accordingly.
Please contact the PWCBA main office at (info@pwcba.org),
or call 703-393-8865 to inquire about sponsorship opportunities.
Special Events: The PWCBA sponsors
the annual Bench-Bar dinner dance; judicial investitures, portraits
and retirement celebrations; candidates' forums every other
year; legislative issues forums, and community service projects.
Please contact the PWCBA main office at info@pwcba.org,
or call 703-393-8865, to inquire about sponsorship opportunities
for special events that may be planned for the current year.
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