Conferences
Conference of Local Bar Associations (CLBA)
Local and specialty bar associations in Virginia comprise the Conference of Local Bar Associations. The conference was established to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship between the VSB and the local bar associations in the Commonwealth. It sponsors a Bar Leaders Institute each year to help new local and statewide bar officers plan their bar year; publishes a newsletter, the Local Bar Connection; sponsors awards of merit and a local Bar Leader of the Year Award; maintains an information database, and a local bar resource and videotape library; and makes executive committee and staff members available for technical assistance or presentations to local bars.
Diversity Conference
The Diversity Conference was established in 2010 to bring together members of the Virginia State Bar who are interested in increasing diversity in the legal profession and in ensuring that Virginia meets the legal needs of an increasingly diverse population. The conference was recommended by the Virginia State Bar Council and approved by the Supreme Court of Virginia through the Court’s rules. The Diversity Conference’s mission is to foster and encourage diversity in admission to the bar and advancement in the profession and the judiciary; to serve as a catalyst for creating professional leadership and bar service opportunities in the legal profession in Virginia, and to work to ensure that the legal system is responsive to the changing legal needs of the people of Virginia. Under the terms of the VSB petition approved by the Court, the conference is funded not through bar dues, but through outside grants and funds obtained through conference initiatives.
Senior Lawyers Conference (SLC)
Organized in 2001
Formerly Senior Lawyers Section, established February 1987. Council authorized establishment of the Conference in June 2001 This conference is comprised of all active and associate Virginia State Bar members in good standing, age 55 and older and focuses on issues of interest to senior lawyers and promotion of the welfare of senior citizens. The SLC has provided assistance in the implementation of the revised guardianship laws for adults. The SLC prepares and revises The Senior Citizens Handbook. They provide education and encouragement to lawyers to do proper planning for their own disability or death.
Young Lawyers Conference (YLC)
Organized in 1973
All active and associate Virginia State Bar members in good standing, age 36 and under, as well as those members admitted to the Virginia State Bar as their initial bar for fewer than three years, are automatically members of the Young Lawyers Conference. No additional dues are charged for membership in the YLC. The YLC functions as "a bar within a bar," focusing its efforts on the special interests and concerns of young and new lawyers. Through a diverse group of projects, the YLC is a vehicle through which young lawyers can participate in the governance of the Virginia State Bar, serve the profession and the public, and enhance the public awareness of the legal profession. All members receive the YLC's newsletter, Docket Call several times a year. Conference activities include: Admission and Orientation Ceremonies (semi-annually), Model Rules Conversion, No Bills Nights, Celebration of Women and Minorities in the Profession Bench-Bar Dinner, Pathways to Leadership Directory, Minority Recruitment Conferences, Tele-Court, Emergency Legal Services, Membership Support Seminar, Community Law Week Activities, a Court Docent Program, and various Community Outreach Projects.
