This Thursday!
June 18  • 3-5 pm

Packed with practical takeaways, this webinar will help you spot jurisdictional pitfalls early, maximize recovery, and confidently handle cases that cross state lines between Virginia-Maryland-DC. Presented by John Ayers, Marks & Harrison, Chris Regan, Regan, Zambri & Long, and Tara Umbrino, Valor Injury Law. Register here.

Topics include:

• No Fault - PIP in DC v. PIP in Maryland v. MedPay in Virginia
• Stacking or lack thereof - How do you handle the layers of insurance coverage?
  • Liability limits and how they tender in each jurisdiction
  • Underinsured (UIM) coverage is very different for each jurisdiction
• Lower Court or Higher Court - What are the benefits of where I file?
  • General District Court in Virginia
  • District Court in Maryland
  • DC Superior Court Fast Track
• Bad Faith Laws
• Health Insurance - Provider Duty to Submit/Bill
• Health Insurance - Subrogation Rights?

Did you miss a Learning Lab earlier this year? Check out the recordings and upcoming live programs here.

VTLA’s two-day Auto Retreat, the second exit on our Route '26 journey, takes a deep dive into the forces reshaping auto cases, from artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles to shifting insurance frameworks and the growing complexity of binding arbitration in rideshare cases.  

Stay ahead of the curve and register here today.

There’s still time to turn around and catch the first exit - Pre-Litigation Strategy - and look ahead at our final two stops here.

Well this one is far more fun since we’re among friends. The New Trial Lawyers section is running an election for our next position in leadership. This position of secretary will join Chair Dan Savage, Chair-Elect Elaine Singerman (and Immediate Past Chair Brad Kent) in the section leadership and will move to chair-elect in the next VTLA year.
 
Continue reading to learn more about the three candidates running for Secretary in this year’s election, listed in alphabetical order. Voting will remain open through Friday, May 29. If you are a New Trial Lawyer, please watch for an email from the NTL listserve with voting instructions. Voting is open exclusively to VTLA New Trial Lawyer members, defined as members who have been in practice for 10 years or less.

This week, VTLA member Brielle Hunt and VADA member Taylor Brewer presented alongside the Honorable Dale Durrer at the Virginia Judicial Conference, advocating for improved courthouse accommodations for the attorneys, witnesses and jurors who need them.

What makes this collaboration so meaningful is who is in the room, says Brielle. Access to justice doesn't belong to one party or side. It belongs to everyone who walks through the courthouse door. When the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys show up together on the same side of an issue, we can create real change.

This presentation grew out of our very personal experiences navigating jury trials as nursing mothers. For the past two years, our goal has been to bring awareness to the challenges we've faced and to urge action by Virginia's judiciary. 

We were missing our partners in this effort, Kathryn Bonorchis from VADA and Melissa Dragone from VTLA. Thank you so much to Judge Durrer, Judge Louise DiMatteo, and Virginia Supreme Court Justice Thomas Mann for the support and for giving us this platform.

Ever “met” someone on the listserve and wondered who they are? A new revision to the VTLA listserve agreement expects you to identify yourself with your name, law firm name and email address in your posts. Many of you are doing this already through your email signature, but please be sure all messages have this important identification information.

The revisions also include a new AI policy to preserve confidentiality and protect the integrity of member communications. No VTLA listserve content — including messages, attachments, or excerpts — may be entered into or processed by any external artificial intelligence system.

The Board of Governors recently approved these updates for all listserves. Please review the updated policy in full here.

In a long-standing tradition, Virginia Trial Lawyers Foundation presented our Trial Advocacy Award to a graduating student at each Virginia law school this month. The recipient, who is chosen by the school’s Dean and faculty, best exemplifies the attributes of an effective trial advocate, is dedicated to preserving the rights of individuals, and exhibits excellence in trial skills. 

The 2026 class includes:

• Jeremy Thompson - Washington and Lee University
• Kevin Brian Baker and Eli Sinai - University of Virginia
• Sana Fadah - Appalachian School of Law
• Grace Martinez - George Mason University
• Wade Hampton Bryant - William & Mary
• Alexa Angela Cinque - University of Richmond
• Cameron Barshinger - Liberty University
• Greta Jo Griswold - Regent University

Congratulations!

Spring has sprung at VTLA!

In the last month, the VTLA community has grown in all kinds of places:

• Small firm owners gathered at our “Let’s Talk” retreat to lean into the business of practicing law. Co-chairs Bob Byrne and Tony Greene led attendees in candid discussions, sharing strategies and practical, helpful information to build on their foundations and grow their practices. Click here to see photos!
   
• Paralegals met for an immersive, cover-to-cover journey through the “book” of family law, expertly “edited” by co-chairs attorney Tashina Gorgone and Ashley Warren, Secretary of VTLA’s Paralegal Section. Attendees left with renewed energy and practical insights.  , the program delivered an engaging experience designed to build both confidence and mastery. Attendees gained practical insight. Check out some photos here.
   
• Our Route '26 journey left the starting line just this week. The Pre-Litigation Strategy Lab led by Allyson Kitchel brought together more than 100 in-person and virtual attendees for useful advice on intake procedures, building client relationships, negotiation and more. Watch for the next exit in July and if you missed this one, watch for this recording so you aren’t left on the starting line. View photos here.

The news of the Fairfax family tragedy last month brought much needed light and attention to how the courts and legal system are addressing mental health in separation/divorce/custody matters, so the VTLA Family Law Section leaned into each other. Chair Kate Beurmann-O’Neill called a virtual section meeting to check in with each other specifically on this tragedy and how it might have affected each other, staff and clients.
  
In addition, they received a brief update from the Family Law Coalition with Rich Garriott and Dan Gray concerning recent legislation – especially the changes in so-called red flag laws that will go into effect July 1 – as well as ongoing study of no-fault divorce and other issues.
 
Stay tuned for further Section efforts in these important areas!

VTLA is proud to congratulate our member Danny Zemel, who has been awarded the 2026 Lewis F. Powell Jr. Pro Bono Award, given by the Access to Legal Services Committee of the Virginia State Bar to honor an attorney who has made outstanding pro bono contributions in the Commonwealth. Zemel, an associate of The Krudys Law Firm in Richmond, was nominated by Lauren King and Maisie Osteen of the Legal Aid Justice Center (LAJC). He will be recognized on June 4 at the Access to Legal Services Luncheon in Virginia Beach.

Next week!
May 28   •  4 - 5 pm

Get a practical overview of Virginia’s strict contributory negligence doctrine, focusing on what the defense must prove and when it succeeds. Using key case law and common fact patterns, learn how contributory negligence arises in auto, premises, medical malpractice, and products cases—and, more importantly, how to defeat it. Presented by Kevin Hadden with Wind Injury Law. Register here. 

Have you missed any of our previous Learning Labs? Want to see the great upcoming lineup to get them on our calendar now? (Hint: June's program on navigating cases in Virginia, Maryland and DC will be vital info for those living in the “state” of Northern Virginia especially!) Check out the recordings or past programs as well, including Med Pay, Rule 4:10 exams, military liens and Medicare conditional payments.

Check out our Learning Lab page!