After a pandemic-induced backlog of cases and a significant expansion of the Virginia Court of Appeals to include civil appeals of right, an increased number of civil cases are now moving through the appeals process. As more and more VTLA members are working through appeals at the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, please remember VTLA may be able to lend support with an amicus brief. If you feel your case might have broad and important implications for fellow VTLA members, please email your request for amicus support to vobrien@vtla.com and include a brief description of your facts and issues, attach all pertinent briefs and orders, and identify important filing dates. Our amicus committee, chaired this year by Les Bowers and Samantha Sledd, is packed with some great legal minds who meticulously analyze a breadth of issues.

We have a proud history of stellar amicus briefs by some of VTLA's very best, and they are stored on our website. 

Interested in lending a hand and brushing up on your brief-writing skills? We are constantly seeking new brief writers to help our amicus team; please let us know!

Did you miss the recent discussion on our listserve about whether your client is ultimately responsible for the costs in a case, regardless of the outcome? In 2019, the Supreme Court of Virginia amended VRPC 1.8(e)(1) to replace “provided the client remains ultimately liable for such costs and expenses” with “the repayment of which may be contingent on the outcome of the matter.” VTLA member Wally Wason gets us up to date with a quick practice pointer here.

How can artificial intelligence help you reach more clients? Join us on June 27th to hear from Steve with Precision Legal Marketing, who will discuss how AI can be used effectively in legal marketing, and enjoy a demonstration of some digital tools that can support your firm!

You’ve seen Precision Legal Marketing at our events and, while they can help you with all the usual things like websites, hosting, SEO & local search, paid search, live chat, blogging, and social media marketing, they take the next step to design a plan that fits your unique needs. 

Join Steve on Thursday, June 27, at 2 pm! Register here.

Did you miss the Liens Seminar last month? We’ve got you covered! Click here to access the on-demand recording and watch it any time. The seminar is packed with information and ideas. In fact, we heard that participants who attended got answers to questions they didn’t even know they had! In addition, the written materials provide great value. 

Congratulations to our new YTL leadership! We look forward to another year of exceptional programming and community engagement for VTLA’s young trial lawyers.

Rakin Hamad, Chair
Curcio Law

Bradley Kent, Chair-Elect
Allen, Allen, Allen, & Allen

Daniel Savage, Secretary
Marks & Harrison

Natasha Phidd, Immediate Past Chair
Office of the Public Defender, Prince William County

Handle auto cases? Start your engines! We have two outstanding programs for you this summer that you don't want to miss. Read all about them here.

VTLA provides a range of tools designed to help you and your practice thrive. Among these, our listserves stand out as a valuable resource for attorneys to exchange questions and insights with their peers. Many members consider VTLA’s listserves to be one of the most valuable benefits we offer. Find out more about VTLA's listserves at the links below.

• Join a Listserve 
• Search the listserves
• Browse your current Listserves
• Certify Your Email Address to access Listserves through our website
• Listserve Policy & Guidelines

You might also find this short video handy with tips and strategies to master this valuable tool. If you have any questions, email jsanford@vtla.com. 

As you know, VTLA led a significant effort in the General Assembly this year to help force earlier resolutions on Medicaid liens from DMAS. Thanks to you and your support of HB 315 which sets out timelines and a procedure to ensure liens are being released, it is now law.

Key legislative successes don’t just happen - they take you. Thank you to hundreds of members who attended our convention this year and chipped in to support those efforts! Our Lien on Me campaign was created to encourage every attendee to be part of the team by donating just $100 to the VTL PAC ($100 for 100 percent participation).

Didn’t have a chance to donate? It’s never too late, just click here.

Thank you for letting us lean on you and we hope you will continue to count on us.

Click here to view the full list of these generous Lien on Me Contributors!

Be a lifelong learner with exceptional programs from VTLA. With topics you need to improve your practice and speakers who can truly deliver, mark your calendar to attend, or better yet, register today! 

Have you heard about VTLA’s Practice Chats? It’s a monthly series where we connect you, our members, with VTLA’s Business Partners. For about 30 minutes from the comfort of your office, you’ll learn about a specific Partner – Who they are, what they do, and, most importantly, how they can support you and your clients. You don’t have to be lawyer to participate in a Practice Chat! Paralegals and legal assistants are also welcome to join. Click here to register for our next Practice Chat with ChartSquad on Thursday, May 23rd at 2:00 pm.

Missed a Practice Chat? No worries! You can find all recorded Chats on the Business Partners page of VTLA’s website. Scroll to or click on the name of the Business Partner you’d like to hear from, and find the video recording link under their company description. New Practice Chats are uploaded monthly.