About Us: Brief History

September 11, 1968 witnessed the start of the VADA (although not officially named as such until the first organizational meeting on December 7, 1968). 2008 marked the 40th anniversary of the founding of VADA.

The Association operated for years with officers and directors handling the annual convention and the publication of a newsletter. Although several faculty members of law schools edited the newsletter (which became the Journal of Civil Litigation) the Association did not have an official location or an Administrative Director until 1989. Currently, the Association employs Leigh Farmer as its Executive Director, Molly McClellan as its Director of Meetings, and Brian C. Murchison (Charles S. Rowe Professor of Law, Washington & Lee School of Law) as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Civil Litigation. Molly McClellan also serves as the Managing Editor of the Journal. The office is located at 707 E. Main Street/Suite 1050 in the 8th & Main Building.

Ben R. Lacy, IV is VADA's lobbyist. Ben works closely with VADA Legislative Committee monitoring matters of importance to the civil defense bar.

The Board of Directors includes the Executive Committee plus Directors at Large, Regional Directors and Directors Ex-Officio including the representative of the VADA to the DRI and the Chairman of the Young Lawyers Division.

Read more details about the VADA's forty-year history from a past article in the Journal of Civil Litigation.