Boyd-Graves Conference

Improving Virginia Civil Procedure

The Boyd-Graves Conference is a group of leading lawyers in Virginia dedicated to the study and improvement of civil procedure in the commonwealth.

The conference meets annually in the fall, after study groups consider issues needing attention and submit reports proposing solutions or statutory changes.

Both the plaintiffs’ bar and the defense bar are represented at the Conference; a proposal does not advance unless there is consensus among conference members.

The Virginia Bar Association frequently includes Boyd-Graves Conference legislative proposals as part of its own legislative agenda each January.

Born at The Tides Inn

A former VBA president, Thomas V. Monahan of Winchester, began arranging annual meetings of lawyers at the Tides Inn in Irvington, starting in 1978. This small, informal gathering initially was known as the “Tides Inn Conference.” The meeting eventually grew to become a carefully planned two-day event for nearly 100 of Virginia’s leading lawyers, professors and judges representing a wide variety of practices and practice areas throughout the Commonwealth.

The conference was renamed the Boyd-Graves Conference in 1986 in honor of the contributions of two revered law professors, T. Munford Boyd and Edward S. Graves, for their work on the advancement of Virginia civil procedure. Alongside providing lobbying support for Boyd-Graves legislative support, the VBA has provided conference planning support for the conference since the early 1990's.

The 2026 Boyd-Graves Conference

Save the date for the 2026 Boyd-Graves Conference, which is scheduled to convene Oct. 2-3 in Richmond, by invitation only. Attendees will determine which conference recommendations to submit to the VBA for consideration in the association’s 2027 legislative agenda.