History of the VBA   

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A Tradition of Excellence

The Virginia Bar Association was the first statewide bar group in the Commonwealth of Virginia, founded in Virginia Beach as the Virginia State Bar Association (VSBA) in July 1888.

The association was incorporated by the Virginia General Assembly the following winter, “for the purpose of cultivating and advancing the science of jurisprudence, facilitating the administration of justice in this State, and upholding and elevating the standard of honor, integrity, and courtesy in the legal profession."

Forty years later, VSBA leaders lobbied the General Assembly to create standards of ethics for bar admission and for lawyer discipline. Thus, in 1938, a new and separate organization was formed—an agency of the Supreme Court of Virginia now known as the Virginia State Bar. With this new state agency in place as a mandatory bar to regulate the profession, we, the VSBA, dropped “State” from our name and continued as the voluntary group for all Virginia lawyers, known today as The Virginia Bar Association.

Past leaders of the VBA have included judges, legislators and standout lawyers from law firms both small and large across the commonwealth. They all have worked to implement the VBA’s mission statement:

Focused on the Future

The VBA honors its past, its former leaders and its traditions. But the association also is firmly focused on the future and establishing new traditions. 

For example, the VBA is studying artificial intelligence, seeking to determine how this brave new technology will impact law practice and the delivery of legal services. The association produced the first model policy for AI use by Virginia law firms, made available to all who practice in the commonwealth. 

The association also is studying legal deserts – areas of the commonwealth without enough lawyers – to see what steps can be taken to ensure all citizens have access to justice.

And within the VBA itself, we are focusing on the young lawyers who are our future leaders, working to help them gain the personal tools and skills they will need to lead the profession in the future. The VBA Leadership Academy, established in January 2025, will train the next generation of lawyer-leaders of the VBA, the profession and the commonwealth itself.

The VBA has come a long way since 1888. Our mission hasn’t changed since then, and we’ll keep making history.