Title 54.1, Title 54.1. Professions and Occupations

A. No professional corporation organized or qualifying under the provisions of Chapter 7 (§ 13.1-542.1 et seq.) of Title 13.1, professional limited liability company organized or qualifying under the provisions of Chapter 13 (§ 13.1-1100 et seq.) of Title 13.1, or registered limi…

Before an attorney may practice in any court in the Commonwealth, he shall take the oath of fidelity to the Commonwealth, stating that he will honestly demean himself in the practice of law and execute his office of attorney-at-law to the best of his ability. An attorney who has …

Any person who practices law without being authorized or licensed shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. A collection agency may refer debts to an attorney for collection with the creditor's approval of the referral and the fee arrangement and shall not be deemed to be engaged…

The furnishing of advice or services for compensation to a debtor in connection with a debt-pooling plan pursuant to which the debtor deposits funds for the purpose of distributing them among his creditors, except as authorized for persons licensed pursuant to § 6.2-2005, shall b…

Every attorney shall be liable to his client for any damage sustained by the client through the neglect of his duty as such attorney.

Any attorney who in the examination of records in the office of the clerk of any court in this Commonwealth relies upon the correctness of any index found in such office, whether it is the original index prepared by the clerk or by persons other than the clerk, shall be deemed to…

No person shall be held liable in any civil action for words written or spoken in any complaint regarding, proceeding concerning, or investigation of, the professional conduct of any member of the Virginia State Bar, unless it is shown that such statements were false and were mad…

The Supreme Court may promulgate rules and regulations: Defining the practice of law. Prescribing procedures for the limited practice of law by third-year law students. Prescribing a code of ethics governing the professional conduct of attorneys including the practice of law or p…

The Supreme Court may promulgate rules and regulations organizing and governing the Virginia State Bar. The Virginia State Bar shall act as an administrative agency of the Court for the purpose of investigating and reporting violations of rules and regulations adopted by the Cour…

Orders of the Disciplinary Board regarding unpaid costs assessed by the Clerk of the Disciplinary System pursuant to Part Six, Section IV, Paragraph 13 of the Rules of the Supreme Court may be recorded, enforced, and satisfied as orders or decrees of a circuit court upon certific…

The Virginia State Bar is authorized to transmit to the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice, upon request of the Chairman of either Committee, any evidence that it has in its possession with reference to any pending disciplinary proceeding involving a licensed attor…

The Supreme Court may promulgate rules and regulations fixing a schedule of fees to be paid by members of the Virginia State Bar for the purpose of administering this article and providing for the collection and disbursement of such fees; but the annual fees to be paid by any att…

The State Bar Fund is continued as a special fund in the state treasury. All fees collected from the members of the Virginia State Bar as provided in § 54.1-3912 shall be paid into the state treasury immediately upon collection and credited to the State Bar Fund. All moneys paid …

The Clients' Protection Fund is continued as a special fund of the Virginia State Bar. The Fund shall consist of moneys transferred to it from the State Bar Fund and the Virginia State Bar's Administration and Finance Account. Disbursements to the Clients' Protection Fund from th…

Any attorney licensed to practice in this Commonwealth who fails for two successive years to pay the annual fees provided for by § 54.1-3912, shall thereby forfeit his license to practice law in this Commonwealth. On or before July 31 of each year, the Executive Director of the V…

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this article, the Supreme Court shall not promulgate rules or regulations prescribing a code of ethics governing the professional conduct of attorneys which are inconsistent with any statute; nor shall it promulgate any rule or regulati…

A. The Virginia State Bar through its governing body is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations governing the function and operation of legal aid societies to further the objective of providing legal assistance to persons requiring such assistance but unable to pay for it.…

The Virginia State Bar through its governing body is authorized to approve and be a party to a master retirement program for the benefit of the members of the Virginia State Bar, their employees and families, including the power to execute, amend and revoke a master plan and trus…

The Virginia State Bar, through its governing body, is authorized to endorse insurance coverages or to be a holder of group or individual insurance policies for the benefit of the members of the Virginia State Bar, their employees and families. In connection therewith, the Virgin…

When requested, copies of the Virginia State Bar membership address list shall be made available to Virginia professional legal organizations which operate not for profit and which regularly conduct continuing legal education programs in the Commonwealth. If specified by the requ…

The Board of Bar Examiners shall be responsible for the examination of applicants and otherwise ascertaining the qualifications of applicants for admission to the bar and shall be composed of five attorneys who are residents of the Commonwealth. Three members of the Board shall c…

The members of the Board shall be appointed by the Supreme Court for five-year terms. Vacancies shall be filled by the Court for the full term of five years.

The Board shall elect one of its members to serve as its president, and may appoint a qualified member of the Virginia State Bar to act as secretary and treasurer of the Board.

The Board shall do, or cause to be done, all things it considers necessary, convenient or expedient in connection with the preparation, conduct and grading of examinations, in determining the qualifications of applicants, in determining requirements for taking and passing examina…

The members of the Board and members of any character and fitness committee shall each receive such compensation as established by the Rules of the Supreme Court for the time spent in the discharge of their duties as members, and shall be entitled to reimbursement for such of the…

In order to defray the compensation, mileage and expenses above provided for, the Board shall fix by general rule or special order the fees to be paid by each applicant.

A person desiring to take an examination under this article shall file with the Board his application therefor in such form as the Board may require not later than May 10 for the next following July examination and December 15 for the next following February examination. An appli…

A. Before issuing to any applicant a license or certificate to practice law in Virginia, the Board shall have found from satisfactory evidence produced by the applicant in such form as the Board may require that the applicant is a person of honest demeanor and good moral characte…

The Board is authorized to obtain criminal history record information relating to an applicant from any state or federal law-enforcement agency. Any information so obtained is for the exclusive use of the Board and the character and fitness committee and shall not be released to …

A. In the conduct of investigations and hearings, the Board and character and fitness committee may administer oaths and affirmations and may issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses and the production of papers, books, accounts, documents, and other records or tangible ev…

Before an applicant will be permitted to take any examination under this article, the applicant shall furnish to the Board satisfactory evidence that he has: 1. Satisfactorily completed legal studies amounting to at least five semesters, or the equivalent of at least five semeste…

The Board shall hold at least two examinations each year, at such times as it may prescribe by general rule or special order. If only two examinations are held in any one year, they shall not be less than four months apart. One examination shall be held in the City of Richmond, a…

The Board shall issue a license to practice law in this Commonwealth to every applicant who successfully passes the examination on all the subjects required and complies with the requirements of this chapter and the rules of the Board. The Board shall issue a certificate to pract…

The essay portion of the examination papers shall be kept on file in the office of the secretary and treasurer in Richmond for one year after the examination, after which it may be destroyed.

Any applicant who fails an examination given after July 15, 1960, may be reexamined not more than four additional times upon showing to the Board that he has diligently pursued the study of law since the former examination and that he remains otherwise qualified under the provisi…

A. The Supreme Court shall have discretion to grant a certificate without examination to any attorney who has been admitted to practice law before the court of last resort of any state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia for at least five years. The cert…

A. Any person having or claiming a cause of action (i) sounding in tort, (ii) for liquidated or unliquidated damages on contract, or (iii) for annulment or divorce may contract with any attorney to prosecute the same, and, upon contracting such attorney, the attorney shall have a…

No court shall decree or order any fee or compensation to counsel to be paid out of money or property under the control of the court, unless the claim is in the complaint, petition, or other proceeding, of which the parties interested have due notice.

The Board of Bar Examiners may, for good cause, revoke any license issued by it at any time before there has been a qualification under it in any of the courts of this Commonwealth.

A. Any attorney who is the subject of a disciplinary proceeding or the Virginia State Bar may elect to terminate the proceeding before the Bar Disciplinary Board or a district committee and demand that further proceedings be conducted by a three-judge circuit court. Such demand s…

A. If Bar Counsel has reasonable cause to believe that an attorney is engaging in any activity which is unlawful or violates the Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct and which will result in loss of property of one or more of the attorney's clients or any other person, Bar Coun…

A. If the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or any circuit court of this Commonwealth observes, or if a complaint, verified by affidavit, is made by any person to a circuit court having jurisdiction where the alleged violation occurred, that any law corporation or professional …

If personal service of process cannot be had upon the defendant in license revocation proceedings, proceedings may be had by order of publication on proper affidavit.

Whenever a subpoena is sought in this Commonwealth pursuant to the laws of another jurisdiction for use in lawyer discipline or disability proceedings, and where the request for the subpoena has been duly approved under the laws of the other jurisdiction, the chair or a vice-chai…

As used in this article: "Agent" means any person who acts for another with or without compensation at the request, or with the knowledge and acquiescence, of the other in dealing with third persons. "Runner" or "capper" means any person acting within the Commonwealth as an agent…

It shall be unlawful for an attorney to solicit professional employment in a manner that violates the Virginia Code of Professional Responsibility.