Created in 1938, The Virginia State Bar (VSB) is the administrative agency of the Supreme Court of Virginia

Supreme Court of Virginia

The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears appeals from the trial-level city and county Circuit Courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrative law cases that go through the Court of Appeals of Virginia. It is one of...

 whose purpose is to regulate, improve and advance the legal profession

Lawyer

A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

 in Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

. The Bar was established by an act of the Virginia General Assembly

Virginia General Assembly

The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...

 and is delegated the power to issue regulatory opinions that are incorporated into the Code of Virginia

Code of Virginia

The Code of Virginia is the statutory law of the U.S. state of Virginia, and consists of the codified legislation of the Virginia General Assembly. The 1950 Code of Virginia is the revision currently in force...

. Membership in good standing in the VSB is mandatory for attorneys wishing to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

History

The predecessor to the VSB was the Virginia State Bar Association, a voluntary statewide organization founded in 1888 in order to promote the ethical practice of law in Virginia. The Virginia State Bar Association subsequently worked with the legislature in order to establish a mandatory state affiliated agency, and these efforts led to the creation of the VSB in 1938. Upon the establishment of the VSB, the Virginia State Bar Association became simply the Virginia Bar Association

Virginia Bar Association

The Virginia Bar Association is a voluntary organization of lawyers in Virginia, with offices in Richmond, Virginia.- VBA Mission : is the independent voice of the Virginia lawyer, advancing the highest ideals of the profession through advocacy and volunteer service.- History :The VBA, , was...

, and continued its mission as a voluntary association.

2000 Policy Change

In 2000 the Virginia State Bar changed its policy from the "Code of Professional Responsibility" to the "Professional Guidelines and Rules of Professional Conduct" . In so doing, the Bar discarded the previously existing ethical canons.