RICHMOND, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – 1982 UVA Law grad and Double Hoo Cleo E. Powell has been unanimously elected by her peers as the next Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court. She’ll be replacing 1986 UVA Law grad S. Bernard Goodwyn January 1, and will continue to make history when she does so. She will become the first Black woman to serve in the post after becoming the first Black woman as a state Supreme Court Justice when the General Assembly first elected her to the court in 2011.
According to a UVA Law release, prior to joining the Supreme Court, Powell served as a Court of Appeals judge, a judge for Virginia’s 12th Judicial Circuit Court and on the Chesterfield General District Court. According to the Virginia Bar, she is the only member of the Supreme Court to have served as a judge at every level of the state’s judicial branch.
Earlier in her career, Powell also practiced for years in both the private and public sectors, including as corporate counsel for Virginia Power and as an assistant attorney general.
In a statement to the Virginia State Bar following Powell’s election, Goodwyn praised his successor.
“Chief Justice-elect Powell is a dedicated jurist who exemplifies integrity, civility, and professionalism, and I am confident that she will serve the Court as Chief Justice with the highest distinction,” he said.
Before graduating from UVA School of Law, Justice Powell earned her undergrad degree in Government in 1979 from UVA.
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