List of Washington and Lee University School of Law alumni explained

Washington and Lee University School of Law is a private law school in Lexington, Virginia. Following are some of its notable alumni.

Academia

• Ronald J. Bacigal, 1967, professor at the University of Richmond School of Law^[1]
• Charles A. Graves, 1872, professor at Washington and Lee School of Law and at the University of Virginia School of Law^[2]
• Robert Huntley, 1950 and 1957, dean and president of Washington and Lee University and former president and CEO of Best Products
• Robert Shepherd, 1959 and 1961, professor emeritus of law at the University of Richmond School of Law^[3]
• Paul S. Trible Jr., 1971, president of Christopher Newport University and United States Senate^[4]
• Henry St. George Tucker III, 1876, dean of Washington and Lee School of Law and the George Washington University Law School, and United States House of Representatives from Virginia^[5]

Business

• Robert Huntley, 1950 and 1957, president and CEO of Best Products and dean and president of Washington and Lee University
• Sydney Lewis, 1940 and 1943, founder of Best Products and recipient of the National Medal of Arts^[6]
• Gordon P. Robertson, CEO of the Christian Broadcasting Network

Entertainment

• David Brown, 2000, former host of the Marketplace radio program, current anchor of the Texas Standard

Government

• Mary Beth Long, 1998, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs at the United States Department of Defense

Judiciary

U.S. Supreme Court

• Joseph Rucker Lamar, 1878, Associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia^[7]
• Lewis Franklin Powell Jr.,1929 and 1931, associate justice of the United States Supreme Court^[8]

Federal Courts

• Nathan P. Bryan, 1895, judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and US Senator from the State of Florida^[9]
• Mark Steven Davis, 1988, United States District Court judge for the Eastern District of Virginia^[10]
• Duncan Lawrence Groner, 1894, judge for United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit^[11]
• James Hay 1877, judge on the United States Court of Claims and United States Representative from Virginia^[12]
• Jerrauld Jones, 1980, a judge on the Norfolk Circuit Court
• Walter DeKalb Kelley Jr., 1977 and 1981, former federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia^[13]
• Jackson L. Kiser, 1952, judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
• Harry Jacob Lemley, 1910, judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas and the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas
• John Ashton MacKenzie, 1939, judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia^[14]
• Robert E. Payne, 1967, judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia^[15]
• Heartsill Ragon, a judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas and US Congressman from Arkansas
• James Clinton Turk, 1952, chief judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
• Sol Wachtler, chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals^[16]
• H. Emory Widener Jr., 1953, judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit^[17]

State Supreme Courts

• Brynja McDivitt Booth, 1996, justice of the Supreme Court of Maryland
• William T. Brotherton Jr., chief justice of the Supreme Court of West Virginia
• Archibald C. Buchanan, 1914, justice on the Supreme Court of Virginia
• Christian Compton, 1950 and 1953, justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia^[18]
• John W. Eggleston, 1910, Chief justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia
• Herbert B. Gregory, 1911, justice on the Supreme Court of Virginia
• Daniel B. Lucas, poet and justice on the Supreme Court of West Virginia
• Charles W. Mason, 1911, justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court
• William Ray Price Jr., 1978, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri^[19]
• Daniel K. Sadler, justice on the New Mexico Supreme Court
• Abram Penn Staples, 1908, justice on the Supreme Court of Virginia and Attorney General of Virginia
• Roscoe B. Stephenson Jr., 1943 and 1947, justice on the Supreme Court of Virginia
• Kennon C. Whittle, 1914, justice on the Supreme Court of Virginia

Law

Attorney General

• Bruce L. Castor Jr., 1986, Attorney General (interim), Solicitor General of Pennsylvania, and presidential Impeachment Counsel 2021^[20]
• Tom Sansonetti, 1976, United States Assistant Attorney General for the United States Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division
• Abram Penn Staples, 1908, Attorney General of Virginia and justice on the Supreme Court of Virginia

Solicitor General

• Bruce L. Castor Jr., 1986, Solicitor General of Pennsylvania, Attorney General (interim), presidential Impeachment Counsel 2021
• John Goode, Solicitor General of the United States and United States Congressman from Virginia^[21]
• John W. Davis, 1895 and 1892, Solicitor General; Ambassador to Britain; argued more cases before the Supreme Court than anyone else in the twentieth century^[22]

Government

• John P. Fishwick Jr., former United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. Attorney in private practice in Roanoke, Virginia
• R. Booth Goodwin, 1996, United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia
• Robert W. Ray, 1985, former head of the US Office of the Independent Counsel and partner at Fox Rothschild^[23]
• Peter G. Strasser, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana

Private practice

• Robert J. Grey Jr., 1976, American Bar Association President 2004–2005^[24]
• Linda A. Klein, 1983, past president of the American Bar Association and a managing partner for the Georgia offices of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz^[25]
• Morgan Meyer, 1999, lawyer for Bracewell & Giuliani in Dallas, Texas, and Texas House of Representatives^[26]
• Prescott Prince, 1983, attorney defending Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
• Christopher Wolf, 1980, partner at Hogan Lovells and founder and co-chair of the Future of Privacy Forum

Literature and journalism

• Terry Brooks, 1969, The New York Times bestselling author of fantasy fiction^[27]
• Clarence J. Brown, 1915, president of Brown Publishing Company and United States Congressman from Ohio
• Daniel B. Lucas, poet and justice on the Supreme Court of West Virginia

Military

• Newton D. Baker, 1894, U.S. Secretary of War and Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio^[28]
• Edwin Gray Lee, 1859, Brigadier General in the Confederate States of America
• John Otho Marsh Jr., 1951, Secretary of the Army and United States Congressman^[29]

Politics

United States Senate

• Nathan P. Bryan, 1895, United States Senate from Florida and judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• William James Bryan, 1899, United States Senate from Florida^[30]
• Joe Donnelly, 1981, United States Senate from Indiana^[31]
• Scott Marion Loftin, 1899, United States Senate from Florida ^[32]
• Miles Poindexter, 1891, United States Senate from Washington ^[33]
• Alfred E. Reames, 1893, United States Senate from Oregon^[34]
• Paul S. Trible Jr., 1971, United States Senate from Virginia and president of Christopher Newport University

United States Congress

• Samuel B. Avis, United States House of Representatives
• Franklin Brockson, United States House of Representatives
  • Clarence J. Brown, 1915, United States House of Representatives and president of Brown Publishing Company Edward Cooper, United States House of Representatives
• William Fadjo Cravens, United States House of Representatives
• John J. Davis, 1856, United States House of Representatives^[35]
• John Goode, United States House of Representatives and Solicitor General of the United States
• Bob Goodlatte, 1977, United States House of Representatives^[36]
• Morgan Griffith, 1983, United States House of Representatives^[37]
• James Hay, 1877, United States House of Representatives and judge on the United States Court of Claims
• James Murray Hooker, 1896, United States House of Representatives
• John Otho Marsh Jr., 1951, United States House of Representatives and U.S. Secretary of the Army
• Robert Murphy Mayo, 1859, United States House of Representatives^[38]
• Heartsill Ragon, United States House of Representatives and judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas
• Henry St. George Tucker III, 1876, United States House of Representatives and dean of Washington and Lee School of Law and the George Washington University Law School
• David Gardiner Tyler, 1869, United States House of Representatives^[39]
• Seward H. Williams, 1895, United States House of Representatives
• Harry M. Wurzbach, 1896, United States House of Representatives

Diplomacy

• John W. Davis, 1895 and 1892, Ambassador to Britain and U.S. Solicitor General; argued more cases before the U. S. Supreme Court than anyone else in the twentieth century

Governor

• Spencer Cox, 2001, Governor of Utah^[40]
• George Washington Hays, Governor of Arkansas
• Homer A. Holt, 1918 and 1923, Governor of West Virginia^[41]
• James L. Kemper, 1842, Governor of Virginia^[42]
• Ruby Laffoon, 1890, Governor of Kentucky^[43]
• Henry M. Mathews, 1857, Governor of West Virginia^[44]
• Thomas Chipman McRae, Governor of Arkansas and United States House of Representatives^[45]
• Charles L. Terry Jr., Governor of Delaware^[46]
• William M. Tuck, 1921, Governor of Virginia^[47]
• Junius Edgar West, 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

State

• William Ross Allen, Virginia House of Delegates^[48]
• Robert D. Bailey Jr., West Virginia Secretary of State
• Morgan Meyer, 1999, Texas House of Representatives and lawyer with Bracewell & Giuliani in Dallas, Texas
  • Mark Obenshain, 1987, Senate of Virginia Mark J. Peake, 1988, Senate of Virginia
• Lacey E. Putney, Virginia House of Delegates^[49]
• Susan Swecker, chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia^[50]

Local

• Newton D. Baker, 1894, Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio and U.S. Secretary of War
• Vance A. Funk III, 1968, Mayor of Newark, Delaware

Sports

• Gay Elmore, Southern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ronald J. Bacigal . 16 December 2012 . Washington and Lee University.
2. Web site: Charles A. Graves . 20 December 2012 . Washington and Lee School of Law.
3. Web site: Robert Shepard .
4. Web site: Paul S. Trible, Jr . 21 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
5. Web site: Henry St. George Tucker III . 21 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
6. Web site: 2013-04-24 . National Medal of the Arts . 27 March 2015 . National Endowment for the Arts.
7. Web site: Joseph R. Lamar . 2016-05-15 . Oyez . en-US.
8. Web site: Lewis Franklin Powell, Jr . 21 December 2012 . NNDB Soylent Communications.
9. Web site: Nathan P. Bryan . 16 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
10. Web site: Mark Steven Davis . 16 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of Federal Judges.
11. Web site: Duncan Lawrence Groner . 20 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of Federal Judges.
12. Web site: James Hay . 20 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
13. Web site: Walter Kelley . 20 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of Federal Judges.
14. Web site: John Ashton MacKenzie . 20 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of Federal Judges.
15. Web site: Robert E. Payne . 21 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of Federal Judges.
16. Web site: Historical Society of the New York Courts New York Legal History / Oral Histories . 2016-05-15 . www.nycourts.gov.
17. Web site: H. Emory Widener, Jr . 21 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of Federal Judges.
18. Web site: Powell News archive :: Powell Archives :: W&L Law School . 2016-05-15 . law2.wlu.edu.
19. Web site: William Ray Price, Jr . 21 December 2012 . Your Missouri Courts.
20. Web site: Bruce L. Castor, Jr. . 16 December 2012 . County of Montgomery, PA.
21. Web site: John Goode . 20 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
22. Web site: John W. Davis . 16 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
23. Web site: Robert W. Ray .
24. Web site: Robert J. Grey Jr. Professionals Hunton & Williams LLP . 2016-05-15 . www.hunton.com.
25. Web site: W&L Alumna Linda Klein '83L Named President of the American Bar Association . 10 August 2016 . Washington and Lee University.
26. Web site: Morgan D. Meyer . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141207091951/http://www.bracewellgiuliani.com/people/morgan-d-meyer . December 7, 2014 . December 8, 2014 . bracewellgiuliani.com.
27. Web site: Terry Brooks . 16 December 2012 . NNDB Soylent Communications.
28. Web site: Newton D. Baker . 16 December 2012 . NNDB Soylent Communications.
29. Web site: John Otho Marsh, Jr . 20 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
30. Web site: William James Bryan . 16 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
31. Web site: W&L Law Alums Win Elections in Virginia, Indiana . 31 December 2012 . Washington and Lee University.
32. Web site: Scott Marion Loftin . 20 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
33. Web site: Miles Poindexter . 21 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
34. Web site: Alfred E. Reames . 21 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
35. Web site: John J. Davis . 16 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
36. Web site: Bob Goodlatte . 20 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
37. Web site: Morgan Griffith . 20 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
38. Web site: Robert Murphy Mayo . 20 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
39. Web site: David Gardiner Tyler . 21 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
40. Web site: Spencer Cox . 10 October 2013 . Washington and Lee University.
41. Web site: Homer A. Holt . 20 December 2012 . West Virginia State Archives.
42. Web site: James L. Kemper . 20 December 2012 . National Governors Association.
43. Web site: Ruby Laffoon . 20 December 2012 . National Governors Association.
44. Addkison-Simmons, D. (2010). Henry Mason Mathews. e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 11, 2012, from http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1582
45. Web site: Thomas Chipman McRae . 20 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
46. Web site: Charles L. Terry, Jr . 21 December 2012 . National Governors Association.
47. Web site: William M. Tuck . 21 December 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
48. Book: Men of mark in Virginia, ideals of American life; a collection of biographies of the leading men in the state . Men of Mark Publishing Company . 1908 . Lyon G. Tyler . 4 . 5–6 . 2023-04-30 . Archive.org.
49. Web site: House Joint Resolution No. 203 . 2 February 2016 . lis.virginia.gov.
50. Web site: Chairwoman Susan Swecker . 2023-11-16 . Democratic Party of Virginia . en-US.