Teresa M. Chafin Explained

Teresa Chafin
Office:Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia
Term Start:September 1, 2019
Appointer:Virginia General Assembly
Predecessor:Elizabeth A. McClanahan
Office1:Judge of the Virginia Court of Appeals
Term Start1:March 1, 2009
Term End1:September 1, 2019
Predecessor1:James Haley
Successor1:Clay Athey
Birth Name:Teresa Marlene Chafin
Birth Date:4 October 1955
Birth Place:Lebanon, Virginia, U.S.

Teresa Marlene Chafin (born October 4, 1955) is a justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Education

Chafin is a native of Russell County and the sister of the late state senator Ben Chafin.[1] She received her undergraduate degree from Emory and Henry College and her Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond School of Law in 1987 and was admitted to the practice of law in 1988.[2] [3]

Judicial career

State court service

She was sworn in on June 18, 2012.[4] Prior to her service on the appellate court, Chafin had a private practice based in Lebanon, and sat as Circuit Court judge, primarily in Tazewell County, Virginia from 2005 until 2012, including service as the chief judge of the 29th Circuit in 2008 and 2009. From 2002 until 2005, Judge Chafin served as Tazewell County's Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court judge. She left office on September 1, 2019, upon her elevation to the Supreme Court of Virginia.[5]

Supreme Court of Virginia

On February 14, 2019, she was unanimously elected by the Virginia General Assembly to be a justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, replacing Elizabeth A. McClanahan who retired on September 1, 2019.[6] [7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Senator pitches sister for possible Supreme Court opening . Vieth . Peter . January 25, 2019 . Virginia Lawyers Weekly . en-US . November 14, 2019 . subscription.
  2. Web site: Teresa M. Chafin Judge Profile on Martindale.com . www.martindale.com . November 14, 2019.
  3. Web site: Chafin is sworn in to Supreme Court . Vieth . Peter . September 8, 2019 . Virginia Lawyers Weekly . en-US . November 14, 2019 . subscription.
  4. Web site: Chafin sworn in for Court of Appeals . July 1, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120626002049/http://valawyersweekly.com/vlwblog/2012/06/19/chafin-sworn-in-to-court-of-appeals/ . June 26, 2012 .
  5. Virginia Lawyers Weekly
  6. Web site: General Assembly picks senator's sister to be newest Virginia Supreme Court Justice . Albiges . Marie . February 14, 2019 . dailypress.com . en-US . May 6, 2019.
  7. Web site: Emory & Henry Alumna Named to the Virginia Supreme Court . www.ehc.edu . en . May 6, 2019.