The Court of Appeals of Virginia, established January 1, 1985, is an intermediate appellate court of 17 judges that hears appeals from decisions of Virginia's circuit courts and the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission. The Court sits in panels of at least three judges, and sometimes hears cases en banc. Appeals from the Court of Appeals go to the Supreme Court of Virginia.

History

A 1971 Virginia Court System Study Commission stated the need for a unified court system to handle appeals. The Court of Appeals of Virginia was established on January 1, 1985, as an intermediate court of limited appellate jurisdiction, initially with ten judges, with an eleventh judge added in 2000. The Court of Appeals may designate seven retired judges of the Court to serve as senior judges.

An appeal filed with the Supreme Court of Virginia before January 1, 2022, remains under its jurisdiction.

Current composition

As of January 1, 2025:

Active

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!Name

!Born

!Start

!Term ends

!Mandatory retirement

!Law school

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|, Chief Judge

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|Richmond

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|Virginia

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|Washington and Lee

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|William and Mary

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|Richmond

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|Dayton

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|GWU

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|TSU

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|Vanderbilt

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|Howard

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|Virginia

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|Virginia

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|William and Mary

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|Mercer

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|UNC

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|Wash U

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|William and Mary

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Senior

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="clear:both"

|- valign=bottom

!Name

!Active Service

!Chief Term

!Senior Start

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|1995–2004

|align=center |——

|2005

|align=center |——

|2009

|align=center |——

|2021

|align=center |——

|2024

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| Walter S. Felton, Jr.

| 2006–2014

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| Glen A. Huff

| 2015–2019

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| Marla Graff Decker

| 2019–

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References

  • A Short History of the Court of Appeals of Virginia
  • The Court of Appeals of Virginia Website.
  • Frequently Asked Questions About the Court of Appeals of Virginia
  • Published Court of Appeals of Virginia Opinions (since 5/2/1995).
  • Unpublished Court of Appeals of Virginia Opinions (since 3/5/2022).
  • Search Court of Appeals of Virginia Opinions.
  • Recordings of Court of Appeals of Virginia Oral Arguments (since 5/20/2014).
  • Search Court of Appeals of Virginia Case Status Information.