Areas of Experience

Personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability, family law, trusts & estates, corporate issues, employment, labor, condemnation, real estate, construction, contracts, government issues, professional liability.

Professional Experience

• Certified Mediator, Supreme Court of Virginia.

• Judge, Hampton Circuit Court, 8th Judicial Circuit of Virginia, 1995-2017. Served four terms as Chief Judge.

• Former Judge, Hampton General District Court. Served two terms as Chief Judge.

• Former Deputy City Attorney, City of Hampton.

• Former Partner, Scott & Taylor; Scott, Coles, Brown, Taylor and Melvin, P.C.

• Active Duty and Military Reservist, United States Army, 1972-2001. Attained the rank of Colonel and received diploma from the United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks.

• Director and Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William & Mary. Recipient, St. George Tucker Adjunct Professor of Law Award, 2007.

• Recipient, Harry L. Carrico Outstanding Service Award, Judicial Council of Virginia, 2018.

Affiliations

• Past President, I’Anson-Hoffman Inn of Court.

• Chair, Virginia Judges and Lawyers Benchbook.

• Member, Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

• Former Member, Supreme Court of Virginia Task Force on Judicial Performance Evaluation; Task Force on Gender Bias in the Courts; Judicial Council.

• Judicial Member, Virginia State Bar; Old Dominion Bar Association; Hampton Bar Association; Peninsula Bar Association.

Education

• Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William & Mary, J.D.

• University of Richmond, Master of Commerce

• Hampton University, B.S.