To run a Virginia attorney lookup, go to vsb.org and open the Virginia State Bar’s “Lawyer Look Up” tool. It’s the only authoritative source for whether a lawyer is licensed to practice in the Commonwealth, what kind of member they are, and whether they carry any public discipline on their record.
How to Run the Search
The search page accepts a Bar ID number, a first or last name, or any combination. You can also narrow results with filters for status, membership type, public discipline, suspension type, and date of licensure.1Virginia State Bar. Virginia Lawyer Directory
Two filters are worth knowing about. The Public Discipline dropdown limits results to attorneys who have been publicly sanctioned. The Suspension Type dropdown separates administrative suspensions from disciplinary ones. If you already have a name and you’re mainly looking for red flags, these get you there fast.
Each attorney record shows two labels that work together: a Status and a Type. You need to read both.
What the Status Field Means
“In Good Standing” is the only status that authorizes an attorney to practice law in Virginia. It means the lawyer has met all VSB membership requirements, including dues and continuing legal education.1Virginia State Bar. Virginia Lawyer Directory
“Not in Good Standing” is a catch-all. It covers administrative suspensions, disciplinary suspensions, and revocations. The suspension-type filter helps you tell which one applies. Whatever the reason, an attorney who isn’t in good standing cannot represent you.
You may also see “Inactive,” “Former Member,” or “Withdrawn.” None of these authorize someone to practice law.
What the Type Field Means
The Type field describes what kind of VSB member the attorney is. The categories you’re most likely to see:
- Plenary: full, practicing members. This is the majority of the bar, and a plenary member in good standing is the combination you want to see.1Virginia State Bar. Virginia Lawyer Directory
- Associate: non-practicing members. They hold a Virginia license but cannot represent clients.1Virginia State Bar. Virginia Lawyer Directory
- Emeritus: attorneys with at least ten years of experience who provide only pro bono services through a qualified legal aid organization. Emeritus members cannot take paying clients.2Virginia’s Judicial System. Part Six, Section IV, Paragraph 3 of the Rules of Court
- Revoked: the license has been taken away through the disciplinary process.
- Resigned or Forfeited: the attorney voluntarily gave up the license, or lost it for non-disciplinary reasons.
- Reinstatement Eligible or Reinstatement Ineligible: applied to attorneys whose licenses have been revoked or suspended. “Reinstatement Ineligible” means no current path back to practice.
The short version: Type “Plenary” plus Status “In Good Standing” is the combination that lets someone practice. Anything else means they can’t represent you, or can only do narrow pro bono work.
Administrative Suspension vs. Disciplinary Suspension
If the directory shows a suspension, the reason matters. An administrative suspension is a paperwork problem, typically a missed continuing legal education deadline or unpaid dues. The Secretary-Treasurer sends a notice, gives the attorney 60 days to comply and pay a delinquency fee, and if there’s no response the license is suspended until the attorney fixes the problem and pays a reinstatement fee.3Virginia’s Judicial System. Part Six, Section IV, Paragraphs 13.1, 16, and 19 of the Rules of Court
Administrative suspensions are common and don’t necessarily say anything about competence or ethics. Someone can get suspended because they moved and missed a notice. A pattern of repeated administrative suspensions is a different story, and tells you something about how the attorney manages their obligations.
A disciplinary suspension is a finding of professional misconduct. It’s imposed by the VSB Disciplinary Board, a District Committee, or a three-judge circuit court after finding that the attorney violated the Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct.4Virginia’s Judicial System. Part Six, Section IV, Paragraph 13 of the Rules of Court When you see one in the directory, go to the VSB’s Disciplinary System Actions page for the details.
Reading Public Discipline
The VSB publishes summaries of all public disciplinary actions, filterable by sanction type. Each entry names the attorney, the sanction, the effective date, and the body that imposed it. A recent example: a Subcommittee issued a public reprimand to an attorney “for violating professional rules that govern safekeeping property,” and the Disciplinary Board administratively suspended another attorney for failing to comply with a subpoena.5Virginia State Bar. Disciplinary System Actions
The four public sanctions run from mildest to most severe:
- Public Admonition: the least severe public sanction. Misconduct occurred, but the harm was minor and repetition unlikely.
- Public Reprimand: a formal declaration that the conduct was improper. It doesn’t restrict the attorney’s ability to practice, but it stays on the record.
- Suspension: no practicing law for a set period, with conditions to satisfy before reinstatement.
- Revocation: the license is taken away entirely.4Virginia’s Judicial System. Part Six, Section IV, Paragraph 13 of the Rules of Court
What Public Records Won’t Show
Not every sanction is public. Virginia allows private admonitions and private reprimands in cases involving minor misconduct where there’s little harm and little chance of repetition. A private reprimand states that the conduct was improper but doesn’t restrict the attorney’s right to practice, and it will not appear in the public directory or in the disciplinary records.6Virginia’s Judicial System. Part Six, Paragraph 13 of the Rules of Court
There is a limit on how long private discipline can shield a repeat offender. Once an attorney has received two private sanctions within a ten-year period, there’s a presumption that any further violation should result in public discipline.6Virginia’s Judicial System. Part Six, Paragraph 13 of the Rules of Court
For most people hiring a lawyer, a clean public record combined with “In Good Standing” is enough. Just know that “clean” means “no public discipline,” not “never disciplined.”
Attorneys Licensed in More Than One State
Plenty of Virginia lawyers also hold D.C. or Maryland licenses. Discipline in another state doesn’t automatically show up in Virginia’s records until Virginia completes its own reciprocal proceedings, though the Disciplinary Board can act on an out-of-state sanction and may issue a summary suspension while those proceedings are pending.7Virginia State Bar. Paragraph 13-24 Reciprocal Disciplinary Proceedings
If your attorney practices in multiple jurisdictions, run the same lookup in each state’s bar directory. The ABA also maintains a National Lawyer Regulatory Data Bank that aggregates public disciplinary actions across all 50 states, though for the most current picture in any single state, that state’s bar directory is the right source.
If the Person Isn’t Listed at All
A lookup that returns nothing for someone holding themselves out as a Virginia lawyer is a serious problem. Practicing law without a license is a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia under Va. Code § 54.1-3904.8Virginia State Bar. Unauthorized Practice of Law
You can report suspected unauthorized practice to the VSB. Ethics counsel investigates and may dismiss for lack of evidence, issue a letter of caution, negotiate an agreement that the person stops, or refer the case to the attorney general or a commonwealth’s attorney for prosecution.8Virginia State Bar. Unauthorized Practice of Law
Beyond the criminal exposure for the unlicensed person, any legal work they did for you may be unenforceable or voidable. If this has already happened to you, talk to an actual Virginia attorney about what can be salvaged and whether you can recover fees you paid.
If You Want to File a Misconduct Complaint
Complaints go to the VSB’s Intake Office in writing, through an online form at vsb.org, an emailed PDF to webintake@vsb.org, or a letter to the Intake Office in Richmond. The complaint has to name a specific attorney (the VSB doesn’t accept complaints against law firms), describe what happened and what was unethical about it, include your contact information, and be signed.9Virginia State Bar. File a Misconduct Claim
One thing to be clear about: the disciplinary process exists to protect the public, not to pay you back. Filing a grievance won’t recover money. If you lost funds because of an attorney’s conduct, a malpractice claim or other civil action is a separate track, though the disciplinary record can support later litigation.