Samuel Bernard Goodwyn (born February 23, 1961) is the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. He previously served as a circuit court judge in Chesapeake.

Early life and education

A Southampton County native, Goodwyn graduated ''magna cum laude'' from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1983. He received his Juris Doctor from the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

’s School of Law in 1986, where he was an editor for the Virginia Tax Review, a member of the Raven Society, and received the Ritter Award for honor, character and integrity.

Legal, academic and judicial career

Prior to his appointment to the bench, Goodwyn practiced law at the law firm of Willcox & Savage. From 1997 until his appointment to the Supreme Court, Goodwyn was a judge in the First Judicial Circuit Court in Chesapeake, Virginia. Prior to being named to the circuit court, he served two years as a district court judge. Goodwyn also served on the faculty of the University of Virginia School of Law during the 1994–95 school year as a research associate professor of law.

Virginia Supreme Court

On October 10, 2007, Goodwyn was appointed to the Supreme Court of Virginia by Governor

Tim Kaine Timothy Michael Kaine (; born February 26, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Virginia since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 38th lieutenant governor of Virgi ...

to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Elizabeth B. Lacy early in 2007. In the 2008 session of the Virginia General Assembly, a political standoff between the Democratic-controlled Senate and the Republican-controlled House of Delegates resulted in Goodwyn's nomination being put on hold until February 8, 2008, the day the pro tempore appointment would have expired. On that day the General Assembly unanimously appointed Goodwyn to a 12-year term. In January 2020, he was reappointed to another 12-year term, set to expire in 2032. He became chief justice on January 1, 2022.

References

External links

Richmond Times Dispatch Online Article on the Legislative deadlock
, - 1961 births 21st-century American judges Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia Harvard University alumni Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia Living people People from Southampton County, Virginia University of Virginia School of Law alumni Virginia lawyers Virginia state court judges Virginia circuit court judges {{Virginia-politician-stub