2007 'Leaders in the Law' honored

Last night in Richmond, Virginia Lawyers Weekly paid tribute to the 2007 class of "Leaders in the Law." This year's honorees are:

• Richard J. Bonnie, the University of Virginia law professor who has served as chairman of the Supreme Court's commission on mental health reform.

• Richard Cullen, who became chairman of the Richmond-based legal giant McGuireWoods LLP.

• Kyung (Kathryn) N. Dickerson, who completed a four-year tenure as president of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Virginia.

• Wyatt B. Durrette Jr., who started a "virtual" intellectual property law firm, The XDL Group.

• Thomas A. Edmonds, who will retire next month as executive director of the Virginia State Bar and who completed his service to the National Association of Bar Executives this year.

• Betsy Wells Edwards, director of the Virginia Fair Trial Project, who helped to persuade the General Assembly to limit the waiver of the cap on court-appointed attorney's fees.

• L. Steven Emmert, an appellate lawyer and chair of the Virginia State Bar's appellate practice subcommittee of the litigation section.

• Robert L. Harris Sr., a retired Richmond Circuit judge who now mediates for The McCammon Group and who is approaching the $1 billion mark in the total value of settlements he has handled.

• Robert R. Hatten, a Newport News attorney who won a significant case in the Supreme Court of Virginia, advancing the development of law in Virginia to obtain remedies for asbestos victims.

• Corinne J. Magee, a leader in the constitutional challenge to the civil remedial fees approved by the General Assembly this year.

• Stephen A. Northup, the first pro bono partner for Troutman Sanders LLP.

• William R. Rakes, who completed his service as chair of the American Bar Association's Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

• Diane M. Strickland, a retired Roanoke circuit judge who served as a member of the special commission that investigated the April 16 Virginia Tech shootings.

• William R. Van Buren III, the immediate past president of the Virginia Bar Association, who helped lead the VBA's work on the fee cap waiver and other improvements in indigent criminal defense.

• William T. Wilson, who concluded his service for the Virginia State Bar's Senior Lawyers Conference.

Congratulations to you all! And for a fuller biography and discussion of each 2007 Leader, please see the special Leaders in the Law magazine that has been posted at our Web site.