Breakfast with the Judges
Organized by the Judicial Liaison Committee and sponsored by the PWC Bar Association, the Breakfast with the Judges events provide an opportunity for members of the Bar to mingle with the judges of the Thirty-First Judicial Circuit in an informal setting. The breakfasts, which are free to all members of the Bar, are held in the spring and fall, and feature a light continental breakfast.
The breakfasts are held in the Jury Assembly Room between 8:00 am and 9:30 am. Judges from all three levels of court typically attend. The format is an open reception so stop by at anytime during the ninety minute window.
Look for details about the next Breakfast on this website, in the Bar newsletter, and on the Bar listserv.
Luncheon Programs
The PWC Bar Association sponsors membership luncheons and programs at City Tavern located at 9405 Main Street in Manassas. A buffet style lunch is served at 12:30 pm followed by a brief program that typically starts at 1:00 pm. Lunch programs include a variety of low-cost CLEs, presentations from the local judges with a question and answer session, and other special guests of interest to our members. Look for details about the next Luncheon on this website, in the Bar newsletter and on the Bar listserv.
Bar Dinner Dance
The biggest social event the PWC Bar Association sponsors each year is the Bar Dinner Dance. The black tie optional event provides an opportunity for members of the Bench and the Bar to gather in a purely social setting. The evening begins with a cocktail reception during which the PWC Bar Foundation hosts a silent auction. The auction provides a fun distraction for members while raising funds for the Foundation’s worthwhile programs. Through-out dinner, the Bar Association presents various awards recognizing members for excellence as trial attorneys, for pro bono and community service, and for professionalism. As dinner is wrapping up, the band starts playing, the dance floor fills and members continue to enjoy each other’s company while placing their final bids on auction items. The event would end at 11:00 pm, were it not for the after party which continues well into the night.
The Bar Dinner Dance is also the venue for celebrating the retirement of judges in the Thirty-First Judicial Circuit. The Bar commissions a portrait of each judge upon their retirement, and invites the retiring judge and their guests to attend the dinner dance where the portrait is unveiled. Such retirement celebrations add greatly to the evening’s festivities.
Recent Retirement Celebrations
- The Honorable Judge H. Jan Roltsch-Anoll
Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court, 31st Judicial District, -2021 - The Honorable Steven S. Smith
Judge, General District Court, 31st Judicial District, 2009-2015
Judge, Circuit Court, 31st Judicial Circuit, 2015-2021
2022 Annual Awards
- Rusty von Keller Pro Bono Community Service Award
Chidi James, Esq.
- Juvenile and Domestic Relations Trial Attorney of the Year
Mandy Petrocelli, Esq. - Guardian ad Litem of the Year
Joan Coleman, Esq. - General District Court Trial Attorney of the Year
Presented by The Honorable William Jarvis to Charles Nucciarone, Esq. - Circuit Court Trial Attorney of the Year
Presented by The Honorable Petula Metzler to Rebecca Thacher, Esq. - Arthur Sinclair Professionalism Award
Kristina Keech Spitler
PWCBA Executive Director Alissa Hudson Retires
On October 14th, 2022, the Prince William County Bar Association celebrated the retirement of our friend, Alissa Hudson, the former Executive Director of the PWCBA.
Legislative Reception
Each year the Prince William County Bar hosts a legislative reception to provide an opportunity for members of the local legislative delegation to share information related to bills they sponsored during the most recent session of the Virginia General Assembly, as well as future goals and plans. The event is open to all members of the PWC Bench and Bar, and is designed to encourage open communication between the delegation and the legal community that serves the citizens of Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
Continuing Legal Education
The Prince William County Bar Association is an accredited sponsor of Continuing Legal Education Seminars with the Virginia State Bar and offers numerous educational programs throughout the year on a host of topics. Members are surveyed annually to identify topics of interest for future CLEs, and the Bar works hard to secure local talent to prepare and present each seminar. CLEs are given during luncheon meetings, as part of group mentoring programs, in support of pro bono initiatives, and as stand-alone events.