■ 2016 Virginia Legal Elite
George A. Somerville Harman Claytor Corrigan & Wellman Richmond
APPELLATE LAW
Other legal specialties: Trials, water resources and local government law
Birthplace: Parkersburg,
W.Va.
Education: Bachelor’s degree, West Virginia University; law degree, University of Virginia School of Law. Spouse: Elizabeth (“Betsy”) Somerville
Children: Sons Chris, Tom, David and Stephen Somerville; stepdaughters Amanda Thomas and Stephanie Sale; grandchildren Caleb Thomas, Virginia and Elanor Somerville, and another on the way!
Hobbies or pastimes: Running, theater and concerts (mostly jambands, folk and blues).
First job as a lawyer: Law clerk to Ruggero J. Aldisert, U.S. circuit judge
Fan of: The West Virginia Mountaineers and the Washington Redskins.
Favorite vacation spot: New York City Recently read book: “Finding Darwin’s God” by Kenneth R. Miller
Career mentors: Judge Aldisert, John F. “Jack” Kay Jr., James C. Roberts
How is appellate law different from other legal specialties?
Trial practice is more personal; appellate practice is more cerebral. Appellate oral arguments are limited; brief-writing requires hours of working with the record and in the library (or its digital equivalent). The briefs are the most important component of appeals. The focus of trial practice is leading the jury or judge to see the facts in a par- ticular way. The focus of appellate practice is the law, and the record is fixed at the trial.
What has been your most memorable case?
It is difficult to identify a single “most memorable” case. If forced to the choice, however, I would select the Episcopal Chur ch property litigation (The Falls Church v. Protestant Episcopal Church). I was a member of a great team of lawyers; the issues were both legal (com- mon law and constitutional law) and factual (more than two centuries of church history); and there were really excellent lawyers on both sides of the case, making it all the more interesting and challenging.
40 DECEMBER 2016
Photo by Mark Rhodes
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88