{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/54.1-3908.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/54.1-3908.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/54.1-3908.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/54.1-3908.html"}],"law_id":368924,"edition_id":2,"section_id":368924,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3908","catch_line":"Liability for words used in proceedings concerning conduct","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 54-47; 1988, c. 765; 1992, c. 574; 1996, c. 399.","full_text":"No person shall be held liable in any civil action for words written or spoken in any complaint regarding, proceeding concerning, or investigation of, the professional conduct of any member of the Virginia State Bar, unless it is shown that such statements were false and were made willfully and maliciously.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1375704,"text":"No person shall be held liable in any civil action for words written or spoken in any complaint regarding, proceeding concerning, or investigation of, the professional conduct of any member of the Virginia State Bar, unless it is shown that such statements were false and were made willfully and maliciously.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":52566,"edition_id":2,"name":"General Provisions","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":52565,"metadata":{"child_laws":11,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:01:07","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:18","permalink":{"id":1471231,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52566,"identifier":"1","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1","url":"\/54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52565,"edition_id":2,"name":"Attorneys","identifier":"39","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":52564,"metadata":{"child_laws":55,"child_structures":7},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:01:07","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:18","permalink":{"id":1471229,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52565,"identifier":"39","token":"54.1\/IV\/39","url":"\/54.1\/IV\/39\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52564,"edition_id":2,"name":"Professions Regulated by the Supreme Court","identifier":"IV","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":4,"parent_id":52436,"metadata":{"child_laws":55,"child_structures":8},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:01:07","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:18","permalink":{"id":1471227,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52564,"identifier":"IV","token":"54.1\/IV","url":"\/54.1\/IV\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52436,"edition_id":2,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":118,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":1282,"child_structures":163},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:58:52","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:51","permalink":{"id":1466315,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52436,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":368916,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3900","catch_line":"Practice of law; student internship program; definition","url":"\/54.1-3900\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3900","metadata":false},{"id":368914,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3900.01","catch_line":"Protection of client interests; appointment of receiver for practice of a disabled, impaired, absent, deceased, suspended or disbarred attorney","url":"\/54.1-3900.01\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3900.01","metadata":false},{"id":368915,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3900.02","catch_line":"Disclosure of services provided by the Department of Veterans Services","url":"\/54.1-3900.02\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3900.02","metadata":false},{"id":368917,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3901","catch_line":"Practice of patent law","url":"\/54.1-3901\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3901","metadata":false},{"id":368918,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3902","catch_line":"Professional corporations; professional limited liability companies; and registered limited liability partnerships","url":"\/54.1-3902\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3902","metadata":false},{"id":368919,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3903","catch_line":"Oath; 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Thorsen v. Richmond Soc'y for the Prevention of Cruelty to .\u202f.\u202f. ","case_number":"Record 150528","citation":"786 S.E.2d 453","date":"2016-06-02","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/3208959\/thorsen-v-richmond-socy-for-the-prevention-of-cruelty-to-animals\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. JUSTICE McCLANAHAN, dissenting. .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"},"1":{"name":"Melissa Trent v. Onderlaw, LLC, d\/b\/a The Onder Law Firm","case_number":"0810234","citation":null,"date":"2024-06-25","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/9820546\/melissa-trent-v-onderlaw-llc-dba-the-onder-law-firm\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Court of Appeals\">COA<\/abbr>"},"2":{"name":"Mark O'Hara Wright v. Andrew C. Graves, Esq.","case_number":"1079223","citation":null,"date":"2023-10-17","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/9434732\/mark-ohara-wright-v-andrew-c-graves-esq\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Court of Appeals\">COA<\/abbr>"},"3":{"name":"Mark O'Hara Wright v. Andrew C. Graves, Esq.","case_number":"1079223","citation":null,"date":"2023-10-17","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/9433213\/mark-ohara-wright-v-andrew-c-graves-esq\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Court of Appeals\">COA<\/abbr>"},"4":{"name":"McConnell v. Servinsky Engineering, PLLC","case_number":"Case No. 2:13CV00048","citation":"22 F. Supp. 3d 610","date":"2014-05-20","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/7306688\/mcconnell-v-servinsky-engineering-pllc\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. OPINION AND ORDER .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, W.D. Virginia"},"5":{"name":"Hewlette v. Hovis","case_number":"2:04CV128","citation":"318 F. Supp. 2d 332","date":"2004-05-19","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2472864\/hewlette-v-hovis\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 318 F.Supp.2d 332 (2004) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, E.D. Virginia"},"6":{"name":"Shevlin Smith v. McLaughlin","case_number":"140500","citation":null,"date":"2015-02-26","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2782322\/shevlin-smith-v-mclaughlin\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Present: Lemons, C.J, Goodwyn, Millette, McClanahan, and .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"},"7":{"name":"Ripper v. Bain","case_number":"Record 961353","citation":"482 S.E.2d 832","date":"1997-02-28","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1060069\/ripper-v-bain\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 482 S.E.2d 832 (1997) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"},"8":{"name":"In Re Palumbo Family Ltd. Partnership","case_number":"16-51039","citation":"182 B.R. 447","date":"1995-04-03","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1985915\/in-re-palumbo-family-ltd-partnership\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 182 B.R. 447 (1995) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Virginia"}}}},{"id":368923,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3907","catch_line":"Reasonable care of attorney in selection of index","url":"\/54.1-3907\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3907","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":368924,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3908","catch_line":"Liability for words used in proceedings concerning conduct","url":"\/54.1-3908\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3908","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}}],"previous_section":{"id":368923,"structure_id":52566,"section_number":"54.1-3907","catch_line":"Reasonable care of attorney in selection of index","url":"\/54.1-3907\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3907","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},"metadata":{"court_decisions":""},"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-3908\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1988, chapter 765; in 1992, chapter 574; in 1996, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?961+ful+CHAP0399\">399<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1471273,"object_type":"law","relational_id":368924,"identifier":"54.1-3908","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3908","url":"\/54.1-3908\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-3908\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3908","dublin_core":{"Title":"Liability for words used in proceedings concerning conduct","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-3908","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>No person shall be held liable in any <span class=\"dictionary\">civil action<\/span> for words written or spoken in any complaint regarding, proceeding concerning, or investigation of, the professional conduct of any member of the Virginia State Bar, unless it is shown that such statements were false and were made willfully and maliciously.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nLIABILITY FOR WORDS USED IN PROCEEDINGS CONCERNING CONDUCT (\u00a7 54.1-3908)\n\nNo person shall be held liable in any civil action for words written or spoken\nin any complaint regarding, proceeding concerning, or investigation of, the\nprofessional conduct of any member of the Virginia State Bar, unless it is shown\nthat such statements were false and were made willfully and maliciously.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 54-47; 1988, c. 765; 1992, c. 574; 1996, c. 399.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}