HJ5046: Commending Mary Lynn Tate.


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5046
Offered May 10, 2006
Commending Mary Lynn Tate. 

Patrons-- Moran, Albo, Armstrong, Barlow, Bell, Bulova, Howell, W.J., Hull, Janis, Joannou, Johnson, Kilgore, Marsden, McEachin, McQuigg, Phillips, Scott, J.M., Shannon, Sickles, Toscano, Tyler, Watts and Wittman

WHEREAS, Mary Lynn Tate of Abingdon is recognized as the outstanding winner of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association's 2006 Distinguished Service Award; and

WHEREAS, the principal of The Tate Law Firm, Mary Lynn Tate practices civil litigation, specializing in the areas of plaintiff’s medical negligence, products liability, personal injury, and business disputes, as well as labor, employment, and commercial law; and

WHEREAS, Mary Lynn Tate received an undergraduate degree from the University of Richmond in 1973 and a law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law in 1976; and

WHEREAS, Mary Lynn Tate serves on the executive committee and the board of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, is a past president of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association (VTLA), and is a permanent member of the Fourth Circuit Federal Judicial Conference; and

WHEREAS, Mary Lynn Tate's legal arguments have been featured on the VTLA-produced audio recording Million Dollar Verdicts; and

WHEREAS, a codirector of the Trial Advocacy Institute at the University of Virginia School of Law, Mary Lynn Tate is a recipient of its coveted Brennan Award, which honors attorneys who participate in the education of fellow lawyers; and

WHEREAS, committed to excellence in the legal service provided to all citizens, Mary Lynn Tate has served on the faculty of the National College of Advocacy, is a published author in her profession, and a respected lecturer for numerous state trial lawyer programs and professional organizations; and

WHEREAS, Mary Lynn Tate became the first woman in a five-state area to become board certified as a civil trial specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and has served on arbitration and grievance panels for labor and business; and

WHEREAS, Mary Lynn Tate is cochair of the American Trial Lawyers Association's (ATLA) Public Education Committee, past chair of the ATLA State Delegates, and the ATLA Small Firm and Solo Practice Section; and

WHEREAS, Mary Lynn Tate is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, an honor bestowed on approximately 500 renowned trial lawyers across the United States; and

WHEREAS, Mary Lynn Tate is a dedicated and exemplary attorney and a worthy recipient of the VTLA's Distinguished Service Award; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend Mary Lynn Tate for her well-deserved recognition and her many outstanding achievements; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Mary Lynn Tate as an expression of the General Assembly’s gratitude for her commitment to her profession and her dedication to the citizens of the Commonwealth.