ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Justice Teresa M. Chafin was elected to the Supreme Court of Virginia by the General Assembly in 2019. She joined the Court after serving the Court of Appeals of Virginia from 2012 until her investiture as a Justice in September 2019. Prior to serving on the Court of Appeals, she served as a judge in the 29th Judicial Circuit from 2005 to 2012, including as Chief Judge from 2009 to 2012, and she served as Chief Judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court of the 29th Judicial District from 2002 to 2005. Before entering the judiciary, she was a principal with Chafin & Chafin, P.C. in Lebanon, Virginia from 1988 to 2002, where she practiced a wide range of topic areas, including domestic relations, criminal law, business, torts, property, and administrative law. Justice Chafin received her B.A. in business and economics from Emory & Henry College, and her J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law. Currently, Justice Chafin is an active member on the Board of Trustees of the Appalachian School of Law, where she also served a term as Chair of the Board. She is married to Frank Kilgore and they reside together in Lebanon, Virginia.