This course, taught by two Virginia Circuit Court judges, provides practical guidance on drafting effective and enforceable court orders. Participants will learn key components of order drafting, including how to structure findings, relief, and judgments while ensuring compliance with Virginia’s Rules of Court. Topics include demurrers, motions to strike, sanctions, attorney fees, and multi-party litigation. Special focus will be given to drafting final orders in family law cases, preserving appeal rights, and avoiding common pitfalls. Ideal for attorneys at any stage, this course offers valuable insights to improve order drafting and enhance litigation outcomes.

Hon. Rebecca Wade
Presiding Judge
Alexandria Circuit Court

Rebecca Wade is an Alexandria, Virginia native.  She attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec for her undergraduate education, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Honours Economics and spending her summers traveling and working in Latin America.  After college, Judge Wade returned to Virginia to attend the University of Richmond School of Law. After graduating from law school, Judge Wade spent the first 6 years of her career as an Assistant Public Defender in Fauquier and Rappahannock Counties, Virginia.  There she was the sole Spanish-speaking attorney in the office.  After the birth of her daughter, Judge Wade returned to Alexandria to pursue a career in private practice.  In private practice, she practiced criminal and family law and in March of 2024, she was elected by the Virginia General Assembly to an eight-year term as a Judge in the Circuit Court for the City of Alexandria.

Hon. David Bernhard
Presiding Judge
Fairfax Circuit Court

David Bernhard has served as judge of the Fairfax Circuit Court since July 2017, having first been a criminal, civil and appellate attorney, during a private practice career spanning more than 27 years. He is the first Hispanic immigrant to serve on a Virginia circuit court. His appeals included Virginia's first civil Gideon case, a cooperative effort with civil rights attorney Clarence M. Dunnaville Jr., culminating in amending legislation expanding the right to counsel; the seminal Benitez decision policing abusive litigation practices; and the Kim opinion, providing a bright line test when private property is subject to the traffic laws of Virginia applicable to “statutory highways.” In 2012 he was named a “Leader in the Law” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. As a judge, he has been a force in promoting innovation, evidence-based practices and merit-based diversity in the Fairfax judicial system. He has authored numerous notable opinions such as Barela, wherein he delineated why jurors should be told of the penalty range in criminal case voir dire before this was later mandated by statute, Hunter, where he held the use of the cash bond unconstitutional as-applied, and Shipp, where he exercised his discretion to try all his jury cases in a courtroom devoid of judicial portraits. In January he will begin his new role as judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia, the first immigrant and Hispanic to serve on a Virginia appellate court.