Howard C. McElroy

Howard is licensed in Virginia and his practice focuses on commercial and general civil litigation of all kinds, including contract disputes, tort litigation, products liability, personal injury, arson and insurance law. He is the co-editor of the 2002 and 2006 editions of the treatise Insurance Law in Virginia.

Howard McElroy is the senior partner of McElroy, Hodges, Caldwell & Thiessen and has continuously practiced with the firm and its predecessor firms since 1977. He has lived in Abingdon and practiced law across Southwest Virginia since his graduation from Georgetown University Law School.

Honors and Bar Service

Howard is a Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation, a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and a Fellow of the American Board of Trial Advocates (Virginia Chapter). He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America© in the specialty of Insurance Law, 2007-09 editions. He is listed in Virginia Super Lawyers under Civil Litigation Defense practice area, 2008, 2009 and 2010 editions, as well as listed in The Business Journal of Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia Legal Eagles for 2009 and 2010 in the specialty area of Insurance Law. Howard is also a permanent member of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Judicial Conference.

Howard currently serves on the VBA’s Judicial Selection Committee and the VBA’s Boyd-Graves Conference. The Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia recently appointed Howard to the Advisory Committee for the new Local Rules.

Howard has been very active in Virginia bar associations throughout his entire career. He has been a member of the Board of the Virginia Law Foundation since 2008. He has been President of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys (VADA) and has served on the Board and as Secretary of the Virginia Bar Association (VBA).

Community and Public Service

Howard has extensively served the Barter Theatre, the State Theater of Virginia, in various capacities and is currently on its Foundation’s Board of Trustees. He has been President of the Board. Howard’s terms on the Barter Foundation Board of Trustees are 1991-2001, 2003-08, and 2010-present.

Prior to law school, Howard graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served for five years as a Military Intelligence Officer in the United States Army in numerous locations across the country and for one year in Vietnam.

Personal

Howard resides in Abingdon with his wife and has three children who were raised in Southwest Virginia. Howard is an avid traveler and fly fisherman. He has fished throughout the entire Western Hemisphere.

Court Admissions

Supreme Court of Virginia
United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Professional Associations

Judicial Conference, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- Permanent Member

Local Rules Advisory Committee, United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
- Member, 2010-present

Commission on Virginia Courts in the 21^st Century, Supreme Court of Virginia
- Task Force Member, 2005-2006

Virginia State Bar
- Member, Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Board, 1986-90
- Member, Professionalism Course Faculty, 1991-94
- Member, Joint Judicial Review Committee, 1991-96
- Member, VSB/VBA Commission on Multidisciplinary Practice, 2000-02
- Member, Civil Litigation Section

The Virginia Bar Association
- Secretary, 1993-95
- Member, Executive Committee, 1991-95
- Member, Boyd-Graves Conference, 1984-present
- Member, Commission on Professionalism, 2007-present
- Chair, Committee on Federal Judgeships for the Western District of Virginia, 2009-present
- Member, Civil Litigation Section

Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys
- President, 1995-96
- Member, Board of Directors, 1988-97
- Member, Policy Coverage Section; Chairman, 1987

Virginia Law Foundation,
- Member, Board of Directors, 2008-10
- Member, Council of Fellows, 2003-10
- Chair, Council of Fellows, 2008-10
- Member, Committee on Continuing Legal Education, 1982-83

American Bar Association
- Member, Litigation Section
- Member, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section

American Board of Trial Advocates (Virginia Chapter)
International Association of Defense Counsel
Association of Defense Trial Attorneys
Defense Research Institute
Washington County Bar Association
- President, 1990-91

Distinctions

Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation, elected in 2002
Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, elected in 2002
Listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the specialty of Insurance Law,
- 2007-11 editions
Listed in Virginia Super Lawyers under Civil Litigation Defense practice area,
- 2008-11 editions

Publications

Education

Georgetown University, J.D., 1977

United States Military Academy, B.S., 1968

Bar Admissions

Virginia, 1977

Contact

Telephone:
(276) 628-9515

Fax:
(276) 628-7808

E-mail:
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

McElroy, Hodges, Caldwell & Thiessen | Attorneys At Law