Records of the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, 1871-1914

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888

Summary

Creator:
Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Contains a variety of material including correspondence, job applications and recommendations, court case papers, law license applications, completed Bar Examinations, as well as proposals, bids and receipts for printing from the office of the Clerk of Court. The material reveals the process by which citizens were appointed to positions within the Court, as well the steps lawyers had to take in order to become licensed to practice in Virginia. Documents found in this collection also show the process by which printing of the Court's records was procured and managed by the Clerk of Court.

Biographical / historical:

The Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals was created by an act of the General Assembly passed at the May 1779 session and has continued to the present day. Its antecedent was the General Court, which, after it was reestablished under the constitution of 1776, shared appellate jurisdiction with the Supreme Court until 1851, when the new state constitution abolished the General Court. Prior to that date, the General Court had criminal jurisdiction, while the Supreme Court was restricted to civil cases. While the court now has concurrent original jurisdiction in issuing and hearing writs of habeas corpus, mandamus and prohibition, retirement, removal, and matters of judicial censure, its jurisdiction is almost exclusively appellate. An act of the General Assembly passed on March 16, 1971 changed the name of the court to the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Originally, the judges of the other state courts also served on the Supreme Court. However, since 1789 Supreme Court judges have been elected by the General Assembly. Currently the court has seven justices whose term in office is twelve years. Although the Supreme Court has always held its sessions in Richmond, it also has met from time to time in other locations in the state for the convenience of its litigants. In particular, the court met at Wytheville from 1870-1945 and at Staunton from 1870-1971.

Acquisition information:
Transferred by Allen L. Lucy, Clerk, Supreme Court of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia. 26 September 1981.
Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into the following series:

  • Series I. Correspondence, 1882-1910
  • Series II. Court Papers and Miscellaneous Documents, 1871-1914
  • Series III. Law License Applications and Bar Examinations, 1898-1906
  • Series IV. Printing Records, 1880-1903
Physical description:
3.6 cu. ft. (8 boxes)