Virginia Shapard Church | Griffin Circuit, Post 1

Candidate Statement

I am honored to seek election to serve on the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia. Having devoted my career to the practice of law with integrity, diligence and commitment, I am eager to contribute at the next level of service to our profession.

The Board of Governors plays a vital role in guiding and administering the affairs of our Bar, ensuring that our profession upholds the highest standards of professionalism while advancing justice across Georgia. As a member, I will be a steadfast advocate for fair, transparent governance that reflects the diverse perspectives and needs of attorneys throughout our circuit.

I believe the Bar thrives when its leadership listens actively, leads thoughtfully and acts decisively. If elected, I will:

• Champion open, inclusive communication with members in our circuit to bring their concerns and insights to the Board’s decision-making;
• Support initiatives that enhance participation, professional development, well-being and ethical practice for all Georgia lawyers;
• Promote strategic use of Bar resources to benefit both the profession and the public we serve.

I am committed to serving with enthusiasm, respect for tradition and a clear eye toward innovation where it strengthens our mission. I would be grateful for your support and your vote.

Education

• Georgia State University, B.I.S. in Law & Society (1998)
• Georgia State University College of Law, J.D. (2001)

Personal/Family

• I am a fourth-generation resident of Griffin, where I currently live with my spouse and three cats. My daughter, Kat, is a realtor and lives with her husband and three children in Williamson. My daughter, Christina, is a resident of Ocala, Florida, where she is a competitive horseback rider.
• I was raised at St. George’s Episcopal Church, where I sang in the choir. I started my college career as a vocal performance major. Now I mostly sing karaoke. My favorite sport to watch is baseball, usually the Red Sox, which I like to do while I am cross stitching. I have been active with the Griffin Footlight Players, Camelot Theatre and Main Street Theater in Griffin where I have acted in several plays and musicals over the years. I have played the Wicked Witch in two productions of The Wizard of Oz—and I’m not sure whether that is typecasting.
• It took 15 years to complete my undergraduate degree, which encompassed five schools—Boston University, Simmons College, Clayton State, Gordon, Georgia State—and as many majors. I chalk that up to not being able to decide what I wanted to do when I grew up. I finally decided on law when I took a sociology class in family violence at GSU that left me with a desire to work in family law. My proudest accomplishment, other than my children, is having successfully graduated from law school and passing the bar while I was working and had a toddler at home.

Professional Background, Bar Activities, Civic Activities

• I am a partner at McCoy & Church in Griffin where I practice mainly family law. The firm also does simple estate planning, juvenile law and probate law.
• My work history is about as varied as my undergraduate journey. Initially, I was an associate at Mullins, Whalen, & Westbury in Griffin where I defended cities when they were sued. Most of my cases were in federal court. I continued that work but switched to the county side, then I left the practice of law for a few years while I served as, first, the assistant to the city manager in Griffin, then the assistant county manager for Spalding County. I ended the non-legal part of my career in the role of executive director of the Griffin-Spalding County Land Bank Authority, then returned to the law and to my initial inspiration, family law.
• I am a member-at-large with the Spalding County Bar Association, a group with which I have been active for the past several years.
• I am admitted to the Eleventh Circuit and the Northern and Middle Districts, in addition to the Court of Appeals of Georgia and Supreme Court of Georgia.
• I have several published opinions from the Supreme Court of Georgia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
• I am a fourth-generation member of the Rotary Club of Griffin and serve on the Board of Directors for the Griffin-Spalding County Library System. I have been a member of the Rotary Club of Henry County and have served on the board for the Main Street Players. I also attend as many local events as I can.

Main Issues Facing the State Bar/Position

Member participation is one of the most pressing issues facing the State Bar. I think there should be a new campaign designed to target lawyers who are not participating in Bar events and programs that highlights all the State Bar has to offer. In addition, I have come across the unauthorized practice of law on more than one occasion. I think a lot of it goes unreported and would like to see the Bar find more ways to identify and address this issue.