Grace Under Fire, Part II: High-Conflict Family Law Advocacy, Ethics, and Sanity Preservation

Why Attend?

• Explore real-world strategies for effectively dealing with difficult opposing counsel, high-conflict cases, and challenging interactions with Guardians ad Litem.
• Beyond basic professionalism principles, examine repeat misconduct, ethical decision-making under pressure, and strategies for preserving both effectiveness and personal well-being.
• Gain practical tools for handling escalation, documenting problems, and responding with professionalism—without sacrificing sanity or advocacy.

If you attended the 2025 seminar “Grace Under Fire: Navigating Difficult Opposing Counsel and GALs in Family Law,” you know the rules, the warning signs, and the basics of dealing with difficult attorneys.

Attendance of the prior program is not required! This sequel tackles the situations that don’t resolve with courtesy alone: repeat offenders, entrenched conflict, ethical gray areas, and the cumulative toll of practicing in high-conflict environments.

The program also devotes extended, practical attention to one of the most challenging realities many attorneys face: difficult or unresponsive Guardians ad Litem, including how to address concerns without jeopardizing your client, your credibility, or the case.

In this program, we will explore:

• When difficult conduct crosses the line from “annoying” to ethically actionable
• Advanced strategies for dealing with serially unprofessional attorneys without becoming the problem
• A focused deep dive into managing conflict involving GALs, including documentation, communication, and appropriate escalation
• How to respond to weaponized delay, incivility, and gamesmanship—on the record and off
• The emotional toll of high-conflict practice and practical tools for preserving sanity
• When to absorb, when to push back, and when to escalate strategically
• Real-world scenarios where grace was tested—and what actually worked

This program is candid, practical, and grounded in real experience. It is designed for attorneys who already know the rules and are looking for real-world strategies to practice law well under sustained pressure.

Registration Deadlines:

Cancellation Policy: Cancellation/transfer requests will be honored until 5:00 p.m. the day preceding the seminar. You will, however, be charged $40 if you cancel or transfer your registration to a different seminar after the link to the materials has been e-mailed by Virginia CLE^®.

Full refunds or transfers are available up to two days after a webcast in the unlikely event that you experience technical difficulties.

Dietary Restrictions: If you have dietary restrictions and are attending the seminar in person, please email tfitzgerald@vacle.org.

Inclement Weather Policy and Updates

MCLE Credit Caveat: The MCLE Board measures credits by the time you spend in attendance. If you enter a seminar late or leave it early, or both, you must reflect those adjustments accurately in the credits you report on your credit reporting form. A code will be given at the end of the seminar, which must be written on your MCLE form.

Private recording of this program is prohibited.

Can’t Attend?

E-mail distance_ed@vacle.org to be notified when/if this program is made available as an online or USB seminar.
E-mail publications@vacle.org to be notified when/if this program’s seminar materials are made available for sale.

Course Schedule

• Q&A will be handled via chat room for Webcast attendees.
• Q&A will be handled via e-mail for telephone seminar attendees.

Faculty

Andi Grace Davis, Davis Law Practice, PLLC / Roanoke

Bruce H. Russell, II, Bruce H. Russell, II, PC / Lebanon

About the Speakers

Andi Grace Davis, Davis Law Practice, PLLC / Roanoke

Andi Grace Davis opened her law firm, Davis Law Practice, in Roanoke, in 2014, where she has focused on divorce, custody, support, and representing parents in matters involving CPS. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and serves on the Board of Governors for the Virginia State Bar, Family Law Section, and the Virginia Family Law Coalition.

Ms. Davis has been active in multiple CLE committees, including her current role on the National AAML CLE Committee. She has also worked on the Virginia AAML CLE Committee and has served as the chair of the CLE Committee for the Virginia State Bar Board of Governors. She has been a mentor for less experienced family law attorneys in the Virginia Chapter of the AAML.

In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Davis is the Co-founder of Senita Legal, a web application that calculates child support, spousal support, and arrearages under the Virginia Guidelines.

She is a past recipient of the Virginia Lawyers Weekly Influential Women of Law Award, past president of the Salem Roanoke County Bar Association, and past president of the Roanoke Chapter of the Virginia Women Attorneys Association.

Ms. Davis will be leaving us soon to open her practice in Colorado. While she will be missed, we wish her the best in Colorado!

Bruce H. Russell, II, Bruce H. Russell, II, PC / Lebanon

Bruce H. Russell, II, is a trial attorney with over twenty years of experience practicing primarily in Southwest Virginia. He is the principal of Bruce H. Russell II, PC, with offices in Lebanon, Bristol, Abingdon, and Tazewell. His practice focuses on criminal defense, domestic relations, personal injury, and general civil litigation.

Mr. Russell earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and his law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law. During his career, he has served as a prosecutor, law professor, small-firm attorney, and solo practitioner, including teaching at the Appalachian School of Law. He is deeply involved in bar leadership and legal education across the Commonwealth, currently serving on the Virginia State Bar Council, and his second term on that body’s Executive Committee.

His state bar leadership includes roles on numerous VSB bodies, including Bench-Bar Relations (currently Chairman), Local and Specialty Bars Section (Board Member), and previously EGAD VA (Legal Deserts and Lawyer Population task force) and Judicial Candidate Evaluation. He is a frequent CLE presenter and program chair on topics including trial practice, ethics, bar leadership, and wellness in the legal profession. He served as President of the Russell County Bar for over a decade, is former President of VMVLA, and is a board member of the Southwest Virginia Legal Aid.

Mr. Russell has been recognized for his service to the bench, bar, and public, including being named Virginia State Bar Local Bar Leader of the Year and a Virginia Lawyers Weekly Leader in the Law. He holds an AV Preeminent rating and is a Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation. He lives in Abingdon with his wife, Shannon, a public school special education teacher, their sons Clark and Eamon, and their miniature dachshunds Huckleberry, Tiger Lily, and Finnegan. He is a lay minister in the United Methodist Church and is an award-winning poet.