The Ten Clients Who May Get You Disbarred and How to Deal with Them Ethically (from Annual Advanced Family Law 2025)

A pre-recorded streaming VIDEO replay of one session from the April 2025 live seminar, 41st Annual Advanced Family Law.

Cosponsored with the Family Law Section of the Virginia State Bar

Join Virginia Court of Appeals Judge Daniel Ortiz and attorneys Barry J. Waldman of Fredericksburg and Bruce H. Russell, II of Abingdon for this lively and insightful CLE presentation, which builds on last year’s popular “10 Clients You Can, Should, and MUST Fire.” With insights from both the bench and active litigators, the trio will tackle the top ten types of clients who pose the greatest ethical challenges to Virginia attorneys.

This practical session dives into key ethical dilemmas such as handling lying clients, managing overly aggressive or vindictive demands, navigating confidentiality breaches, and dealing with clients who jeopardize their own cases. Using real-world examples, disciplinary opinions, and Virginia’s Rules of Professional Conduct, the presenters provide possible strategies to manage these high-risk clients while safeguarding your ethical obligations and professional reputation.

In an approachable fashion, the presenters seek to be both valuable and lighthearted while conveying the importance of maintaining ethical standards even in the face of clients who are inherently difficult.

Faculty

Hon. Daniel E. Ortiz, Court of Appeals of Virginia / Richmond
Bruce H. Russell, II, Bruce H. Russell, II, PC / Lebanon
Barry J. Waldman, Waldman & Associates PLLC / Fredericksburg

Moderator

Craig W. Sampson, Barnes & Diehl, PC / Richmond

Course Co-planners

Hon. Daniel E. Ortiz, Court of Appeals of Virginia / Richmond
Nanda E. Davis, Davis Law Practice PLLC / Roanoke
Jennifer L. Fuschetti, Garriott Maurer, PLLC / Virginia Beach
Sarah J. Knapp, ShounBach / Fairfax
Andrew T. Richmond, Mahoney Richmond Thurston, PLLC / Virginia Beach