RICHMOND, Va. — The Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia have unanimously elected Justice Cleo E. Powell as chief justice-elect, marking the first time an African American woman will lead the court in its history.
Powell will succeed Chief Justice S. Bernard Goodwyn, who has served in the role since Jan. 1, 2022, and has announced his retirement effective Jan. 1, 2026. Powell will assume office the same day.
She was first elected by the General Assembly to the Supreme Court of Virginia in 2011 and re-elected in 2023. Powell previously served as a judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia, the 12th Judicial Circuit Court, and the Chesterfield General District Court.
Powell earned her undergraduate degree, with distinction, from the University of Virginia and her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Before joining the bench, she practiced labor and employment law, served as corporate counsel and director of employee services for an energy company, and worked as a senior assistant attorney general in the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia.
She currently chairs the Judicial Performance Evaluation Committee and serves on the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of Virginia. Her prior service includes the Model Jury Instructions Committee, the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission, and the Ad Hoc Committee for the Study of Canons of Judicial Conduct.
Powell has received numerous professional and civic honors, including the Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Conference Jurist of the Year Award, the YMCA of Greater Richmond’s Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award for Legacy, and the Virginia State Bar’s Clarence M. Dunnaville Jr. Achievement Award.
She also contributes to legal education as a faculty member at New York University’s Institute of Judicial Administration’s Appellate Judges Seminar. She serves as the Diversity Mentor, Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law, and The L. Anthony Sutin Endowed Lecturer at the Appalachian School of Law.
“Chief Justice-elect Powell is a dedicated jurist who exemplifies integrity, civility, and professionalism, and I am confident that she will serve the Court as Chief Justice with the highest distinction,” Goodwyn said.
