Supreme Court of Virginia v. Consumers Union of the United States, Inc.

This case raises questions of whether the Supreme Court of Virginia (Virginia Court) and its chief justice are officially immune from suit in an action brought under 42 U. S. C.

§ 1983 challenging the Virginia Court’s disciplinary rules governing the conduct of attorneys and whether attorney’s fees were properly awarded under the Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Awards Act of 1976, 42 U. S. C. § 1988, against the Virginia Court and its chief justice in his official capacity.

I

It will prove helpful at the outset to describe the role of the Virginia Court in regulating and disciplining attorneys. The…