A visit to SWAC Country

I went to Staunton last weekend for the meeting of the board of governors of The Virginia Bar Association.

At the dinner on Friday night among the locals in attendance was Magistrate Judge James G. Welsh, who I had not met before. He is an excellent fellow, who seems to know personally or have known or have heard about every lawyer of note in the Western District of Virginia since 1950, or maybe 1900.

His wife told this story, of Judge Welsh trying a case before Judge Widener when Judge Widener was on the District Court (which was in period from 1969 to 1972):

Welsh was an AUSA, and in this particular trial, whenever one of the witnesses gave some particularly useful testimony, he would say to the witness, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear that, could you repeat what you just said?" Judge Widener was not fooled by this technique, and declared that "if the United States attorney loses his hearing one more time, he will be held in contempt."

I did not tell Judge Welsh of my favorite story ever told by Harrisonburg lawyer Cathleen Welsh, whom I suppose is no relation to the judge, either.

Also at dinner I sat with the fellow who is executive director of Blue Ridge Legal Aid, John Whitfield and his wife.

I did not see the SWAC Girl in my short trip to Staunton, but noticed that she has been posting some excellent photographs.