The Judicial Council of Virginia recently named Chief Justice S. Bernard Goodwyn of the Supreme Court of Virginia as the recipient of the 2024 Harry L. Carrico Outstanding Career Service Award.

Goodwyn was presented the award May 15 during the Judicial Conference of Virginia’s annual meeting.

Justice Cleo Powell said Goodwyn’s career “is a testament to the very essence of professionalism embodied by Justice Carrico,” adding that Goodwyn’s dedication to fairness, equal access to justice and the judicial system’s integrity “resonates deeply with the spirit of this award” in presenting the honor.

The award honors Harry L. Carrico, the longest-serving chief justice and member in the history of the Supreme Court of Virginia. It recognizes a Virginia judge who demonstrates exceptional leadership in court administration and embodies integrity, courtesy, impartiality, wisdom and humility. All appellate, circuit and district court judges are eligible for the award.

Goodwyn currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Conference of Chief Justices and chairs its Criminal Justice Committee. He formerly co-chaired the Virginia Access to Justice Commission. He also has received the Virginia Bar Association’s Gerald L. Baliles Distinguished Service Award. Appointed to the Supreme Court by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine in 2007, Goodwyn was unanimously elected by the General Assembly in 2008 and re-elected in 2020. His fellow justices elected him chief justice in 2022.

Before joining the Supreme Court, Goodwyn served 10 years as a judge on the Chesapeake Circuit Court and two years on the Chesapeake General District Court.

Earlier in his career, he practiced law privately and was a faculty member at the University of Virginia School of Law. He earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his law degree from the University of Virginia.

The Judicial Council of Virginia is responsible for studying and evaluating the state’s judicial system and recommending improvements to the General Assembly and the Supreme Court.