Noteworthy

Michael Lewis Rigsby Sr., 75, passed away peacefully on June 13, 2021, at the age of 75. Rigsby was born in Richmond on August 2, 1945, and lived in the city his entire life.

He graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1967 and the University of Richmond School of Law in 1969.

Though originally planning to be an engineer, his father-in-law and mentor, Alden Flory, persuaded him to be a lawyer. He was a member of the Virginia State Bar for 50 years and the D.C. Bar for 30 years. His court appearances, in both federal and state courts, almost always included a colorful, self-tied bow tie.

After beginning his legal career with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, in 1978, Rigsby became Bar Counsel for the Virginia State Bar and served in that capacity for 20 years. He retired from government service in 1998 and entered private law practice, finally retiring from the practice of law in 2019. He served for many years as an adjunct law professor for the University of Richmond Law School while in government and private practice.

A member and past president of the National Association of Bar Counsel, the John Marshall Inns of Court, and the Virginia Bar Association, Rigsby was selected as a Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation in 2010.

Reno Sheffer Harp III of Richmond died June 16, 2021, at age 89. Born November 27, 1931, in Baltimore, Maryland, Harp received his B.A. from Washington and Lee University in 1954 and his J.D. there in 1956.

Harp was Assistant Attorney General of Virginia from 1956 to 1970, and in 1970 was named Deputy Attorney General of Virginia, Criminal Division. During his career in the Attorney General’s Office, he handled cases in the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Virginia, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He served as Extradition Officer for the governor.

Harp was the 1997 recipient of the Harry L. Carrico Professionalism Award, given by the VSB Criminal Law Section to recognize a lawyer’s “singular and unique contribution to the improvement of the criminal justice system in Virginia.” He served on the Board of Governors of the Criminal Law Section since its founding.

Harp was a former president of the National Association of Extradition Officials, serving on its board for ten years. He was a former member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Prosecutor Training Coordinators. He also served on the Judiciary Committee of the Virginia Bar Association for 30 years. He was named a Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation in 1997, the same year he retired from the law.

A devoted alumnus of Washington and Lee University, he chaired the W&L Breakfast at the VSB Annual Meeting since its inception. He served as his law school class agent for over 30 years. Harp was a member of the W&L Sports Hall of Fame. On his 45th law school reunion, he was named a Distinguished Alumnus of Washington and Lee.