Chesterfield, Virginia — Walter Alexander McFarlane is being
recognized by Continental Who’s Who as a 2022
Lifetime Legacy for the successes he has garnered in the field of Law in
acknowledgment of his role as Professor Emeritus at the University of Richmond.
Walter Alexander McFarlane has attained over 50 years in the
field of Law. Before attaining emeritus status in 2015, Mr. McFarlane served as
an Adjunct Professor at the University of Richmond from 1977 to 2015. An
educator with vast knowledge and diversified experience, he served as the
Executive Assistant, Chief Counsel and Director of Policy at the Governor’s
Office in the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1990 to 1994 and Superintendent in
the Department of Correctional Education with the Commonwealth of Virginia from
1994 to 2010. Mr. McFarlane has also succeeded in the roles of Assistant
Attorney General with the Office of the Virginia Attorney General from 1969 to
1973, Deputy Attorney General in the Office of the Virginia Attorney General
from 1973 to 1990, Acting Director of the Virginia Department of Juvenile
Justice in 1997, and Consulting Attorney for three Virginia governors between
1994 and 2010.
An academic scholar, Mr. McFarlane graduated from Emory
& Henry College, obtaining his Bachelor of Arts Degree. Later, he earned
his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Richmond. He has been
admitted to practice law in Virginia and before the U.S. District Court for the
Eastern District of Virginia, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth and D.C.
Circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
A respected voice in his field, Mr. McFarlane continuously
shared his expertise and contributed articles to professional journals. He has
maintained active involvement with several professional organizations, including
the Virginia State Bar Association, Chesterfield Bar Association, and the
Virginia Correctional Association as President. He has served on the Board of
Directors of the Woodland Pond Home Owners Association, the Meadowbrook Country
Club, and the Richmond Bar Association from 1989 to 1993. He was additionally
on the board for The American Correctional Association, the Emory & Henry
College Alumni Association as president, and the Richmond Bar Association on
its Board of Directors.
In addition, Mr. McFarlane sat on the state board of the
Department of Criminal Justice Services for 16 years and on the board of the
State Water Commission from 1994 to 1996. At this time, he also maintained
civic involvement with the Central Virginia chapter of the Epilepsy Foundation
of Virginia, the Greater Midlothian Civic League, the Mount Pisgah United
Methodist Church as the chairman of the building committee, the American Red
Cross and the Windsor Forest Civic Association, where he served as president
from 1975 to 1976.
In recognition of his acclaimed career, Mr. McFarlane has
been awarded many professional accolades and honors. While serving at the
University of Richmond, Mr. McFarlane was named the A.L. Philpott Distinguished
Adjunct Professor of Law in 2003. In light of his excellent service in the
military, he received the National Defense Medal and the U.S. Air Force
Commendation Medal. Additionally, he was the recipient of a Lifetime
Achievement Award from the Virginia Correctional Association, the J.D. Buscher
Distinguished Attorney Award from the American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials, the John C. Vance Legal Writing Award from the
Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Science and
Engineering, and the Fourth Annual Outstanding Evening Lecturer Award from the
University of Richmond.
On a personal note, Mr. McFarlane enjoys hunting,
photography, and reading during his spare time.
