"More than a month after his expected appointment, Madison County lawyer Jack Berry has been elected as a circuit court judge in the 16th Circuit.

Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle County, said Friday that Berry was part of a slate of about 30 judges approved during a night meeting this week by the General Assembly. Berry, who is the son of retired Albemarle Circuit Judge David F. Berry, is expected to take the bench August 1.

“I’m looking forward to having an opportunity to be a public servant, which is what I think a judge is,” Berry said. “It’s a challenge, and I’m going to do my very best to serve the citizens of the 16th Circuit in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

The 16th Circuit includes Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Culpeper, Fluvanna, Louisa, Goochland, Greene, Madison and Orange.

Although lawmakers in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates selected Berry for the judgeship in early March, Bell said his appointment was delayed because of indecision over controversial judgeships in Virginia Beach and Norfolk. Those positions were not filled by the General Assembly this week, Bell said, and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will have to choose interim judges for those slots.

Berry, 54, won the judgeship over Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge Susan Whitlock of Louisa and Rick Moore of Charlottesville. He will succeed retired Circuit Judge John R. Cullen of Louisa.

Fellow attorney and University of Virginia School of Law classmate W. Coleman Allen Jr. said he thinks the Berry will be an outstanding judge.

“I don’t know anyone who I would recommend as strongly for the trial bench as I would Jack Berry,” Allen said. “Jack is very fair minded. He is extremely knowledgeable about the law and very committed to doing the best possible job he can.”

Berry is incredibly modest and committed to public service, Allen said, recalling how his classmate encouraged him to provide legal services to patients at Central State with him. Allen admired Berry enough to ask him to be the godfather of his son.

Charlottesville attorney Matthew B. Murray described Berry as part of the “best and brightest” of the legal community.

“What’s interesting about Jack is that he stuck so close to his roots,” Murray said. “He had the wings with which he could have flown anywhere in the world. But he wanted to be a country lawyer, and he has spent his career helping the little guy.”

Although Berry is considered a success in the legal field, Allen said he almost played professional football. Berry was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and traveled down to training camp in the summer of 1976.

“He was not cut, but when it came time to register for law school, he decided this is what he wanted to do,” Allen said.

Allen also said Berry is a “crack shot” with a rifle and pistol, and Murray added that he is a great dancer.

The new judge will have to leave his law firm, Berry & Early, once he takes his seat on the bench, although Berry said he will make plans for the cases he has been covering before he leaves." (Jeremy Borden, The Daily Progress, April 26, 2008)