Executive Director
Virginia Law Foundation

Ray White began his legal career as VISTA volunteer at Broome Legal Aid in Binghamton, New York, working for $80 per week and food stamps. Following that time he worked an Assistant District Attorney in Albany, New York, where he conducted numerous jury trials as a member of the Major Offense Prosecution Bureau and The Felony Trial Bureau. Licensed in both New York and Virginia, his practice career also included entertainment law, FELA litigation, family law litigation, criminal defense, and appellate practice.  

While practicing law (or perhaps more accurately because he was practicing law) Ray also found time to travel to Nashville and across the country to Los Angeles where he tried his hand as a songwriter and a screenwriter, all the while being properly advised not to quit his day job. He hasn’t, but nonetheless he still writes to this day.  

The most satisfying highlight of Ray’s journey into the world of creativity is having the privilege to co-write a screenplay with the recently crowned Amazon bestselling author PJ McIlvaine. The second most satisfying highlight is, after considerable begging and pleading, convincing her to join us at this institute.  

Mr. White served as the Chief Operating Officer for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, where he was also a member of the faculty teaching trial and deposition skills to attorneys at several hands-on training programs throughout the nation. He was also CLE faculty for the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division’s Office of Attorneys for Children, the New York Public Welfare Attorneys Association, and the New York State Basic Prosecutors Training Program.  

He is a two-time board member of Virginia’s Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program, a regular trial skill teaching volunteer at Virginia’s Hill-Tucker Prelaw Institute, and a long-time member of the Virginia Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission where he has served for many years as the Chair of its Outreach and Education Committee.  

Ray is a 1977 graduate of Duke University and a 1980 graduate of Albany Law School of Union University. He continues to serve as the Executive Director for the Virginia Law Foundation and Virginia CLE® and has since 2012.