---
title: "Doris Henderson Causey | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/doris-henderson-causey-va-court-of-appeals-of-virginia"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-08-02"
---

# Doris Henderson Causey

Court of Appeals of Virginia · Judge

## Profile

- Court: Court of Appeals of Virginia
- State: Virginia
- Role: Judge
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-07-26

## Summary

Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.

## Before you appear

- Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.
- Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.
- Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.

## Courtroom Rules

### cell phones and electronic devices

Scope: statewide

Virginia courts commonly restrict cell phones and other electronic devices in court buildings; counsel and litigants should check the local court policy before arrival.

Evidence excerpt: Most courts in Virginia do not allow you to bring a cell phone or other electronic device into the building.

[Cell Phone & Electronic Device Policy](https://selfhelp.vacourts.gov/node/30/cell-phone-electronic-device-policy)
Source checked: 2026-07-26


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/directories/judges_rule115.pdf)
- [Official roster](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/directories/judges_rule115.pdf)
- [Office of the Executive Secretary, Supreme Court of Virginia official judicial roster](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/directories/judges_rule115.pdf)
- [Cell Phone & Electronic Device Policy](https://selfhelp.vacourts.gov/node/30/cell-phone-electronic-device-policy)
- [Official biography source for Doris Henderson Causey](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/directories/judges_rule115.pdf)
- [Wikidata: Doris Henderson Causey](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q126725867)

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## Biography

### Professional career

- American jurist and judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia, elected in 2021 and serving since September 1, 2021, with a term ending in 2029
- Her mother, Dorothy B. Henderson, became the first African-American professor of education at the University of Mississippi

### Education

- Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University — J.D. (2002)
- M.Ed., Tennessee State University (1999)
- in mathematics and political science, University of Mississippi — B.A. (1993)

### Additional information

- She assumed office September 1, 2021 and serves an eight-year term until August 31, 2029.
- Elected by the Virginia General Assembly on August 10, 2021, Causey was appointed to fill one of six vacancies created by Senate Bill 1261, which expanded the Court of Appeals from 11 to 17 judges.
- From 2008 to 2021, she held the role of Staff Attorney and Managing Attorney at the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society
- received the Hill-Tucker Public Service Award in 2019 for her legal aid work.
- In 2017, she made history as the first African-American, first African-American woman, and first legal aid attorney to serve as President of the Virginia State Bar (2017–2018).
- Began her legal career as an Assistant Commonwealth Attorney in Richmond, then practiced privately (2003–2008).
- Born February 21, 1970 in Oxford, Mississippi, Causey grew up in a family deeply rooted in education and public service.
- representing low-income clients in civil matters such as domestic violence protective orders, landlord–tenant disputes, and family law.