---
title: "S. Bernard Goodwyn | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/s-bernard-goodwyn-va-supreme-court-of-virginia"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-09"
---

# S. Bernard Goodwyn

Supreme Court of Virginia · Justice

## Profile

- Court: Supreme Court of Virginia
- State: Virginia
- Role: Justice
- Service status: former
- Last verified: 2026-08-22

## Summary

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

## Biography

### Professional career

- Judge, Supreme Court of Virginia, 2007-present
- Goodwyn announced his retirement on January 1, 2026, succeeding Cleo Powell as Chief Justice
- 2007–2026: Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court, appointed by Governor Tim Kaine on October 10, 2007
- Samuel Bernard Goodwyn is a retired American judge and lawyer who held the role of a Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court from 2007 to 2026 and as Chief Justice from 2022 to 2026
- 1997–2007: Judge, First Judicial Circuit Court, Chesapeake, VA
- 1995–1997: Judge, General District Court, Chesapeake, VA — the first Black judge on that court
- 1994–1995: Research Associate Professor of Law, UVA School of Law
- 1988–1995: Partner at Willcox & Savage, Norfolk, VA, specializing in commercial, constitutional, and insurance defense litigation
- 1986–1988: Attorney at McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe, Charlottesville, VA

### Education

- University of Virginia School of Law in — J.D. (1986)
- A.B. in Economics from Harvard University in 1983
- University of Virginia-Main Campus — J.D.

### Additional information

- He was recognized in 2025 with the Harry L. Carrico Outstanding Career Service Award and the Gerald L. Baliles Distinguished Service Award from the Virginia Bar Association.
- Practitioner, 2006-2006
- prof, 2006-2006
- He graduated magna cum laude from Southampton High School in 1979 as valedictorian, serving as student body president, track captain, and football quarterback for two AA state championships.
- Born February 23, 1961, Southampton County, Virginia.
- Date of birth: 1961-01-01
- Goodwyn held the role of Chair of the Judicial Council of Virginia, President of the Judicial Conference of Virginia, and co-chair of the Virginia Access to Justice Commission.
- Goodwyn grew up in Boykins, Virginia, the son of Dolly and Sam Goodwyn, neither of whom had completed high school.
- In interviews, he credited his parents’ emphasis on education and service as key influences, and expressed a lifelong commitment to public service in Virginia.
- Birth place: Southampton County

## 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)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/5924/s-bernard-goodwyn/)
- [Cell Phone & Electronic Device Policy](https://selfhelp.vacourts.gov/node/30/cell-phone-electronic-device-policy)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/5924/s-bernard-goodwyn/)
- [Wikidata: S. Bernard Goodwyn](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7387393)

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