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title: "Teresa M. Chafin | KnowJudges"
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# Teresa M. Chafin

Supreme Court of Virginia · Justice

## Profile

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

## Summary

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

## Biography

### Professional career

- Teresa Marlene Chafin is an American judge and Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, a position she has held since September 1, 2019
- Judge, Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2012-present
- 29th Judicial Circuit Judge, 2005–2012

### Education

- B.A. in business and economics from Emory & Henry College and her J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law in 1987.

### Additional information

- Her current term runs until August 31, 2031.
- Supreme Court of Virginia, 2019–present, appointed by the Virginia General Assembly on February 14, 2019, succeeding Elizabeth A. McClanahan
- Virginia Court of Appeals, 2012–2019
- Chief Judge (2008–2009)
- Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court (29th Judicial District), 2002–2005
- She was admitted to the Virginia Bar in 1988 and began her legal career in private practice with Chafin & Chafin, P.C. in Lebanon, Virginia
- Born October 4, 1955, in Lebanon, Virginia.
- Date of birth: 1955-10-04
- As a Supreme Court Justice, Chafin presides over significant legal matters in Virginia, including constitutional and statutory interpretation cases.
- handling domestic relations, criminal, business, tort, property, and administrative law cases.
- She is also an active member of the Board of Trustees of Appalachian School of Law, having held the role of its Chair.
- Chafin is the sister of the late Virginia State Senator Ben Chafin.
- She is married to Frank Kilgore and resides in Lebanon, Virginia.
- Birth place: Lebanon

## 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://vacourts.gov/courts/scv/home)
- [Official roster](https://vacourts.gov/courts/scv/home)
- [Virginia's Judicial System official judicial roster](https://vacourts.gov/courts/scv/home)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/8416/teresa-m-chafin/)
- [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/8416/teresa-m-chafin/)
- [Wikidata: Teresa M. Chafin](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7702177)

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