Virginia Capitol Connections, 2025 Annual Magazine 12 From Washington Lawyer To Champion For Southern Virginia Senator Bill Stanley By JAMES S. TURPIN How does someone go from being a Washington D.C.-based attorney in a highprofile national case to becoming a populist champion for Southern Virginia in the General Assembly? That is the story of Senator Bill Stanley (R-Frankin). Bill Stanely was born in Florida, the son of a Navy aviator. His ties to Virginia date back to when his family was stationed in Virginia Beach and Northern Virginia. During that time, the family bought a home in Franklin County. Stanley went on to attend Hamden-Sydney College and the University of the District of Columbia Law School. As a young attorney, he was part of the legal team in the case of Paula Jones v Bill Clinton, which held for Ms. Jones on a 9-0 vote in the Supreme Court. Following the death of his father, Sen. Stanley supported his mother’s desire to become an attorney at the age of 58. Today, they are still partners in the Stanley Law Group. Stanley was elected to the Virginia State Senate in a special election following the election of Robert Hurt to Congress in the fall of 2010. At the time, this gave the Republicans the majority in the State Senate. He has since been re-elected in a variety of configurations due to population changes and redistricting. The Senator jokes that some of his district includes bordering counties in North Carolina. However, the biography is only part of the story. In many ways, Senator Bill Stanley is a throwback to an earlier time when members of the General Assembly could influence or sway a debate by the sheer force of their will and personality. He combines a grasp of the facts, a quick wit, and a debating style honed in the courtroom. The respect in which the Senator is held cuts across party lines and can be surprising. During the recently completed 2025 session, Senator Stanley rose to give moving tributes to two recently deceased members – Congressman (previously Senator Donald McEachin (D-Henrico)) and Senator Henry Marsh (D-Richmond). Few outside the Senate would have known of these close and personal relationships between such seemingly different personalities. What is notable is that
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