Years of advocacy for military spouse attorney licensing portability have resulted in an important change in Virginia.

The Supreme Court of Virginia has amended Rule 1A:8 to expressly recognize the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) as governing the practice of law by servicemembers and military spouses who hold a qualifying law license and relocate to Virginia pursuant to military orders.

This is a significant step forward for military spouse attorney licensing; one that MSJDN has been working toward for years.

Under the amended rule, a military spouse attorney who holds a “covered” law license in another state may have that license recognized in Virginia, provided the attorney submits a qualifying application to the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners in accordance with the SCRA. The rule also expressly recognizes that provisional licenses may be issued under the SCRA.

Why does this matter?

For years, MSJDN has worked to remove state-by-state licensing barriers that disproportionately disrupt military-connected attorneys, grounded in the steadfast belief that military families should not have to choose between following military orders and maintaining a legal career.

Virginia was one of the early states to adopt a military spouse licensing accommodation, in 2014. But as military spouse attorneys know all too well, simply having a rule on the books does not always mean that the rule provides meaningful portability.

The federal SCRA changes that landscape.

In 2024, MSJDN’s longstanding advocacy for military spouse licensing portability contributed to federal legislation requiring states to recognize qualifying professional law licenses held by servicemembers and their spouses. Now, Virginia has expressly aligned its rules with those federal protections.

This is what progress looks like, and this progress belongs to our entire community.

MSJDN wants to take a moment to acknowledge and thank every military spouse attorney and military-connected legal professional who has shared their story, volunteered their time, contacted policymakers, submitted comments, participated in advocacy efforts, and continued to push for meaningful licensing portability in Virginia. Every story shared and every hour volunteered helped demonstrate why these changes matter and why military families deserve better.

We are also grateful to the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Virginia legal community for recognizing the importance of ensuring that military service does not unnecessarily derail a spouse’s professional career.

This milestone is a powerful reminder that advocacy works. Change can take years, and it often happens because individual voices are willing to speak up, share their experiences, and keep pushing for something better.

We are proud that MSJDN continues to work alongside state courts, bar associations, policymakers, and our military-connected legal community to turn federal protections into meaningful career mobility.

Virginia is an important milestone, but our work is not finished.

MSJDN will continue advocating for implementation of the SCRA across the country and for the removal of outdated licensing and practice restrictions that continue to create barriers for military spouse attorneys.

Military service should not require a military spouse to surrender their legal career. This is one more step toward making sure it doesn’t.

Read the Virginia State Bar’s announcement and the amended Rule 1A:8 at the attached links.