President's Message

President’s Message by Manuel A. Capsalis The Ways of a Gentle Warrior HARRY TRUMAN ONCE SAID,“Men service in the cause of equal justice shotgun at Clarence’s head to facilitate make history and not the other way under law.” his timely departure. around . … Progress occurs when As was described in his biography He was a cofounder of the Council courageous, skillful leaders seize the presented at the ceremony, Clarence of Concerned Black Executives and the opportunity to change things for the became actively involved in the cause Association for Integration in better.” There are perhaps but a few of civil rights while a student at Management. He also cofounded the well-known individuals in our Virginia Morgan State University in the 1950s, Oliver White Hill Foundation, where legal profession in the past fifty or so participating in picketing of segregated he continues to serve. Over the years, years who arguably deserve such praise. theaters and restaurants, and as a part he has been the recipient of a great There is one person who undoubtedly of the famous lunch counter sit-ins in many awards and accolades. He has has earned his place in this pantheon, Baltimore, which eventually led to their argued cases too numerous to list, yet, because of his modest and humble desegregation. While in college, he had advocating for equal justice and pro- demeanor, he remains unknown to the privilege of being present in the tecting the rights of the disadvantaged. many. His name is Clarence M. U.S. Supreme Court to hear the argu- He continues to maintain an active Dunnaville Jr. ment of Thurgood Marshall and practice in Richmond. I first met Clarence in December Spotswood W. Robinson III in Brown v. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, 2007, when I attended the annual Board of Education. “The reward of a thing well done is to awards presentation of the Lawyers’ Attorney General Robert F. have done it.”A person of Clarence’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Kennedy appointed him as an assistant stature certainly would be excused if he an organization formed in 1963 at the U.S. attorney for the Southern District wanted the world to take note of his direction of President John F. Kennedy of New York. He served on Vice achievements. Clarence is not that type to engage the bar to provide legal ser- President Hubert H. Humphrey’s Task of person. Now in his mid-seventies, vices to confront racial discrimination Force on Youth Motivation. In the Clarence is as active and energetic as and to promote equal justice through 1960s he served as a volunteer civil ever, going about his business, fighting for justice. He continues on undeterred, even in the face of personal adversity. On January 3, his beloved wife of forty-two There are perhaps but a few, well-known individuals in our years, Norine, passed away. Just a few Virginia legal profession in the past fifty or so years who days later, awaiting her funeral, Clarence dutifully attended a meeting arguably deserve such praise. of the bar’s Diversity Task Force, where, true to form, he was fully engaged, the giver of sage advice. One week later, politely declining the offer of a contin- uance while he mourned the loss of his the rule of law. Among the recipients rights attorney in Jackson, Mississippi. wife, Clarence appeared before the that December evening was Clarence In 1967, as a “Mississippi Attorney,” Supreme Court of Virginia to argue for Dunnaville, who received the Segal- Clarence was invited to leave the town- a constitutional civil right to counsel Tweed Founders Award, which is pre- ship of Marks by a deputy sheriff, who for the indigent in cases involving sented to an individual “who has emphasized the request by aiming a fundamental rights, such as parental displayed outstanding leadership and 14 VIRGINIA LAWYER | February 2009 | Vol. 57 www.vsb.org President’s Message rights. By all accounts, he was as eloquent and persuasive as ever. As David Bernhard, one of his co-counsel explained, “Being in the pres- ence of Clarence and particularly inter- acting with him in the context of the law is an educational experience with few parallels. Whether it is as a warrior for civil rights, accomplished lawyer, pro- moter of innovative ways to teach the law and diversity, leader of the Oliver White Hill Foundation, or advocate for the rights of the poor, Clarence has been in the forefront challenging the law to be a bit better and to live up to ideals espoused which are yet unachieved.” This recent case before the Supreme Court was but one more example of the difficult and sometimes unenviable tasks President Manuel A. Capsalis (left) congratulated Dunnaville (center) and his son Andrew Dunnaville of Arlington, at he has taken on in a legal career span- the awards presentation of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in December 2007. ning five decades. It is a job he assumes without com- plaint and always with good cheer. As Richmond-based attorney W. David ously should have been entirely on him, our profession. Luckily for us, he is very Harless recently told me, “I cannot recall he did something that I will never forget. much our living future as well. He con- a time when I have been with Clarence To my great shock, Clarence introduced tinues on, as Emerson stated, content in that he has not been overflowing with me to the crowd. If truth be told, I felt knowing that the reward of things well encouragement and grace. For Clarence, somewhat embarrassed, as I was hon- done is simply to have done them. the focus is nurturing relationships, with friends and stranger alike. He expresses unconditional concern without precon- ception.” Kathy Mays Coleman describes him as having a “marvelous quality of If you have not had the pleasure of meeting making you feel like you are his friend, Clarence Dunnaville, I hope you someday do so. immediately.”As Rodney A. Coggin, publications director of the Virginia He is a living history of our profession. State Bar, described, “It is easy to forget about his wealth of experience fighting the toughest fights in the name of fair- ness and civil rights. So I always ask him what he’s up to and every conversation ored just to be in the same room with As much as anyone I have ever met, leads to something important and this giant of the law. I was nothing com- he personifies the very best of our call- enriching.” pared to him. After the ceremony, he ing. As David Bernhard best put it, I encountered all this firsthand in introduced me to his entire family, and “Clarence is a walking history of December 2007 when I attended the cer- we had a long, wonderful conversation. achievement and the epitome of moral emony for presentation of the Segal- From that timeless evening, I have had leadership by example. He is a jewel in Tweed Founders Award. I had never met the privilege of considering him a dear our Virginia legal community.” Our Clarence and knew very little about him. friend and mentor. profession is so much the better because At a ceremony honoring his years of If you have not had the pleasure of of him. advocacy and achievement, at a time meeting Clarence Dunnaville, I hope you when the focus of the occasion obvi- someday do so. He is a living history of www.vsb.org Vol. 57 | February 2009 | VIRGINIA LAWYER 15.

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