I have lived in Norfolk, Virginia (VA) since I came back from law school at the University of Virginia 18 years ago. Norfolk, Virginia (VA), where I was born and raised, has really been on the upswing lately and is now a really great city to live in. Although the population of the city of Norfolk, Virginia (VA) proper has shrunk a bit to 241,000 people, there is a trend for people moving back into town.
Some of the people who had moved in the past to the suburbs of Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Suffolk, Virginia (VA) have now moved back into Norfolk because of the quality of life. For one thing, the main business downtown of all of Southeastern Virginia (VA) is still in downtown Norfolk. It only takes me 5-10 minutes to get from my house to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (VA) Norfolk Division where I use to be a law clerk. In addition to the federal court its only 5 minutes from my home to the Norfolk Circuit Court where most of my personal injury cases are heard.
The shopping in Norfolk has greatly improved with the addition of the McArthur Mall which has upscale stores including Nordstrom as an anchor. Norfolk has always been the medical community’s central address in Hampton Roads, Virginia (VA). In addition to the main trauma center at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital there is the main children’s hospital for the area at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters (CHKD) located on the same medical campus as Norfolk General. My kids were all born at another large hospital called Sentara Leigh Hospital which is 5 minutes away from my office. The Norfolk community also has another hospital 5 minutes away from my home called the Bon Secour DePaul Medical Center.
Many of the cultural amenities in Tidewater, Virginia (VA) are located in the city of Norfolk, Virginia (VA) itself such as the Virginia symphony, the Virginia opera, and the Virginia Stage Company. Each of these cultural activities is in the heart of a rejuvenated downtown with lots of interesting restaurants. I regularly go with my family to these kinds of activities. Norfolk, Virginia (VA) also boasts a major university at Old Dominion University (ODU), a great art museum, and lots of water for boating.
Despite all these big city advantages, Norfolk is still like a small town. Just the other day, I ran into the mayor at the grocery store and introduced him to my son. The mayor is an insurance defense lawyer who I have worked against in my practice over the years. I am glad I am a Norfolkian. It is fun to raise my kids in my home town and show them places that I went when I was their age. They even go to the same school that I went to growing up (Norfolk Academy). Not everyone is able to stay in their hometown, have a job they love, and have a good quality of life. I am lucky that I am from Norfolk, Virginia (VA) and am able to do that.
Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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