Bill Hurd is a partner in the Richmond office of Troutman Pepper, where he focuses on the firm’s appellate and state attorneys general practices.  He previously served as the first Solicitor General of Virginia (1999-2004).

In the United States Supreme Court, Bill has argued three cases, including the landmark decision in Virginia v. Black, 538 U.S. 343 (2008), upholding Virginia’s anti-Klan statute banning cross-burning with intent to intimidate.

Bill has appeared on brief in more than 130 appellate cases and has argued more than 50 times before federal and state appellate courts.  His appellate victories cover a wide array of legal issues, including reversing the denial of a multi-million-dollar tax credit, securing educational benefits for children with disabilities, upholding statutory procedures for restoration of voting rights, preserving a minute-of-silence law for public schools, and vindicating the sovereign immunity of an Indian tribe, among many others.

Bill also maintains a strong practice representing companies under investigation by state attorneys general.  He has helped companies resolve actual and threatened investigations in a wide spectrum of industries, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, debt buying, home service contracts, nationwide retailing, and tobacco manufacturing, among others.

Widely-recognized as a leading election law attorney, Bill served as chief counsel in the statewide election recounts for Attorney General of Virginia in 2005 and 2013, and he served as legal counsel to Virginia’s 2011 Independent Bi-partisan Advisory Commission on Redistricting. In addition to practicing law, Bill is an adjunct professor at the Scalia Law School of George Mason University, where he teaches a course in advanced constitutional law involving the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause.

Appellate Experience

• In the United States Supreme Court, Bill has appeared on brief (both party and amicus) in more than 30 cases, serving as principal author in more than 25 cases and personally arguing three cases before the Court. Altogether he has appeared on brief in more than 130 appellate cases and has argued more than 50 times before federal and state appellate courts.
• Virginia v. Black, 538 U.S. 343 (2003) (upholding state statute that prohibits cross-burning with intent to intimidate).
• Virginia v. Hicks , 539 U.S. 113 (2003) (upholding public housing project trespass policy).
• Served as the supervising attorney in the successful U.S. Supreme Court original jurisdiction case brought by Virginia to establish its right to build improvements into the Potomac River and withdraw water. Virginia v. Maryland, 540 U.S. 1101 (2004).
• Argued before the Court representing parents in the special education case, Schaffer v. Weast, 546 U.S. 49 (2005) (allocating burden of proof at administrative hearings under federal special education law).
• Appealed and overturned state trial court decision exempting corporation from accountability under trust law, leading to preservation of historic women’s college (2015).
• Appealed and overturned state trial court decision denying multi-million-dollar conservation easement credits to landowners (2017).
• Appealed and overturned decision denying sovereign immunity to businesses operated by federally-recognized Indian tribe (2019).

Awards & Recognition

• Best Lawyers in America^®: Appellate, Education Law (2007-2020)
• Chambers USA: Litigation: General Commercial, Virginia (2018-2020)
• Virginia Business Magazine: “Legal Elite” in Appellate Law (2011-2016, 2018-2020)
• Law & Politics: “Super Lawyer” in Appellate Law (2006-2016, 2018)
• Best Lawyers in America^®: “Lawyer of the Year” in Education Law (2017)
• Troutman Sanders: “Annual Pro Bono Award” recipient (2016)
• Best Lawyers in America^®: “Lawyer of the Year” in Appellate Law(2011, 2014)
• National Association of Attorneys General: Best Brief Award for “Outstanding Legal Writing” (2004)

Publications

• Co-author, “What the Biden Administration Can Expect From State AGs,” Law360, December 7, 2020.
• Co-author, “The “Big Picture” on Tribal Immunity: Tribal Lending Business Wins on Appeal in Fourth Circuit,” The Federal Lawyer, March/April 2020.
• Author, “Let’s keep electoral votes – and no compact,” Richmond Times Dispatch,  July 17, 2020
• Author, “Why Electoral Votes Matter,” Richmond Times Dispatch, December 17, 2016.
• Co-author, “2009 Annual Survey on Special Education Law,” University of Richmond Law Review.

Court Admissions

• Supreme Court of the United States
• U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan

Education

• University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1977

University of Virginia, B.A., Echols Scholar, 1973