William D. Ashwell is a career litigator who has built a regional and statewide reputation for assisting clients in the most serious of situations and in high profile matters. A native of Warrenton, Mr. Ashwell has solidified himself as a leader in the field of civil and criminal litigation and beyond. A steadfast believer in giving back to the community, Mr. Ashwell balances his time between his family and giving back to the community that he calls home. A graduate of Hampden-Sydney College and the University of Dayton School of Law, Mr. Ashwell serves Northern Virginia, Piedmont region, and clients statewide, continuing to be a staple of the courtroom.

Education

• University of Dayton School of Law, Dayton, Ohio
  • J.D. – 2012
  • Honors: Moot Court – Team Member, 2010-2011
• Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, Virginia
  • B.A. – 2008
  • Major: English

Bar Admissions

• Virginia, 2012
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia
• U.S. District Court Western District of Virginia
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
• U.S. Court Eastern District of Virginia
• Supreme Court of the United States of America

Professional Associations

• Virginia State Bar
• Virginia State Bar, 7th District Disciplinary Committee
• Fauquier Bar Association

Representative Cases

• Chacey v. Garvey, 781 S.E.2d 357, (Va. 2015).
• Shepherd v. Conde, 797 S.E.2d 750 (Va. 2017)
• United States v. Bosyk, 933 F.3d 319 (4th Cir. 2019), cert denied, 140 S. Ct. 1124 (U.S. Feb. 24, 2020)(No. 19-860), 2019.
• Weatherholt v. Commonwealth, 839 S.E.2d 492 (Va. 2020).
• Spell v. Commonwealth, 851 S.E.2d 83 (2020)
• St. John v. Thompson, 854 S.E.2d 648 (2021)

Honors

• Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2017-2022
• National Business Institute Outstanding Faculty Award 2022

Classes & Seminars

• Land Use and Zoning: Navigate Land Use/Zoning Regulations, Permitting Issues, Disputes and More; National Business Institute, 07/20/2017 to 07/20/2017
• How to Get Your Social Media, Email and Text Evidence Admitted (and Keep Theirs Out), National Business Institute, 10/31/2017 to Present
• Protecting Your Business, Family and Future, Greater Piedmont REALTORS, 02/21/2018 to 02/21/2018
• Local Government Law – Start to Finish; Government Attorney Ethics – Protect Your Client and Yourself, National Business Institute, 02/23/2018 to 02/23/2018
• Road and Easement Law A to Z: Establishing Easements; National Business Institute, 04/09/2018 to 04/09/2018
• Take a Comprehensive Look at Land Use Law; National Business Institute, 07/10/2018 to 07/10/2018
• Ethics in Land Use Law; National Business Institute, 07/10/2018 to 07/10/2018
• How to Lay a Foundation to Get Your Evidence Introduced; Applying Ethics Rules to Evidence; National Business Institute, October 30, 2018
• Defining Easements and Ethics in Boundary Law; National Business Institute, April 15, 2019
• Real Estate Boot Camp and Ethics, National Business Institute, 04/19/2019 to Present
• Land Use and Zoning from Start to Finish: Ethics in Land Use and Zoning Law, National Business Institute, September 10, 2019
• Handling Email, Social Media and Other ESI; The Rules of Evidence: A Practical Toolkit, National Business Institute, 10/31/2019 to 10/31/2019
• Annual Probate and Estate Administration Conference in Virginia, National Business Institute, September 23, 2020.
• Legal Descriptions, Title Insurance & Surveys in Real Estate Transactions, National Business Institute, December 17, 2020.
• Challenging or Appealing Administrative Zoning Decisions: What You Need to Know seminar. National Business Institute; July 15, 2021.
• Virginia Estate Administration From Start to Finish, National Business Institute; August 25, 2021.
• Land Surveys and Legal Descriptions: Everything Paralegals Need to Know; National Business Institute;
• Virginia Real Estate Closings from Start to Finish; National Business Institute; July 29, 2021.·
• How to Lay a Foundations to Get Your Evidence Introduced; National Business Institute; August 31, 2021.
• Virginia Land and Water Law: Ownership and Access; Halfmoon Education, Inc.; July 30, 2021.
• Litigating Civil Cases in Virginia From Start to Finish; National Business Institute; May 20, 2022.
• Virginia Real Property Law: Understanding Title, Transfers, and Encumbrances; National Business Institute; May 17, 2022.
• Virginia Probate Process from Start to Finish; National Business Institute; June 16, 2022.
• Land Surveys and Legal Descriptions: Everything Paralegals Need to Know; National Business Institute; August 17, 2022.
• Resolving Boundary Disputes in Virginia; National Business Institute; September 28, 2022.
• Civil Trial Guide; Authenticating and Admitting ESI as Evidence and Utilizing Technology in Your Presentation; February 22, 2023.
• Forensic Accounting and Money Laundering Detection/Disruption Conferences; Florida Atlantic University; March 6, 2023.
• Reviewing the Chain of Title, Legal Descriptions, Land Surveys, and More; National Business Institute; March 29, 2023.
• Legal Descriptions, Title Insurance, and Surveys in Virginia Real Estate Transactions; National Business Institute; May 10, 2023.
• Virginia Land and Water Law: Ownership and Access; Halfmoon Education; July 28, 2023.
• Trial and Error: 50 Mistakes Even Experienced Trial Attorneys Make; National Business Institute; August 21, 2023.
• Title Law Boot Camp; National Business Institute; September 21, 2023.
• Virginia Civil Trial Skills; National Business Institute; October 12, 2023.
• Probate Process From Start to Finish; National Business Institute; November 21, 2023.

Pro-Bono Activities

• Fauquier SPCA, Board Member
• Partnership for Warrenton, Past Board Member
• Fauquier Chamber of Commerce, Past Board Member
• Experience Old Town Warrenton, Past Board Member
• Northern Piedmont Community Foundation, Board Member
• Mental Health Association of Fauquier County, Governance Committee