Orange County officials will be seeking a new attorney this winter.
On Dec. 11, Culpeper County Board of Supervisors Chairman and Cedar Mountain District representative David Durr announced the hire of Amy F. Wilson as Culpeper’s new county attorney. Wilson is currently the Orange County Attorney. She has been in the role approximately 16 months and is the county’s first in-house attorney. At the recent Orange County Board of Supervisors’ meeting, Wilson thanked outgoing chairman and District 1 Supervisor Mark Johnson for creating the office.
“[Thank you for your] vision of championing the in-house county attorney’s office,” she said. “I stepped into the role 16 months ago because you saw a better way forward.”
She said the office strengthens the community with staff there everyday working on behalf of the residents. She also noted the office had completed 531 legal matters with 79 still ongoing. The office consists of Wilson, senior assistant county attorney Robinson Hubbard and senior paralegal Alyson Simpson. Wilson did not address her impending departure during the meeting, although a closed session was held on the matter later in the evening.
Prior to her tenure in Orange County, which began June 3, 2024, Wilson served as senior assistant county attorney for Douglas County, CO where she conducted litigation at all levels of Colorado’s state and federal courts. She also spent 15 years in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps where she rose through the ranks, culminating in serving as the Brigade Judge Advocate for the Army’s 1st Space Brigade. Her military legal experience includes serving as a special victim prosecutor and as administrative law attorney and legal advisor to a commanding general.
“After a thorough and competitive search process, we are confident that Amy Wilson is the right choice to serve as Culpeper County’s next county attorney,” Durr said in a prepared statement. “Her combination of Virginia local government experience, distinguished military service and proven leadership in complex legal environments will serve our county well. We look forward to welcoming her to Culpeper County.”
County administrator Sam McLearen agreed stating that Wilson brings the caliber of legal expertise and professionalism the county needs.
“Her experience advising elected officials and senior leadership on the full spectrum of local government legal matters, combined with her demonstrated commitment to public service, positions her to make an immediate and lasting contribution to our organization.”
Wilson has a Juris Doctorate from Michigan State University College of Law and holds an honors bachelor of science degree in cell and molecular biology from Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom. She is admitted to practice law in Colorado and Virginia and maintains memberships in the Virginia Bar Association, the Local Government Attorneys Association and the International Municipal Lawyers Association.
Wilson will begin her tenure in Culpeper Feb. 25, taking over a position that has been filled by interim county attorney John Bennett since June. She will serve in her Orange County Attorney role until Feb. 15.
“We will certainly be sorry to see Amy go,” Johnson said in a prepared statement. “During her time with Orange County, she has demonstrated a high level of professionalism and an enthusiasm for public service. We wish her well in Culpeper County.”
Orange County has begun the search to fill Wilson’s position. Those interested can learn more at www.orangecountyva.gov/jobs.
