The Commonwealth of Virginia celebrated the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown in 2007. Virginia’s judicial system, the first English speaking judicial system in North America, planted its roots in the 1600s also. Even as the House of Burgesses was developing and shaping the Virginia judicial system, our system was serving as the model for the United States Supreme Court. Many events and individuals contributed to the foundation and creation of our current judicial system. A snapshot of those events appears below.

• 1606  The First Charter of the Virginia Company
  
• 1607  Jamestown Settlement established
  
• 1609  The Second Charter of the Virginia Company
  
• 1612  The Third Charter of the Virginia Company
  
• 1619  Virginia House of Burgesses established
  
• 1776  Virginia Declaration of Rights
  
• 1776  Virginia Constitution
  
• 1776  Declaration of American Independence
  
• 1779  Four Superior Courts created (Supreme Court of Appeals, Admiralty Courts, General Courts, and Chancery Courts)
  
• 1786  Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom
  
• 1788  Supreme Court of Appeals (separated from other Superior Courts)
  
• 1788  Constitution of the United States of America
  
• 1830  Virginia Constitution (1st revision)
  
• 1851  Virginia Constitution (2nd revision)
  
• 1870  Virginia Constitution (3rd revision)
  
• 1879  100th Anniversary of Supreme Court
  
• 1902  Virginia Constitution (4th revision)
  
• 1919  Virginia Board of Bar Examiners created
  
• 1938  Virginia State Bar established
  
• 1971  Virginia Constitution (5th revision)
  
• 1972  Public Defender Commission created (name changed to Indigent Defense Commission in 2004)
  
• 1973  District Court system created
  
• 1974  Magistrate system replaced Justice of the Peace Courts
  
• 1979  200th Anniversary of Supreme Court
  
• 1985  Court of Appeals created