Willard J. Moody, Jr. is the President and senior attorney in The Moody Law Firm. The Moody Law Firm, Inc. is a Virginia law firm headquartered in Portsmouth, VA. Mr. Moody has been representing railroad workers and handling Federal Employers’ Liability Act claims since 1983 when he graduated from the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond, Virginia. Since that time, he has been licensed to practice law in Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Florida. He is also admitted to practice in numerous Federal courts throughout the United States, U.S. Courts of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. He is past President of the Portsmouth Bar Association, a member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice (formerly The American Trial Lawyers Association), as well as past President of the Academy of Railway Labor Attorneys (ARLA). He currently continues to serve on the Board of Directors for the Academy of Railway Labor Attorneys and has served on the Committee for Occupational Diseases for ARLA in the past. He has achieved the highest rating available to an attorney with the Martindale Hubble Peer Review ratings for preeminent legal ability and overall professional excellence.
Mr. Moody’s practice includes Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) claims on behalf of railroad workers, which includes traumatic injury claims, occupational disease claims, asbestos claims, cancer claims, and mesothelioma claims. In addition to railroad cases, Mr. Moody and his firm handle all types of product liability cases, trucking liability cases, medical malpractice cases, and auto negligence cases. Mr. Moody heads up the Mass Tort division of the law firm, which handles pharmaceutical cases against drug companies for bad drugs and medical devices, including Vioxx, Reglan, Levoquin, Ziacam, Acutane, Avandia, Fosamax and other pharmaceutical claims, and defective Hip/Shoulder/Knee/Hernia Mesh/Vaginal Mesh Implant cases.
Mr. Moody was selected by the American Trial Lawyers to co-author the chapter on FELA claims in the ATLA publication “ATLA’s Litigating Tort Cases.” He is a member of the AAJ Litigation groups regarding Avandia, Reglan, and DePuy Hip Implants.
Mr. Moody was most recently selected as a 2017 recipient of the TOP 10 Personal Injury Attorneys in the State of Virginia by The National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys.
Practice Areas
Personal Injury
Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA)
Asbestos Litigation
Products Liability
Pharmaceutical Litigation
Mesothelioma Litigation
Education
University of Richmond, J.D., 1983
Elon College, B.A., 1979
Admitted
1983, Virginia, U.S. District Court;
1984, Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia
1987, U.S. Court of Appeals Fourth Circuit
1989, U.S. Supreme Court
1997, North Carolina Bar, West Virginia Bar, and Florida Bar
Memberships
Norfolk/Portsmouth Bar Association
Portsmouth Bar Association
Virginia State Bar Association
West Virginia State Bar
North Carolina State Bar
The Florida Bar
Virginia Trial Lawyers Association (VTLA)
American Association for Justice (AAJ)
Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys (ARLA)
Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys (NAOPIA)
Professional Achievements and Recognitions
Past-President, Portsmouth Bar Association – (President, 1996 – 1997)
Past-President, Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys (ARLA) – (President, 2015 – 2016)
TOP 10 Personal Injury Attorney in the State of Virginia – 2017
Best Lawyers in America – Consecutive Multi-Year Recipient thru 2022 by U.S. News
Super Lawyers – 2011 – 2022
Mr. Moody, Jr. has also achieved the highest Martindale-Hubbell peer review rating for preeminent legal ability and overall professional excellence.
