The Hon. Dale B. Durrer is a judge for the 16th Judicial Circuit Court of Virginia. He assumed the seat in 2018.
The 16th Judicial Circuit includes the City of Charlottesville and the Counties of Albemarle, Culpeper, Fluvanna, Goochland, Greene, Louisa, Madison, and Orange.
Durrer began his judicial career as a judge for the 16th Judicial District Court in 2013.
Prior to joining the bench, he was an assistant and deputy commonwealth’s attorney with the Culpeper County Commonwealth’s Attorney's Office since 2003. During his tenure as a prosecutor, Durrer was also a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia.
Before that, Durrer worked for three years in private practice as an associate at Davies, Barrel, Will, Lewellyn & Edwards in Culpeper (2000 to 2003), where his practice focused on criminal defense and domestic relations matters. After beginning his legal career at the firm, he also served as a court-appointed attorney for criminal defendants and was a Guardian ad Litem for juveniles.
Durrer received a B.A. in government from the University of Virginia in 1994. He then completed a J.D. at American University Washington College of Law in 2000.
Durrer has taught as an adjunct professor at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law and American University Washington College of Law. In addition, he participated in a debate on the merits of capital punishment at Yale Law School and is co-author of “Evidence Common Law and Federal Rules of Evidence” (7th Edition, LEXIS 2015).
A native of Madison, Virginia, Durrer attended Madison County High School. He and his wife, Holly, have two daughters.