# Elizabeth K. Dillon

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American judge (born 1960)

Elizabeth Dillon Dillon in 2014 Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia Incumbent Assumed office July 4, 2024 Preceded by Michael F. Urbanski Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia Incumbent Assumed office December 19, 2014 Appointed by Barack Obama Preceded by Samuel Grayson Wilson Personal details Born Elizabeth Kay Hillman (1960-12-14) December 14, 1960 (age 65) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. Education Lenoir-Rhyne University (BA) Wake Forest University (JD)

**Elizabeth Kay Dillon** (née **Hillman**; born December 14, 1960) is the [chief United States district judge](/source/United_States_federal_judge) of the [United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia](/source/United_States_District_Court_for_the_Western_District_of_Virginia).

## Biography

Dillon received an [Artium Baccalaureus](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) degree, magna cum laude, in 1983 from [Lenoir–Rhyne University](/source/Lenoir%E2%80%93Rhyne_University). She received a [Juris Doctor](/source/Juris_Doctor) in 1986 from [Wake Forest University School of Law](/source/Wake_Forest_University_School_of_Law). She began her legal career at Woods, Rogers & Hazlegrove, PLC, from 1986 to 1998. From 1999 to 2000, she was a shareholder at Guynn & Dillon, PC, a predecessor to her later law firm. From 2000 to 2003, she worked as an assistant city attorney for the City of [Roanoke](/source/Roanoke%2C_Virginia). From 2003 to 2014, she had been a shareholder at Guynn, Memmer & Dillon, PC, where she handled both trial and appellate matters in federal and state courts.[1][2]

### Federal judicial service

On September 18, 2014, President [Barack Obama](/source/Barack_Obama) nominated Dillon to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, to the seat vacated by Judge [Samuel Grayson Wilson](/source/Samuel_Grayson_Wilson), who retired on July 31, 2014.[3] She received a hearing before the [United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary](/source/United_States_Senate_Committee_on_the_Judiciary) on November 13, 2014.[4] On December 11, 2014, her nomination was reported out of committee by [voice vote](/source/Voice_vote).[5] On December 13, 2014 [Senate Majority Leader](/source/Senate_Majority_Leader) [Harry Reid](/source/Harry_Reid) filed a motion to invoke [cloture](/source/Cloture) on the nomination. On December 16, 2014, Reid withdrew his cloture motion on Dillon's nomination, and the Senate proceeded to vote to confirm Dillon by [voice vote](/source/Voice_vote). She received her federal judicial commission on December 19, 2014. She became the chief judge on July 4, 2024, after [Michael F. Urbanski](/source/Michael_F._Urbanski) assumed [senior status](/source/Senior_status).[2]

### Mountain Valley Pipeline

Dillon has been criticized for several decisions surrounding the [Mountain Valley Pipeline](/source/Mountain_Valley_Pipeline) in Southwest Virginia. On May 4, 2018, Dillon found 61 year old Theresa 'Red' Terry in [contempt of court](/source/Contempt_of_court) for protesting the pipeline while on her own land, threatening a $1,000/day fine and use of [U.S. Marshals](/source/U.S._Marshal) to forcibly remove her. The land has been in Terry's family for 7 generations [6] On May 16, 2018, Dillon found two farmers in contempt of court for encouraging a tree sit on their property.[7]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["President Obama Nominates Seven to Serve on the United States District Courts"](https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/18/president-obama-nominates-seven-serve-united-states-district-courts). *[whitehouse.gov](/source/Whitehouse.gov)*. September 18, 2014 – via [National Archives](/source/NARA).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-fjc.gov_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-fjc.gov_2-1) [Elizabeth K. Dillon](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394741) at the *[Biographical Directory of Federal Judges](/source/Biographical_Directory_of_Federal_Judges)*, a publication of the [Federal Judicial Center](/source/Federal_Judicial_Center).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Presidential Nominations and Withdrawal Sent to the Senate"](https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/18/presidential-nominations-and-withdrawal-sent-senate-0). *[whitehouse.gov](/source/Whitehouse.gov)*. September 18, 2014 – via [National Archives](/source/NARA).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary"](http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/nominations-2014-11-13). *www.judiciary.senate.gov*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Results of Executive Business Meeting – December 11, 2014"](http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Results%20of%20Executive%20Business%20Meeting%2012-11-14.pdf) (PDF).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Judge finds 'Red' Terry and her daughter in contempt for tree-sit protests of pipeline | Local News | roanoke.com"](https://www.roanoke.com/news/local/roanoke_county/judge-finds-red-terry-and-her-daughter-in-contempt-for/article_7e957ad4-0b4f-5a3f-b261-f69ed6fe2227.html). May 4, 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Franklin County family hosting tree-sitters receives fines"](https://www.wsls.com/news/virginia/franklin/franklin-county-family-hosting-tree-sitters-receives-fines). May 17, 2018.

## External links

- [Elizabeth K. Dillon](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394741) at the *[Biographical Directory of Federal Judges](/source/Biographical_Directory_of_Federal_Judges)*, a publication of the [Federal Judicial Center](/source/Federal_Judicial_Center).

- [Elizabeth K. Dillon](https://ballotpedia.org/Elizabeth_K._Dillon) at [Ballotpedia](/source/Ballotpedia)

Legal offices Preceded by Samuel Grayson Wilson Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia 2014–present Incumbent Preceded by Michael F. Urbanski Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia 2024–present

v t e District judges of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Maryland Active Russell Chuang Xinis Gallagher Boardman Griggsby Rubin Hurson Maddox Abelson Senior Nickerson Chasanow Bennett Bredar Hollander E. North Carolina Active Myers Boyle Flanagan Dever Senior Britt M. North Carolina Active Eagles Osteen Schroeder Bragdon Freeman Senior Tilley Eagles Biggs W. North Carolina Active Reidinger Cogburn Bell Rodriguez Orso Senior Voorhees Mullen Whitney South Carolina Active Cain Norton Gergel Lewis Hendricks Coggins Lydon Dawson Austin Clarke Senior Anderson Herlong Currie Wooten Harwell E. Virginia Active Lauck Brinkema Davis Alston Novak Young Giles Nachmanoff Hanes Walker 1 seat vacant Senior Hilton Smith Payne Jackson Hudson Trenga Gibney Allen W. Virginia Active Dillon Cullen Ballou Yoon Senior Jones Moon Urbanski N. West Virginia Active Kleeh Bailey Groh Senior Stamp Keeley S. West Virginia Active Volk Goodwin Chambers Johnston Berger Senior Faber

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