Partners Stephanie E. Grana and Elliott M. Buckner of Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci recently participated in the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association‘s September 2026 Board of Governors meeting in Virginia Beach.
The gathering brought members of VTLA leadership together from across the Commonwealth for one of the Board’s regular meetings during the year.
For Grana and Buckner, participation in the September meeting continues years of service to an organization that plays an important role in Virginia’s trial law community.
Nearly Three Decades of VTLA Service for Stephanie Grana
Grana has served on the VTLA Board of Governors since 1998, giving her nearly three decades of involvement in the association’s leadership.
Her VTLA service has included:
- President, Virginia Trial Lawyers Foundation (current)
- Board of Governors, 1998–present
- Chair of the Young Trial Lawyers, 1999–2000
- Parliamentarian of the Executive Council, 2009–2010
- President of VTLA, 2016–2017
- Continued service as a past president and Board member
The Virginia Trial Lawyers Foundation is VTLA’s charitable and educational arm, a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in 1988. It funds scholarships for law students, supports trial advocacy and public education programs, and runs community initiatives such as its bicycle helmet safety program for elementary school students.
That history reflects more than attendance at professional meetings. It represents sustained involvement in the organization through multiple stages of leadership and responsibility.
Grana’s service to Virginia’s legal profession extends beyond VTLA. She later served as the 84th president of the Virginia State Bar from 2022–2023, becoming the first Hispanic person and seventh woman to lead the state’s mandatory bar.
Virginia Business also included Grana in its Virginia 500: The 2026–27 Power List.
Learn more about Stephanie Grana and her practice.
Elliott Buckner Continues His VTLA Board Involvement
Elliott Buckner also attended the September meeting in Virginia Beach, although he is not pictured in the accompanying group photograph.
Buckner served as president of VTLA during the 2020–2021 term and continues to serve on the Board of Governors.
His presidency came during an unusual period for the organization. In 2020, VTLA’s traditional annual convention was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Buckner assumed the presidency as the association transitioned to its first fully online annual meeting.
CGBB documented that milestone at the time in its announcement, “Attorney Elliott M. Buckner Selected as President of Virginia Trial Lawyers Association.”
Buckner had previously served as a VTLA vice president and has remained involved in both the organization and continuing legal education for Virginia attorneys.
Much of that involvement centers on VTLA’s legislative program. Buckner is registered, on a volunteer basis, as a lobbyist for the association on matters relating to Virginia’s civil justice system. He works with VTLA’s government affairs team during the General Assembly session, reviews proposed legislation on the association’s behalf, and appears before legislative committees when civil justice issues are on the agenda. In the 2026 session, he testified before the House Courts of Justice Committee in support of Senate Bill 536, legislation concerning Virginia’s medical malpractice damages cap. He also serves as a trustee of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Political Action Committee.
Learn more about Elliott Buckner and his experience.
What Does the VTLA Board of Governors Do?
The Virginia Trial Lawyers Association was established in 1959 and today serves approximately 2,000 attorneys across Virginia.
The organization’s Board of Governors is responsible for the broader governance of VTLA. Its responsibilities include helping establish organizational priorities, overseeing financial policies and the annual budget, supporting membership development, and participating in educational, operational and other association initiatives.
VTLA also provides continuing legal education, publishes professional resources for trial lawyers and represents the interests of its members in matters affecting Virginia’s civil justice system.
Those responsibilities give Board service a purpose beyond professional recognition. Board members contribute time and experience to an organization serving lawyers and their clients throughout the Commonwealth.
A Tradition of VTLA Leadership at Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci
Grana and Buckner’s involvement is also part of a longer history between Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci and VTLA.
Three current CGBB partners have served as president of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association:
- Irvin V. Cantor, 2002–2003
- Stephanie E. Grana, 2016–2017
- Elliott M. Buckner, 2020–2021
That involvement continues into the next generation of the firm. Partner Joseph L. Cantor is a past Chair of VTLA’s Young Trial Lawyers Section (2022–2023) and currently serves on the Board of Governors as District Governor for the Fourth District.
That history reflects sustained participation in Virginia’s trial law community across generations of the firm’s leadership.
The attorneys at CGBB are regularly involved in professional organizations, continuing legal education and programs that allow experienced trial lawyers to share knowledge with others in the profession.
For Stephanie and Elliott, the September Board meeting in Virginia Beach was another opportunity to continue that service.
Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci is proud of their ongoing involvement with VTLA and their commitment to the legal profession throughout Virginia.
Meet the attorneys of Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci.
