Heather R. Howard

Heather R. Howard was born and raised in Abingdon, VA graduating with Honors from Abingdon High School in 1994. Heather attended Colorado State University graduating cum laude in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology, an emphasis in Criminology, and a minor in Psychology. In 2001, Heather earned her J.D. and graduated cum laude from the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia.

Heather began her legal career as an Attorney at Southwest Virginia Legal Aid before transferring to the Central Virginia Legal Aid Office in Charlottesville, VA.  Heather then turned her focus from civil law to criminal law and began a new career path as an Assistant Public Defender in the City of Richmond, Virginia.

After learning criminal law from the defense perspective, she returned to her roots in Southwest Virginia where learned the prosecutorial side of criminal law while working as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Russell County and then a Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney in Washington County.

In 2012, Heather joined the law firm of Jessee, Read & Howard, P.C. with a solid background in civil and criminal litigation. In addition to her law practice, Heather is an active member in the Community.

• Town of Abingdon Board of Zoning Appeals;
• Past-President of the Washington County Bar Association;
• Past-President of the 28th Judicial District Criminal Defense Bar Association;
• 2014 Business Journal’s Top 40 Under Forty Award;
• 2016 graduate of the Leadership Washington County Program;
• Implemented the Virginia Rules Initiative in the Washington County Public schools;
• Chaired the planning committee for the Annual Regional Bench Bar Conference.
• Member I.O.O.F. McCabe Lodge #56