E.D. Va. Local Civil Rule 3

(A) Area: The Eastern District of Virginia consists of the counties, cities, and towns specified in 28

U.S.C. § 127, and the places for holding Court within the district are prescribed as Alexandria, Newport

News, Norfolk, and Richmond.

(B) Divisions: This district shall be divided into four divisions to be designated as the Alexandria,

Newport News, Norfolk, and Richmond Divisions; the place for holding Court for each of said divisions

shall be the city whose name the division bears, and the territory comprising, and embraced in, each of the

said divisions shall be as follows:

(1) The Alexandria Division shall consist of the City of Alexandria and the Counties of Loudoun,

Fairfax, Fauquier, Arlington, Prince William, and Stafford and any other city or town

geographically within the exterior boundaries of said counties.

(2) The Newport News Division shall consist of the Cities of Newport News, Hampton and

Williamsburg, and the Counties of York, James City, Gloucester, Mathews, and any other city or

town geographically within the exterior boundaries of said counties.

(3) The Norfolk Division shall consist of the Cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Franklin,

Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Cape Charles, and the Counties of Accomack, Northampton,

Isle of Wight, Southampton, and any other city or town geographically within the exterior

boundaries of said counties.

(4) The Richmond Division shall consist of the Cities of Richmond, Petersburg, Hopewell,

Colonial Heights, and Fredericksburg, and the Counties of Amelia, Brunswick, Caroline, Charles

City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Essex, Goochland, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, King and

Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, New Kent,

Northumberland, Nottoway, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Richmond, Spotsylvania,

Surry, Sussex, Westmoreland, and any other city or town geographically within the exterior

boundaries of said counties.

(5) All of the waters, and the land under such waters, adjacent and opposite to any city, county, or

town shall be a part of the division of which said city, county, or town is a part, and wherever

there are any waters between any city, county, or town which are in different divisions, then such

waters and land under them shall be considered to be in both divisions.

(6) In the event of any annexation or merger of any cities and/or counties, the land lying within

the merged or annexed area shall be deemed within the exterior boundaries of the original city or

county to the same intent and purpose as if the annexation or merger had not occurred, unless

otherwise modified by Local Rule.

(C) Division in Which Suits are to Be Instituted: Civil actions for which venue is proper in this district

shall be brought in the proper division, as well. The venue rules stated in 28 U.S.C. § 1391 et seq. also

shall apply to determine the proper division in which an action shall be filed. For the purpose of

determining the proper division in which to lay venue, the venue rules stated in 28 U.S.C. § 1391 et seq.

shall be construed as if the terms "judicial district" and "district" were replaced with the term "division."

However, the Clerk's Office in any division shall accept for filing new complaints which, venue excepted,

are in proper form. Such complaints shall be filed on the day submitted, deemed "filed" for all purposes,

and forwarded to the division where venue lies for further proceedings.