Penney S. Azcarate

Biographical Sketch

Until her retirement in July 2026, Associate Professor of Law Penney Azcarate was the Chief Judge of Fairfax County Circuit Court, the first woman to hold this position. She served as a judge for 18 years, at both the circuit court and general district court levels. She implemented the Fairfax County Drug Court in 2018 and the Veteran Treatment Docket in 2015, which assists combat veterans with mental health and/or substance abuse issues, the first such stand-alone docket in Virginia. As Chief Judge, she was responsible for operations of the Court and led 14 other judges to develop racial equity initiatives and improve access to justice, including paperless initiatives, remote access to court, diversity and inclusion training, community outreach, and improved interpreter services. On the bench, she presided over high profile cases including Depp v. Heard in 2022 and Commonwealth v. Banfield in 2026.

Judge Azcarate was the chair of the Supreme Court of Virginia’s Veteran Specialty Docket Council, which oversees approving and training veteran dockets across the Commonwealth. She served as a mentor judge and a facilitator peer coach for the Office of the Executive Secretary. In addition, she was a member of the Judicial Council of Virginia, which is responsible for studying and recommending changes to the organization, rules, and methods of procedure and practice of the judicial system of the Commonwealth.

In 2017, Professor Azcarate was chosen by Virginia Lawyers Weekly as a Leader in Law and, in 2022, an Influential Woman in Law. The Fairfax Bar Association awarded her the President’s Award in 2020, and she received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Old Dominion University in 2022. She has made presentations to various organizations and judiciaries, including the Fairfax Bar, Virginia State Bar, Virginia New Judge Training, Virginia Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program, various local, state, and federal representatives, law schools, military organizations, the Judicial Council of California, and the Judicial Conclave of New Mexico. In addition, she recently published an article in the book Challenging Cases.

Judge Azcarate received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Old Dominion University, where she attended on a military scholarship. Upon graduating, she was commissioned in the United States Marine Corps and served in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm as a communications officer. After active duty, Judge Azcarate remained in the reserves and earned her J.D. degree from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.

Upon completion of law school, Judge Azcarate was a prosecutor, a criminal defense attorney, and civil litigator in Fairfax County before being appointed to the bench. Judge Azcarate was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps Reserves as a major.