Cynthia Hudson J.D. '87

Bio

Following a lengthy career in public legal service for both local government and the Commonwealth of Virginia, former Virginia Chief Deputy Attorney General Cynthia Hudson now performs legal and government affairs services as owner and managing attorney of Eppes-Hudson Law, PLLC, as well as alternative dispute resolution services as a member of The McCammon Group in Richmond.  This work follows her tenure in the government practice group of Sands Anderson PC where she advised/represented Virginia local, regional and state government entities and officials. 

Cynthia was appointed Chief Deputy AG by former Attorney General Mark R. Herring in 2014 and served the Commonwealth in that role until 2020.  As Chief Deputy AG, Cynthia oversaw legal services provided by the state’s Department of Law, as well as administrative matters for a staff of nearly 400 lawyers and support personnel.  She recently applied that experience in leading the personnel committee of Attorney General Jay Jones’s transition team.

Cynthia served as City Attorney for the City of Hampton, Virginia from 2006 to 2014, following several years in private practice at McGuire Woods LLP where she specialized in labor and employment law and civil rights matters for corporate, government, and non-profit entities.  She has also been an Adjunct Professor teaching state and local government law at the William & Mary Law School.

As a dedicated public servant lawyer, Cynthia was named Chair of the Governor's Commission to Examine Racial Inequity in the Law by Governor Ralph Northam and as Co-Chair of Governor Terry McAuliff’s Commission on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Cynthia led the Local Government Attorneys of Virginia (LGA) as President in 2013, and in 2021 received the highest award bestowed by LGA:  the Finnegan-Whiting Award for Legal Public Service. Committed as well to general community service, Cynthia presently serves on the boards of the Virginia Healthcare Foundation, Bridging Virginia (a community development financial institution), and the Moton Museum.

Cynthia’s experience, leadership and civic engagement have been recognized in several ways, including by her induction as a Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation (2015); receipt of the Oliver Hill Civil Rights Leader award from the Richmond Chapter of the NAACP (2018), and recognition in Virginia Lawyers Weekly's 2019 and 2024 classes of Influential Women of Virginia Law.

A native of Crewe, Virginia, Cynthia attended Nottoway County public schools.  She received her undergraduate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and her law degree from the College of William & Mary where she later served as a member of the Board of Visitors from 2020 through 2024. 

Board Appointment Record:
Appointed July 1, 2020 by Governor Ralph Northam
Re-appointed July 1, 2026 by Governor Abigail Spanberger

2026-2027 Committee Assignments

Committee on Administration, Buildings, and Grounds
Committee on Audit, Risk, and Compliance (Vice Chair)