As Associate Attorney with Norton Health Law, PC, Vincent W. P. Prior, Esq. is focused on estate planning, estate and trust administration, elder law, consumer health law, and litigation matters. Vincent received his Juris Doctorate from Washington and Lee School of Law, where he gained legal experience as a Student Attorney at the Community Legal Practice Center until graduation in May 2023. Of his experience Washington and Lee and specifically the Center, Vince says, “My time at W&L Law’s Community Legal Practice Center (“CLPC”) reinforced the fact that I wanted to practice law in a way that was meaningful to individuals in my community. While at the CLPC, I was able to assist underrepresented community members with a wide range of civil law matters including the drafting of wills, advance medical directives, durable powers of attorney, and designations of a designee to make final arrangements.” He adds that he learned from fellow W&L law students that even though the legal profession is largely adversarial, there’s always room for grace, humility, and humanity.

Prior to embarking on a career in law, Vince worked as a real estate entrepreneur, in service-related industries (both skilled trades and hospitality), as a business manager, and as a marketing consultant. Of his diverse background, Vince says it is his sincere belief that he can explain complex legal concepts —and processes— in ways that resonate with clients from a wide range of backgrounds. He says, “An attorney-client relationship is a very personal one and one that is based on trust and communication. I strive for clients to be confident in my legal representation, as well as their understanding of the legal processes they’re navigating.”

Vince was inspired to pursue a legal career by his father who was an attorney in the small town of Arkville located in the western Catskill Mountains of New York.  Vince witnessed firsthand the incredible difference his father’s practice made in the community in which he grew up. When Vince goes back to visit his hometown in the Catskills, people still stop him in the grocery store —a decade after his father’s death— and reminisce about how his father helped them with some legal issue or another, and how they are still thankful. Vince hopes to emulate his father’s unique mix of kindness, understanding, and professionalism in his own legal career.

Vince is originally from the Catskills Town of Hardenburgh, Ulster County, NY.  He attended State University of New York in Dehli, NY and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Hospitality Management.  He moved to Virginia in 2020 during the peak of COVID to attend Washington and Lee School of Law with his wife Emma. They live in Waynesboro with their daughter Maya.

Vince is admitted to the Bar in Virginia and is a member of the American Bar Association and the Virginia Bar Association- Elder Law & Special Needs Section, Health Law Section, and Wills, Trusts, and Estates Section.

Of his role as Associate Attorney with our legal team, Vince says, “I was drawn to Norton Health Law, PC for two main reasons. Firstly, the focus on client-facing practice areas aligns perfectly with my desire to work closely with individuals, making a real difference in their lives rather than representing a faceless corporation or government bureaucracy. I am passionate about being a positive force in people’s lives and directly impacting them in meaningful ways. Secondly, the firm’s specialization in consumer healthcare law and elder law is particularly appealing to me. What we do for our clients has the power to change lives; whether that means helping them gain access to a life-saving treatments or helping them sleep soundly at night, knowing that their wishes will be carried out if they pass or become incapacitated.”