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Theresa D. Small

Theresa D. Small

Senior Associate

Theresa Dalmut Small is an associate attorney practicing in the areas of civil litigation, and estate planning. Theresa works primarily in the firmโ€™s Fairfax Office; however, she represents clients across Northern Virginia.

Theresa is a Virginia native who received her undergraduate degree from James Madison University with a focus in Mathematics and Computer Science. Upon graduation, Theresa worked as a certified paralegal where she began to develop her passion and knowledge of the intricacies of the legal field. Subsequently, she earned her law degree from George Mason University School of Law, where she served as the Editor in Chief for the Civil Rights Law Journal, Mooting Committee Chair for the Moot Court Board, Student President of Mason Inn of Court and Member of the Trial Advocacy Association. Theresa was honored to be published by the Civil Rights Law Journal.

Prior to joining McCandlish, Theresa spent two years clerking at the Fairfax County Circuit Court for the Honorable Stephen C. Shannon and the Honorable David Bernhard. During her clerkship experience, she not only focused on the intricacies of Virginia law but had the opportunity to become well versed in remote hearings. She participated on a panel discussion for a CLE concerning Effective Virtual Advocacy Using WebEx.

Theresa is the President of the Young Lawyers Section of the Fairfax Bar Association. When away from the office, you can find Theresaโ€”along with her husband and Australian Cattledogโ€”either outdoors running, biking, hiking or kayaking, or in the kitchen baking or cooking a new recipe.

Honors +
  • Best Lawyers in America (2024-2026)
    • Litigation – Trusts and Estates
    • Trusts and Estates
  • Named to the Legal Elite by Virginia Business magazine every year since 2022
Activities +
  • Virginia Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (VAELA)
  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
  • Fairfax Bar Association
  • Loudoun Bar Association
  • Virginia Bar Association
Presentations +
  • Estate Planning and Legal Authority for Parentsย โ€“ January 2022
    Sarah Aviles and Theresa Small facilitated this webinar for the First Fridays Futures Planning Workshops sponsored by The Arc of Northern Virginia. The webinar discussed strategies for parents of children with disabilities as they set up their estate plans.
  • Special Needs Trusts and Medicaid Planning โ€“ October 2024 and July 2025
  • Sarah Aviles and Theresa Small presented with the National Businessย Institute, Inc. on Special Needs Trusts and Medicaid planning.
  • Probateย in a Nutshell: What to Expectย โ€“ October 2024 and July 2025
  • Sarah Aviles and Theresa Small presented with the National Businessย Institute, Inc. on the basics of the probate process in Virginia.
  • ย Retirement Planning Today โ€“ October 2024, February 2025, and October 2025
  • Theresa Small presented a course with Retirement Planning Today held at George Mason University. The course is designated to discuss topics to consider when planning for retirement. Theresa specifically spoke on estate planning.

Education

  • 2019 J.D., George Mason University School of Law
  • 2013 B.S., James Madison University

Admissions

  • Virginia

Awards

Noteworthy Updates

News & Highlights

ALL ML ATTORNEYS ONCE AGAIN NAMED TO LEGAL ELITE FOR 2024

ML ATTORNEYS RECOGNIZED BY BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICAยฎ 2026

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ML ATTORNEYS NAMED TO LEGAL ELITE FOR 2025

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Leesburg Office