This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.
Virginia does not have a version of this rule. Other states that follow the ABA Model Rules have a Rule 3.9 that tells lawyers how to act when they represent a client in front of a lawmaking body or government agency, like testifying at a city council meeting or lobbying a state board. That rule normally says the lawyer must be honest and follow some of the same basic fairness rules used in courtrooms, even though it's not a courtroom setting.
Virginia chose not to adopt this specific rule. This means Virginia lawyers are not bound by a separate rule specifically covering their conduct in these non-court settings, like lobbying or speaking to government boards.
Instead, other Virginia rules about honesty, fairness, and dealing with people outside your own client still apply. For example, rules about not lying to others or not being deceptive still cover a lawyer's actions in these settings. So even without a specific Rule 3.9, Virginia lawyers still have to act honestly and fairly when representing clients in front of government bodies. They just don't have this particular numbered rule spelling out extra courtroom-style duties for those situations.
