Donald Allen

Donald Rueben Allen was born November 6, 1951, to Velma and Rueben Allen in Norwood, North Carolina. He moved to Alexandria, VA, with his family when he was seven years old.

He attended the public schools of Alexandria, including Lyles-Crouch Elementary School and T.C. Williams High School, where he graduated in 1970. He graduated from Cornell University in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and government. He received his Juris Doctorate in 1982 from North Carolina Central University School of Law in Durham, NC.

After returning to Alexandria, Donald served as a general practitioner who covered a wide range of cases throughout the years. He handled cases in the civil, criminal, and traffic areas of law. He devoted most of his practice to probate and estate matters, as well as to civil matters. He appeared at all levels in the courts of the state of Virginia. He appeared before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. In 1998, he was appointed as a Substitute Judge out of the 18th Judicial District in Virginia. He also was appointed a Special Justice out of the same Judicial District. He participated in the Virginia Supreme Court Judicial Performance Evaluation Program, served as a Commissioner in Chancery, and was recently appointed as a Marriage Celebrant.

Prior to opening his own law office in 1990, he worked as an Associate Attorney for the Raby and Stafford Law Firm in Alexandria, VA, was an Assistant Deputy Treasurer for the Arlington County Treasurer’s Office, and clerked for the United States Merit Systems Protection Board in Washington, D.C. In Donald’s own words, “the clients and their families he has met over the years of his practice gave him great satisfaction in knowing that he made the right choice in choosing law as a career.”

He is survived by his loving and dedicated wife of 29 years, Tamara Elizabeth Young-Allen, two adoring children, Adrienne and Jonathan; his wonderful mother, Velma Allen; three devoted siblings, Linda Allen of Alexandria, Anthony Allen of San Rafael, CA, and Ina Allen of San Mateo, CA; and a host of relatives and friends