The Hon. Dontae L. Bugg is a judge for the 19th Judicial Circuit Court of Virginia in Fairfax County. He was elected to the bench by the Virginia General Assembly in 2019.
Prior to his election, Bugg served as a substitute judge for the General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court since 2016.
Before beginning his judicial career, he operated his own private practice, the Bugg Law Firm, PLLC, in Fairfax since 2010, where he handled criminal defense and domestic relations issues. Bugg established his firm after working as an attorney at a domestic relations firm in Northern Virginia.
He received a B.A. in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Maryland in 2002. Bugg then completed a J.D. at the University of Richmond School of Law in 2006.
While a law student, he was president of the Black Law Students Association, the Sports and Entertainment Law Society, and the Richomd Law chapter of the American Bar Association. He was also active in Moot Court and received the Oliver W. Hill Award from the Old Dominion Bar Association.
Bug, who grew up in Newport News, Virginia, was raised by his mother and grandmother.