Virginia R. Nuta received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from The American University in 1972, and a Master of Arts degree in Medieval History from The Catholic University of America in 1978. Both universities are located in Washington, D.C. Ms. Nuta later received a Juris Doctor degree, with Honors, from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1990 and received the Public Service Award. She has been a member of the Maryland Bar since 1990, and has been in private practice since 1996.

During the years between receiving her history and law degrees, Ms. Nuta was a magazine editor for several Washington, D.C., associations. But her most rewarding job was working as an editor and developing a program on government affairs for the international organization "Parents Without Partners", which was at that time the largest single-parent organization in the world. During her six years with the headquarters staff at PWP, Ms. Nuta helped produce their magazine, "The Single Parent", and lobbied on Capitol Hill for tax reform and child support enforcement for single parents. She also worked on guidelines for the Maryland schools on providing information to non-custodial parents. (For information about the local "Parents Without Partners" chapter, visit www.parentswithoutpartners.org.) Ms. Nuta's brochure, "Stress and the Single Parent", which was written for the organization "Prevent Child Abuse America" (www.preventchildabuse.org), is still in print.

While in law school, Ms. Nuta worked in a clinical program where, as a second year student, she was privileged to be selected to work on an appellate case about child custody, which she won. After law school and before entering private practice, Ms. Nuta worked for nearly six years for "Heartly House", a shelter in Frederick, Maryland, representing low-income victims of abuse with a variety of legal problems, but primarily family law.

Virginia is married to Alan J. Nuta, Esq., who practices law concentrating on federal Social Security Disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income benefits, and Veterans' Benefits. Their daughter, Brigid Howe, works for the Girl Scouts of America.