Who is Diane Toscano?
Diane Toscano isn’t just a lawyer — she’s one of the most respected and sought-after trial attorneys in Virginia.
When Newport News teacher Abby Zwerner was shot by her six-year-old student, she turned to Virginia trial lawyer Diane Toscano. Toscano captured national attention when she revealed that school administration had been warned multiple times before the shooting — a revelation that reshaped public understanding of the case and sparked national debate on school accountability.
She assembled the powerhouse legal team now leading the $40 million lawsuit, Zwerner v. Newport News School Board — a case that could redefine how Virginia law treats school liability and workers’ compensation immunity.
A former Virginia prosecutor turned criminal defense powerhouse, Toscano holds one of the rarest distinctions in law — a federal criminal jury acquittal, achieved in fewer than 0.5 percent of cases nationwide.
She has also earned “not guilty” verdicts in state murder jury trials, reinforcing her reputation as a fearless Virginia criminal defense attorney with exceptional courtroom command.
Republican congressman. Democratic judge. High-profile public figures.
When the stakes are highest — no matter the politics — they turn to Diane Toscano.
She represents clients in personal injury and civil litigation, federal and state criminal defense, and sexual abuse, harassment and Title IX cases, taking on the toughest fights both publicly and privately. Her results include significant civil settlements for families, students, and employees throughout Virginia — from Virginia Beach and Norfolk to Newport News and Chesapeake.
Toscano’s leadership and results have earned her recognition, including Virginia Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame "Newsmakers of the Year" (2024) and Influential Women of Law (2022), and multiple years as Virginia Business’s Legal Elite and Top Lawyer of Coastal Virginia.
She began her career in 2006 as a prosecutor in the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, where she tried hundreds of criminal cases — from DUIs and assaults to robberies and violent felonies — before judges and juries. Today, she leads Toscano Law Group, a Virginia Beach law firm focused on personal injury and civil litigation, serious criminal defense, family law and education and Title IX law.
Who is Diane Toscano?
A fearless advocate — respected in the courtroom, trusted in the community, and driven to make a difference.
