John A. Coggeshall (pronounced Kog'-shall), or "John Cog" to many who know him, brings very unique credentials to the practice of law. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama from the University of North Carolina, and he has been a featured performer on stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center in New York City. For over twenty years John Cog, "The Amazing One-Man Band", worked as a professional entertainer throughout Hampton Roads - good training for the rough and tumble of the courtroom stage. He acquired his law education without the benefit of attending law school, by reading the law under the supervision of a prominent Virginia attorney, and passed the bar exam the first time he took it.

Local columnists Larry Bonko and Lawrence Maddry and reporter Bill Ruehlmann have all written articles about John for the Virginian Pilot and Ledger-Star. He has been featured in publications as diverse as The Washington Post and Miami Herald, local magazines Portfolio and Soundings, and enjoyed high profile coverage through local television and radio outlets.

John is an active member of the Norfolk & Portsmouth Bar Association, the Virginia Beach Bar Association, The Ocean View Kiwanis, Concerned Citizens for Good Government and the Willoughby Civic League. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Ocean View Optimists International Club, establishing that chapter in the Ocean View section of Norfolk. He has been active with the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 21 and the Elizabeth River Project, as well as being a member in good standing of the Criminal Law Section of the Virginia State Bar, and Friends of the Norfolk Juvenile Court. He has participated in the Virginia Beach Bar Association's Concerned Lawyers Advocating Spousal Safety Program and contributed time, energy and funds to Tidewater area football and baseball programs for young people.

Attorney John A. Coggeshall and his wife, Aileen, live in Norfolk's Willoughby Spit community.