The collection consists of the office records of Burns & Burns, Attorneys at Law, of Lebanon, Virginia. The records begin as those of Burns & Ayers until approximately 1900, when the firm changed its name to Burns & Burns and was headed by William E. Burns. The records consist of case files, legal briefs, correspondence, circuit court petitions, and collection notices. Corporate clients include the Norfolk & Western Railway Company, Clinch Valley Coal & Iron Company, the Long Pole Lumber Company, the Bassett Jewelry Company, and the Illinois Sewing Machine Company, among others. The firm also defended several people against the Commonwealth of Virginia in murder trials.