Exhibits 5.1 and 23.1

                          [WILLIAMS MULLEN LETTERHEAD]

                                  July 12, 2002


The Board of Directors
LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc.
101 Gateway Centre Parkway, Gateway One
Richmond, Virginia  23235-5153

         Re:      LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc. Outside Directors
                  Deferral Plan

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         This letter is delivered to you in  connection  with the actions  taken
and  proposed  to be taken by  LandAmerica  Financial  Group,  Inc.,  a Virginia
corporation  (the  "Company"),  with  respect to the offer and sale from time to
time  pursuant  to the  LandAmerica  Financial  Group,  Inc.  Outside  Directors
Deferral Plan, as amended and restated effective April 24, 2002 (the "Plan"), of
(i) unsecured  obligations  of the Company to pay deferred  compensation  in the
future in  accordance  with the terms of the Plan  (the  "Deferred  Compensation
Obligations")  and (ii) shares of the Company's  Common Stock, no par value, and
associated  Preferred  Share  Purchase  Rights  payable  with respect to certain
Deferred  Compensation   Obligations  (the  "Shares").   We  have  reviewed  the
Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") to be filed by
the  Company  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange   Commission  to  effect  the
registration of the Deferred  Compensation  Obligations and the Shares under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

         In this regard,  we have examined such corporate  proceedings,  records
and documents as we have deemed  necessary or advisable in  connection  with the
opinions set forth herein.

         Based upon such  examination,  it is our opinion  that (i) the Deferred
Compensation Obligations, when issued pursuant to the Registration Statement and
the  terms  and  conditions  of the  Plan,  will be  legal,  valid  and  binding
obligations  of the Company under the laws of the  Commonwealth  of Virginia and
(ii) the Shares constituting original issue securities,  when issued pursuant to
the  Registration  Statement and the terms and  conditions of the Plan,  will be
legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

         We hereby  consent to the  filing of this  opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration  Statement  and to the  reference  to our  firm as  counsel  to the
Company in the Registration Statement.

                                     Very truly yours,

                                     Williams, Mullen, Clark & Dobbins, P.C.

                                      By: /s/William L. Pitman
                                          -------------------------------------
                                          William L. Pitman