Recently in Legal Lifestyle Category

Being an openly gay judge in Virginia wasn't in the cards for Richmond prosecutor Tracy Thorne-Begland. The House of Delegates rejected his nomination earlier this week despite years as a public servant and his status as a former Navy pilot.

The reason? According to Del. Robert G. Marshall, who is running for U.S. Senate, Thorne-Begland's "life is a contradiction to the requirement of submission to the constitution." The prosecutor considers himself to be married even though same-sex marriage is not legal in Virginia. Marshall also charges him with pursuing an "aggressive activist homosexual agenda."

When it comes to practicing law, who's better: extroverts or introverts? (Don't all speak up at once -- though we also understand if you're too shy to say.)

"It depends," may be the lawyerly answer. After all, it makes sense that extroverts would be attracted to "in-your-face" trial work, while introverts would prefer the quiet anonymity of the transactional department.

But results from a well-known personality test seem to defy the stereotype of lawyers as outspoken litigators. And a recent column in Wired suggests technology is bridging the gap between introverts and extroverts, including attorneys.

With Cinco de Mayo inching ever closer, the Hispanic National Bar Association has announced its Top Lawyers under 40.

The news comes at a good time as it reminds everyone that the upcoming holiday isn't just an excuse to drink and party. Cinco de Mayo is about celebrating Latino heritage. It's about recognizing all the accomplishments and contributions Latino people have given to the world.

And the following HNBA honorees this year embody the leadership skills and intelligence every young lawyer needs to succeed.

Those following the John Edwards saga already know the former democratic vice presidential nominee has a tough legal fight ahead. But John Edwards lawyer's opening statement might just be the strategy needed to keep the former senator from a conviction.

Alison Van Laningham, Edwards' attorney, took to the offensive immediately. But not in a way most would expect. Rather than expound on Edwards' innocence, she instead shifted the blame to Andrew Young (Edwards' former aide) and his wife Cheri.

It's a gamble for sure, but why is it also brilliant?

Running late for court? You're not alone -- and as lawyers well know, chronic or unexcused tardiness can result in costly court sanctions.

In one recent case, a New York defense attorney was fined $500 for his "premeditated, blatant and willful" tardiness, after the judge repeatedly warned him to be on time, Reuters reports.

The attorney's excuse, which the judge did not accept, is among our top five lame, overused excuses for attorneys running late for court. Here's our list -- though you may want to come up with something more creative:

With the Trayvon Martin case finally rolling forward, the eyes of the public have turned towards the major players who'll be litigating the case. Angela Corey is the special prosecutor tasked with proving George Zimmerman's guilt. And she's no pushover.

Corey, 57, was the first to announce that the Florida State Attorney's Office would be pursuing second-degree murder charges against Zimmerman. Since then, she has been plunged into the national spotlight.

But who is Angela Corey?

As outrage over Trayvon Martin's killing continues, an unlikely social-media hero has emerged: a white "super-Irish" graduate of historically black Howard University's law school.

Kevin Cunningham, 31, of Washington, D.C., spotted a link to a news story about Trayvon Martin on a law school listserv. That was 11 days after the unarmed teenager was shot and killed by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman, Cunningham told the Poynter Institute.

Trayvon's killing led Cunningham to launch an online petition at Change.org to demand Zimmerman's prosecution; it now boasts more than 2.2 million signatures. Cunningham credited his activism, in part, to his legal training at Howard:

Are you a lobbyist? More than 12,000 people are, according to a tally of registered lobbyists by the Center for Responsive Politics — but there may be thousands more unregistered influence-peddlers, thanks to the language of the law.

In fact, as many as 90,000 people may be engaged in lobbying, one political expert told Reuters. “It’s a much bigger industry than the federal registry of lobbyists shows,” he said.

The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, amended in 2007, sets forth a three-prong test to determine whether you must register as a lobbyist. And a new Reuters quiz tests your application of those rules.

All work and no play can make attorneys not just dull, but also burned out. With law firms typically requiring 1,700 to 2,300 billable hours a year, according to Yale Law School's career office, a lawyer's life often means long workdays and big sacrifices to your work/life balance.

How do you know if you're burned out? Exhaustion, detachment, boredom, cynicism, irritability, and paranoia are some common signs of attorney burnout, as the Lawyerist points out.

There are various ways to cope -- some simple, some drastic. If you're not burned out already after reading this intro, here are five ways to avoid attorney burnout:

Will the justices of the Supreme Court need to get ready for their close-up? Cameras may soon be allowed in the nation's highest court, if a bill gains approval.

Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11-7 in favor of a bill that would televise Supreme Court proceedings. The bill has now been sent to the full Senate for approval.

It has been a contentious issue from the start.