States News Service, June 9, 2010, Wednesday

Copyright 2010 States News Service
States News Service

June 9, 2010, Wednesday

Charlottesville Attorney Named Young Lawyer of the Year

The following information was released by the Virginia State Bar (VSB):

The Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Conference will give the 2010 R. Edwin Burnette Jr. Young Lawyer of the Year Award to Robert E. "Bob" Byrne Jr. of Charlottesville.

The award recognizes young lawyers who demonstrate dedicated service to the conference, the legal profession, and the community. It will be presented on June 18, 2010, at the Virginia State Bar Annual Meeting in Virginia Beach.

Byrne has a statewide general litigation practice with MartinWren PC, which has offices in Charlottesville and Harrisonburg. He has been an active volunteer in the Young Lawyers Conference.

The conference board of governors credits him with revitalizing the YLC Professional Development Conference - an annual program that offers practice management and substantive law training to young attorneys - in 2008.

"Rather than just adding another activity to his resume, ... Bob was conscientious [in] crafting a detailed program that would actually give young attorneys the practical skills to help them in their individual practices. ... [H]e dedicated himself to organizing a conference that would make the attendees better attorneys," wrote Monica A. Walker, who co-chaired the Professional Development Conference with Byrne last year.

Board members also cited his contributions to the YLC's Docket Call newsletter and his community involvement. Byrne is a youth basketball coach and a member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Rotary Club. He recently helped found a church in Zion Crossroads. He served a chair of the Regent University Executive Alumni Board in 2006-07.

Byrne is a native Tully, N.Y. He holds a bachelor's degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University and a law degree from the Regent University School of Law.

LOAD-DATE: June 9, 2010