LORI MACRAE VITALE was born April 21, 1970 in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. As the daughter of an Air Force officer, she has lived in a variety of places. After graduating from high school in Wichita Falls, Texas, she attended the University of Texas at Austin. In 1992, she completed her undergraduate education at Randolph Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations with a minor in Philosophy and German. In 1995, she received her law degree from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and became licensed to practice law in the State of North Carolina and in the U.S. District Court in the Middle and Eastern Districts of North Carolina. In 1996, she moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, and joined the firm of Cheshire & Parker (now Cheshire, Parker, Schneider, Bryan & Vitale) where she has focused her career on the practice of family law. In 2001, she was certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a Specialist in the practice of Family Law. Lori has served as an arbitrator, mediator and is a trained Parent Coordinator and collaborative lawyer.

Professional Recognition and Involvement:

Lori was selected to be included in the Best Lawyers in America (2007-present), is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (2007 to the present), has been named “Legal Elite” by Business North Carolina and “Outstanding Young Lawyer” by North Carolina’s Super Lawyer publication. In 2010-2011 she will serve as Vice-Chair of the Family Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association. Since 2007, she has proudly served as Chair of the Wake County Bar Association Professionalism Committee (2007-present). In 2009, she received a President’s Award of Excellence for her service in this role. In addition, she recently served as Chair of the Family Law Continuing Legal Education Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association (2007-2010), has served as a council member of the North Carolina Bar Association Family Law Section (2002-2004; 2006-2010), and was elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Tenth Judicial District Bar Association (2006–2008). She is a Mediator for the Tenth Judicial District Fee Dispute Committee, and a course planner and presenter for family law legal education seminars (1999-present). She has served on the North Carolina Bar Association’s Family Law Legislative Committee (2006-2007) and is former Chair of the Family Law Section’s Equitable Distribution Committee (2000-2004). Lori is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

Speeches and Seminars:

As a member of the Family Law Continuing Legal Education Committee since 1999, Lori has planned a variety of seminars including: “Deal or No Deal? Attacking and Enforcing Agreements, Orders and Awards,” (NCBA, September 2009), “How Do You Mend A Broken Heart” (NCBA, Family Law Annual Conference, 2008), “Death and Divorce in North Carolina” (NCBA, September 2006); “Perils and Pitfalls in Alternative Dispute Resolution” (NCBA, September 2005); “Family Law In Bush’s America” (Family Law Specialist Seminar July 2005); “Hot Topics in Family Law: Evidentiary Issues in Child Custody” Cases (NCBA, September 2004);“What About the Children?” (NCBA, September 2002).

In addition, she has been a lecturer and author on a variety of family law and professionalism issues, including: Professionalism Roundtable Discussion (NCBA Family Law Intensive Program (2009-2010); Wake County Bar Association Professionalism Roundtable Discussion, (2005-2007); “Recent Developments in Professional Responsibility” (Wake Forest University, October 2006); “Broaching the Alternative Dispute Resolution Subject with Clients” (NCBA, September 2005); "Interstate Child Support" (Wake Forest University, October 2001); "Enforcing Your Order and Judgment Through Contempt and Proper Filing of Judgments" (NCATL, September 2001); "Parol Evidence" (NCBA, May 2001); "Legal Traps in Bankruptcy, Real Property and Domestic Violence" (NCBA, November 2000); "Post Trial Practice" (Wake Forest University, October 2000); "Child Support, Domestic Violence and Ex Parte Contact" (NCATL, January 1999).