Lorenz, Lesley

Michael Stephen Weisberg was born in Norfolk, Virginia, on November 25, 1942. He attended J.E.B. Stuart and Blair elementary schools, Blair Junior High School and graduated from Norfolk Academy. While growing up in Norfolk, Michael worked in his family’s furniture business, assisting in the warehouse in addition to delivering and selling furniture.

Michael graduated from the University of Virginia in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. There, he worked for the UVM Magazine and the Cavalier Daily newspaper and was an active member of the rugby and polo clubs.

Michael graduated from the University of South Carolina Pettigrew School of Law in 1969 with a Juris Doctor. He was a finalist in the Prince Competition, where he demonstrated exceptional ability in appellate advocacy. He was a recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Conflicts. While in law school, he was selected by the NAACP to travel to Memphis, Tennessee. There, he helped investigate police brutality in connection with the Memphis riots that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. He was a member of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity.

Among lawyer associations, Michael was admitted to both the Virginia State Bar and US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in 1969. He spent a year working for a prominent Norfolk law office, emphasizing Personal Injury, Domestic Relations and Criminal Law before starting his own firm in 1971. In 1973, he was admitted to the US Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, and in 1974, the US Supreme Court. He is a member of the Norfolk and Portsmouth Bar Association, the Virginia State Bar, the Virginia Bar Association and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. In addition, he is a member of the American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America).

Michael is a past president and current board member of the Beth El Synagogue in Norfolk, a past president and current member of the Chuckatuck Ruritan Club and a past president of the Chuckatuck Dance Club. He has also served as a board member of the Beth Shalom Home and a volunteer fireman for the Chuckatuck Volunteer Fire Department. Michael is an active member and serves on the board of the Metro Norfolk YMCA board of directors.

Michael is happily married to Lynn, his kayaking and biking companion of 41 years. They are parents of four married children and enjoy sharing their active lives with their ten grandchildren, all under the age of ten.