of law in mid-2012 and is now a Partner at Edwards Kirby, the law firm of her father and attorneys, David Kirby and William Bystrynski. In 2021, she founded her own law firm called Edwards Beightol with fellow litigator, Kristen Beightol. Gay marriage stance Early in the 2004 presidential campaign, Edwards became the first family member of the Democratic candidates to state that she was in favor of legalizing gay marriage. On September 30, 2007, during a campaign stop with actor James Denton, she was quoted by CNN as saying: "I'm on my mom's side with this, not my dad's. It's the word 'marriage' that he is hung up on". The news organization then went on to state in its report that John Edwards "does not support gay marriage, but his wife, Elizabeth, does". (John Edwards supported civil unions, while Elizabeth Edwards had stated that she supported gay marriage.) She also declared her support for Trevor Thomas, an openly gay candidate for U.S. Congress in Michigan. As part of her former law practice at Edwards and Eubanks, she represented clients faced with discrimination based on their sexual orientation. Personal life Edwards married her longtime boyfriend, cardiothoracic surgeon Trevor Upham, in October 2011. They have three children. Cate Edwards stood by her father, John Edwards, as he faced felony charges of conspiracy, false statements, and campaign law violations for the cover-up of $925,000 in illicit campaign contributions. John Edwards was acquitted on one federal count on May 31, 2012, while a jury deadlocked on five other counts. Edwards was not retried on any of the outstanding charges and resumed his law practice. Footnotes External links An Interview With Cate Edwards 1982 births American bloggers American people of Italian descent Living people People from Raleigh, North Carolina Princeton University alumni Harvard Law School alumni John Edwards family American civil rights lawyers Lawyers from Washington, D.C. 21st-century American lawyers Needham B. Broughton High School alumni 21st-century American women lawyers