He was admitted to the bar in 1876 and commenced practice in Kaufman, Texas.
He moved to Canton, Van Zandt County, and continued the practice of law.
Lively was elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-first Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Gordon J. Russell and served from July 23, 1910, to March 3, 1911.
He served as judge of Van Zandt County, Texas from 1916 to 1918.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress