Lunch with Legends: Trailblazers, 1214 RIBJ, 63 RI Bar J., No. 3, Pg. 19

• Author: Matthew R. Plain, Esq, Barton Gilman LLP, Providence.

Lunch with Legends: Trailblazers, Trendsetters and Treasures of the Rhode Island Bar

Vol. 63 No. 3 Pg. 19

Rhode Island Bar Journal

December, 2014

\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0November, 2014

\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0 Matthew R. Plain, Esq, Barton Gilman LLP, Providence.

\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0Stephen Adams, Esq.

\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0Melvin Zurier was in born in Providence, Rhode Island on April 30, 1929. He attended the Henry Barnard School and Classical High School. His involvement in Classical's debate society, under the tutelage of local attorney and debate society volunteer, C. Bird Keach, would spark his interest in a legal career. Upon graduating from Classical in 1946, he enrolled at Harvard University. Mr. Zurier graduated from college in 1950, obtained a commission in the Air Force Reserve, and deferred active duty until he completed law school. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1953, gained admission to the Massachusetts bar that same year, and began service in the Judge Advocate General's Corp in 1954. While in service, he successfully defended a Korean War veteran and prisoner of war accused of collaborating with his captors, and obtained an acquittal for an enlisted private facing first degree murder charges. He completed his service, returned to Providence to work at the firm Weller, Reynolds, and Johnson (initially at a rate of $5 per hour), and gained admission to the Rhode Island bar in 1957. Mr. Zurier volunteered for John Notte's campaign for Governor in 1960 and, upon Notte's election, commenced service as his Executive Counsel. In 1962, he partnered with Martin Temkin and Amedeo Merolla to form Temkin, Merolla &C Zurier, where he practiced for nearly twenty years. Thereafter, Mr. Zurier became a partner at Levy, Goodman, Licht & Semonoff, stayed at the firm through its merger with Tillinghast Collins &C Graham, and left when Tillinghast Licht dissolved in 2008. Mr. Zurier concentrated in real estate, zoning, business, probate, and trust law. We had the opportunity to speak with this near sixty-year veteran of the bar. Excerpts from our conversation follow.

\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0What is your most memorable experience from your law practice? Probably the combined accomplishments relating to the buildings in Providence, seeing the construction of the several buildings and what was, at the time, regarded as the renaissance of Downtown...