Samuel D. Zurier, an AV rated attorney, has represented individuals, businesses, nonprofit institutions and government agencies, both as plaintiff and as defendant, in a wide variety of civil litigation matters, including contracts, real property, personal injury, corporate ownership, eminent domain, trademark disputes, and employment discrimination. He has appeared before the trial and appellate courts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, the federal district courts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, the First Circuit Court of Appeals, several probate courts and several administrative agencies. He served as a hearing officer before the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, Insurance Division.
He has written several articles for the Rhode Island Bar Journal, some of which have earned the Journal’s distinguished writing awards. In 2003, Mr. Zurier was named a fellow of the Rhode Island Bar Foundation. He has taught Education Law as an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University Law School.
In the community, Mr. Zurier is a former President of the Jewish Family Service, where he currently serves on the Board of Directors. He previously has served on the Boards of Temple Beth El and the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island. In 2000-02, he served as a member of the Providence School Board. During 2011-18, he represented Ward 2 in the Providence City Council.
Education
- Yale University, B .A., Mathematics, summa cum laude, 1980, Student President, Phi Beta Kappa;
- Oxford University, M.A. (Honors), Politics and Economics, 1984 (Rhodes Scholarship);
- Yale Law School, J.D. 1986, Editor, Yale Law Journal;
Clerkships
- Honorable Rya W. Zobel, U.S. District Court for Massachusetts
- Honorable Stephen G. Breyer, U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
Work Experience
- Assistant Massachusetts Attorney General, Environmental Protection Division (1988-90)
- Associate, Flanders + Medeiros (1990-92)
- Partner, Michaelson, Michaelson & Zurier (1992-2000)
- Partner, Tillinghast Licht (2000-08)
- Of Counsel, Oliverio & Marcaccio (2008-14)
- Of Counsel, Fitzhugh & Mariani (2014 — )
Publications
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Rhode Island’s Ethics Laws: Constitutional and Policy Issues, R.I. Bar Journal, June, 1996
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Order in the Court: Deterring Frivolous Lawsuits in Rhode Island’s Federal District Court, R.I. Bar Journal, April, 1997 (awarded second prize in annual writing competition)
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Making the Punishment Fit the Crime: Rhode Island’s Common Law of Punitive Damages, R.I. Bar Journal, June, 1998
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Pruning the Tree: The Supreme Court Clips the Power of the Rhode Island Ethics Commission, R.I. Bar Journal, February, 2000 (co-winner of annual writing competition)
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Will a Rhode Island Court Enforce a Gambling Contract? How Much Do You Want To Bet?, R.I. Bar Journal, October, 2006
- Separation of Powers and Rhode Island’s Constitutional Right to a Public Education, R.I. Bar Journal, June/July 2009
- Newest Lively Experiment: Bringing Universal Health Care to Rhode Island, R.I. Bar Journal, October 2014
- You’re Fired! Voter Recall of Elected Officials in Rhode Island, R.I. Bar Journal, June, 2017
- Finding The Right Level: Viewing The Providence Water Supply From Historical And National Perspectives, R.I. Bar Journal, May/June, 2019
- Polishing Rhode Island’s Hidden Gem of Professional Responsibility, R.I. Bar Journal, March/April 2020
- Review Of How To Be An Anti-Racist, by Ibram X. Kendi, R.I. Bar Journal, March/April 2021
- John Doe v. R.I. Ethics Commission, 707 A.2d 265 (R.I. 1998)
- Diluglio v. Providence Auto Body Inc., 755 A.2d 757 (R.I. 2000)
- Lerner v. Ursillo, 765 A. 2d 1212 (R.I. 2001)
- Saunders Real Estate Corp. v. Landry, 769 A. 2d 1277 (R.I. 2001)
- Tucker v. Kittredge, 795 A.2d 1115 (R.I. 2002)
- Samos v. 43 East Realty Corp., 811 A.2d 642 (R.I. 2002)
- R.I. Economic Development Corp. v. The Parking Company, L.P., 892 A.2d 87 (R.I. 2006)
- Woonsocket School Committee v. Chafee, 89 A.3d 778 (R.I. 2014)