Attorney Moses Meide Jr. had humble beginnings. He “grew up in a grocery store” that his parents owned in Riverside, and he knew that wasn’t the business for him. Instead, he went to law school and has been a sole practitioner at his office on 817 North Main Street for 27 years.
What kind of law do you practice?
“I have a general practice, we do family law, real estate, some criminal, general civil litigation and probate work.”
Have you always wanted to be a lawyer?
“I kind of stumbled on it by accident. When I was getting out of college, I decided I wanted to further my education so I chose to go to law school.”
What did you do before?
“From 1972 until 1974 I was an assistant state attorney for Don Nichols and Ed Austin. Then I worked for six years with John Forbes from 1974-1980. In 1980, I became a sole practitioner.”
What do you like best about working in this field?
“It gives you the opportunity to help people who get themselves into jams unknowingly.”
What do you like the least?
“Being your own boss, you can come and go as you please, but the down side of being a sole practitioner is having to do everything yourself.”
What organizations do you belong to?
“This year I’m president of the board of directors for Learn to Read. This is my fifth year on the board. I’m also active at the St. Johns Episcopal Cathedral where I’m involved with the Cathedral Gerontology Center. Every other Wednesday I conduct a bingo game for the elderly and I’ve been doing that for eight years. I also deliver the Eucharist to the Community Gerontology Center for the elderly who can’t make it to church. I do pro bono for St. Mary’s Episcopal outreach, and I volunteer at I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless.”
What was a significant case you worked on?
“I represented a girlfriend who witnessed her boyfriend accidentally kill himself. She was pregnant and he was in the military. In order for her to get the military benefits she was entitled to, we had to wait until the child was born to prove the child was his by testing the child’s blood. Luckily we were able to secure the boyfriend’s blood from the medical examiner’s office. We proved that the child was his and were able to get the benefits to the mother.”
Have you ever run for a public office?
“I ran for circuit judge in 1996 but lost. I was nominated three times by the Judicial Nominating Commission but never got appointed. I’m not interested in becoming a judge at this time.”
Personal
He lives in San Jose Forest with his wife of 31 years, Christine. They have three children and two grandchildren.
Education
Undergraduate at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. Law degree from Stetson.