For Random Profiles, we randomly pick one of our 92,000-plus attorneys and do a Q&A. We’ve found that every Texas lawyer has an interesting story. Will yours be next?
Best thing about being a lawyer: I get to compete every day.
Most important career lesson: Learn from others, but always be yourself.
How do you think the practice will change in the next 15 years? I think juries will need more video and multimedia to process information. Kids don’t learn from reading a book anymore.
Favorite TV program: Sons of Anarchy.
Bet you didn’t know: I had to go to summer school to graduate high school.
Another little known fact: I was in Saudi Arabia and Iraq in the first Gulf War-U.S. Army.
Family: My wife is Veronica, she is a kindergarten teacher. Rich is a college student at Texas State University. Madrid is in second grade and a dancer.
Areas of practice: My practice concentrates in personal injury and contract litigation. I am Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law.
Education: University of Houston—Clear Lake (BS in Healthcare Administration) ‘97; University of Houston JD/MBA ’02.
Culinary talent: Most recently, barbeque (I smoked a brisket and ribs). I’m pretty good with pizza and Italian food.
What’s on your iPod right now? Eli Young Band and Randy Rogers, but Pandora has everything from Frank Sinatra to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis set up, with Lynard Skynard and AC/DC in between.
Who would you want playing you in a movie? A young Robert De Niro.
Last book you read: The Charlemagne Pursuit, by Steve Berry.
Favorite saying/quote: You know, Bill, there’s one thing I learned in all my years. Sometimes you just gotta say, "What the [heck], make your move." Joel from Risky Business.
The last movie I saw: Life of Pi.
Favorite food: Pizza.
Favorite restaurant: Los Ramirez (authentic Mexican food).
Favorite sport: Soccer, but I love watching any sport.
Hobbies: gym/fitness.
If I had more time, I would: travel.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing attorneys today? Making client’s whole in the face of legislators, time constraints in jury selection, and the jury pool’s current feelings about our legal system and its participants.
If you weren’t an attorney, what profession do you think you would be in? Hospital management.
What has changed the most technologically or practice-wise since you have been licensed? How we show evidence to a jury. Publishing to the jury is no longer handing them a photo or a diagram. Our audio and video needs continue to grow.
Rich has a private practive in Houston, Melendez Law, P.C.
You can also view Rich’s TexasBar.com profile.
Prizes
It’s not every day that you’re randomly picked from among 92,000 peers. To commemorate, randomly-profiled attorneys receive a TexasBar.com t-shirt.
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Opinions and statements expressed in these profiles are those of their subjects – not the State Bar of Texas.