Retired Estate Planning Practitioner
Ranked Number 1 for Men’s 90 Singles (2005)
By the United States Tennis Association (USTA)
A product of Schermerhorn Street, Ted Zoob ’38, credits his
grandfather, fondly referred to as a “Jewish Saint,” for
encouraging him to get an education and pursue a noble profession,
such as the law. Mr. Zoob, the son of a Russian immigrant,
took his grandfather’s advice to heart and enrolled at St. John’s
Law School – an institution, to this day, known for serving the
underserved. Upon graduation in 1938, Mr. Zoob began six
months of unpaid, applied work experience with an established firm
which was a requirement at the time for legal credentialing.
The vast majority of this time was spent filing papers and never
seeing an actual client. This led Mr. Zoob to the conclusion
that he wanted to establish his practice so that it would be a
community fixture - and for over fifty years he did just
that.
With an office on Steinway Street, Mr. Zoob became a fixture in
Astoria. His practice revolved around the business and
personal legal needs of a growing community. “Considering
that attorneys were not allowed to advertise, your practice was
built on your reputation and involvement in the community,”
reflected Mr. Zoob. His fee scale was flexible - $10 for a
deed, and $12 for a will was the common going rate, although at
times he was paid in coffee or cake if that’s what the client could
afford. “My belief in the religion of doing well for my
fellow man was the cornerstone of my practice – it didn’t make me
rich financially but I was rich in other ways,” another lesson from
his grandfather explained Mr. Zoob.
Since he was eight years old, Mr. Zoob loved the game of
tennis. Self taught on the playground courts of Queens, he
has played the game his entire life. Mr. Zoob has been a
member of the North Shore Tennis and Racquet Club in Bayside,
Queens for over fifty years. Chuckling he explained, “they
wouldn’t offer me a lifetime membership in the mid-eighties for
fear of losing money on my dues.”
“At the age of eighty-three I discovered tournament play. In
my first year of real competition, I won seven tournaments.
Needless to say I was hooked. Through tennis, and the law, I
have met the most wonderful people. This pastime and the
profession are perfect for a social person such as myself,” noted
Mr. Zoob. In 2005, the year he was ranked number one by the
USTA, Mr. Zoob traveled to Austria to represent the United States
in the Talbot Cup.
Mr. Zoob extends this wisdom to the class of 2011, “focus on
relationships and doing the right things for others and the
business will fall into place. Be a part of your community
and stay close to St. John’s Law.” It should be noted that
Mr. Zoob has attended the Schermerhorn Scholars Brunch, the Annual
Reunion at the Law School for alumni who graduated fifty or more
years ago from the Law School.