Cover Story
Whether it’s talking to a client, serving in his church, or working with his wife and children on the family farm, Birmingham lawyer Steven Mezrano is committed to living a life that reflects his Christian faith. He quickly lets you know that his priorities in life are tiered–first, God; then, family; followed by work.
Faith, Family, Firm. Mezrano Alabama Injury Lawyers is one of the most successful firms in the Birmingham area and specializes in injury lawsuits that have resulted in millions of dollars in settlements. For Mezrano, however, that commercial success is the lowest priority on his ladder of what he considers “true” success. “My philosophy is ‘God, family, firm.’ It all starts with God, and then ends with God,” he said. “I try to follow the instruction to ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you,’ and I tell our lawyers to put themselves in the shoes of our clients. See things from their perspective, and then treat them the right way.” Mezrano said that his legal career emerged from those two things that take precedence over his work–his family and faith.
While Mezrano was studying to go into sports marketing, his grandfather suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. On a visit to his grandfather, he told him that Mezrano reminded him of his grandson who was chasing a dream to follow sports marketing but who really should be a lawyer. “Growing up, my grandfather used to tell me that I was going to be a Philadelphia lawyer because I loved history and politics and that I’d argue with him,” Mezrano said. “He always said that in the days when ‘children are supposed to be seen and not heard,’ I was there arguing with him.” Before his grandfather died, Mezrano told him that he would go to law school. The plan to change from sports marketing to a career in law was accelerated when his parents were in a wreck on their way to visit him in Mobile. “They were hit by an 18-wheeler,” he said, “and a lot of things happened that started my law school journey,” he said, “and then I was in a wreck that left me with a lot of medical bills.”
Despite no law career tradition in his family–his grandfather owned a restaurant, his father ran an interior design business, and his godfather was an eye doctor–Mezrano graduated from the Birmingham School of Law and received his license to practice law in 2008. His parents’ experiences after their wreck, and Mezrano’s own injury, drive his philosophy today at work. “I can tell people that I’ve been in their shoes, and I tell my lawyers to put themselves in their point of view,” he said. “When you’re in a wreck, the most important thing is how I can survive if I can’t work. We need to understand the frustration in finances and everything that goes along with that.” Today, Mezrano employs seven lawyers and 16 staff personnel. “We have offices in every major city in the state, but all of our staff works out of Birmingham,” he said. “And I’m proud to say we’re still growing.” When his office first opened, Mezrano had it blessed by his priest–and he continues to try and do work in a Christ-centered way. “When you’re a Catholic boy and in church all the time, you get a calling,” he said. “God’s calling was for me to help others through what I do. You’re trying to leave your mark with the talents He gave you.”
Family Focused. Mezrano and his wife Ashley first met at Birmingham’s St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church when they were children. “I was an altar server and I served at her baptism and her first communion,” he said, laughing, “and we always flirted back and forth at church.” They went on their “unofficial” first date when then University of Alabama student Mezrano took Ashley to her senior prom. After college, they found themselves on a double date (when Ashley refused to leave her date to go out with him), and then later reconnected after he ran into her parents, and they suggested he call her. “When we finally went out to dinner and dancing, I told her that I was going to marry her and she just laughed,” he said. Following that first “official” date in 2008, they continued dating and then married in August of 2010. They have four children (Anthony, 12; Michael, 10; Jessica, 7; and Joe, 5), live on a farm outside Birmingham where Ashley homeschools their children, and attend St. Elias as a family. “We try to spend as much time together as we can. We work the farm together, and we center our family life around God,” Mezrano said. “We make sure to pray together every night, we pray petitions for our kids, and we attend church. It’s just a priority for us.”
While his work keeps him busy, Mezrano said that it’s important to locate time together and to become father and husband (not lawyer) as soon as he’s home. “When I get home, I change clothes and we work and play together,” he said. In addition to working on the farm (including driving tractors and waking up at dawn to do chores), the family enjoys livestock competitions, swimming together and traveling with their RV. “Life is so hectic, and right now we may not be able to go on faraway trips, but we will find ways to be together,” Mezrano said. “We thank God for what time we have, and that we are able to spend that time together.” Ultimately, Mezrano said that he and his wife strive to model a Godly family to their children; they want to provide examples that teach their children that following God is the right way to live their lives. “We really believe that our sins and shortcomings can trickle down to our kids. They can see our example,” he said. “Everything we do we do because of God. We want them to see that through us. In everything, we try to put God first.”
Watch the video below to learn more about Steven Mezrano’s faith, family, mentors and more.
Church and Community. Church has been, and continues to be, an integral part of the Mezrano family. Growing up Catholic as part of a Lebanese family, and then bringing his children up in the same congregation, has great importance to Mezrano. They are involved in various activities in the church, and they often recall how their own love story and family started within the church walls. “We’re in church every Sunday with our family,” he said. In addition to church participation, Mezrano looks at other ways he can be a Christian witness. “I don’t necessarily have a Christian platform. I’m not Tim Tebow, who can quote Bible verses and tell his story,” he said. “So, instead, I see giving back as my way to live out my faith.”
At Mezrano Alabama Injury Lawyers, lawyers and other staff members work with multiple community organizations and areas of service. The firm participates in food drives, clothes drives, and holiday sponsorships; a new project has put the firm in partnership with PBS in driver safety awareness activities. The firm is also committed to providing pro bono cases and helping people who have been injured and have no insurance. “By giving back to the community, it shows that we truly care for people. It lets people know that they have a legal recourse and that we won’t take advantage of them,” Mezrano said. “Lawyers can sometimes be called ambulance chasers, but by getting to know people in the community they’ll learn that’s not what we are. We want to help people who are taken advantage of. We want to provide a voice for people.” Ultimately, Mezrano said, his sense of service comes from his faith. “I want our firm to humble ourselves. We may have it good, but others don’t. It all comes down to treating others like you want to be treated,” he said. “I have to look at myself in the mirror and know that I did the right things. And I want my kids to see that in me.”
-Cheryl Wray
