Thurman Zollicoffer.(Brief Article)(Interview)

Baltimore City solicitor's office

When Mayor Martin O'Malley made his first cabinet picks after his 1999 election, he chose Thurman W. Zollicoffer Jr. for the position of city solicitor. The choice was not without good reason. The job is one of the most important in city government; and Zollicoffer, a former high-profile defense attorney and partner with Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP, is a friend and former colleague of the mayor.

With a large staff of lawyers, the city's law department is a constant hub of activity. And the way with which it deals with the city's businesses is vital to the way in which Baltimore's business community will view and deal with the O'Malley administration, which has sought to retain and attract business to the city's core.

The Business Journal recently sat down with Zollicoffer at his …