Arrin “A.Z.” Zadeh graduated from Warren County High School sixth in his class of over four hundred students. Hoping to broaden his horizons, A.Z. was offered a scholarship to attend Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia. After two years of studies, the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee called to AZ which led to enrollment at the flagship university of Tennessee (The University of Tennessee at Knoxville.) A.Z. would then graduate in 2004 with a major in Political Science.

In the fall of 2004, A.Z. received an academic scholarship from the Appalachian School of Law (A.S.L.), located in Southwest Virginia. A.S.L attracted A.Z. because of the school’s close ties to the area (Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia) and A.S.L.’s requirement of mandatory community service. Giving back to the community has always been a passion of A.Z. While in law school, A.Z. was recognized for his advocacy skills, winning an award for the best oral argument. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 2007.

After graduating from law school, A.Z. chose to combine his acquired skills in the courtroom with his passion for criminal defense. He spent a brief period of time in private practice before accepting a position as an Assistant Public Defender in Knox County, Tennessee. As an Assistant Public Defender, A.Z. worked in each of the four criminal divisions of Sessions Court and all three divisions of Criminal Court in the county. In 2014, after five years of service at the Public Defender’s Office, the partners at Oberman and Rice asked A.Z. to join their firm. A.Z. was asked to become partner at the Oberman & Rice Law Firm in 2017.

A.Z. is a member of the American Bar Association, Knoxville Bar Association, and National College of D.U.I. Defense (where A.Z. served as the State Delegate for Tennessee for over seven years).  Additionally, A.Z. has been voted by his peers as a “Top Attorney” several times in the Knoxville area, and he has been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers Association for his work as a criminal defense lawyer.  Following in the footsteps of his fellow law partners at Oberman and Rice, A.Z. has written articles for a legal publication and lectured on D.U.I. laws for other lawyers through the Knoxville Bar Association.  A.Z. also served on the Executive Board of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for Children – an organization aimed at giving neglected children in Knox County a voice in court and helping their families develop parenting plans to form a stronger and healthier family bond.