Born in West Roxbury to a political family, he was the son of Joseph James Hurley, former Boston School Committee chairman and assistant US attorney, and Irene Louise (Hines). His brothers were Walter J. Hurley, a Boston Municipal Court judge, and George F. Hurley, a Boston School Committee member and lawyer.
A triple Eagle, Mr. Hurley graduated from Boston College High School in 1939 and earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Boston College in 1943. He then served in the US Army during World War II with the 492d Air Service Group of the Ninth Air Force and served in the European Theatre from 1945 to 1946.
Following his discharge, Mr. Hurley graduated from Boston College Law School in 1949. He received a master’s degree in law from Harvard Law School in 1956.
Dr. Robert D. Blute of Shrewsbury, Joseph Blute’s father, had been best friends with Mr. Hurley since high school.
“Joe had the right personality to be a lawyer,’’ Dr. Blute said. “His manner in the courtroom helped him to stand out and get the attention of the presiding judge, which is not a skill many lawyers have.’’
In addition to working in private practice for several law firms, Mr. Hurley spent many years teaching at local schools, including Boston College School of Business Administration, Harvard Law School, and Suffolk Law School. In 1966, he became chief of the administrative law division in the attorney general’s office. He was appointed first assistant attorney general in 1968 and oversaw many high-profile cases.
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