December 16, 2013

Anthony Blake

1L, part-time student
Portland, Oregon
University of Oregon
Business Law

Brief Background:

I’ve been a student-athlete my whole life. I spent a year at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, but decided to head back west to the University of Oregon. I was a member of the Oregon Ducks football team until I graduated in 2013.  

Most important activities

On campus, I’m in charge of communications for the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law society (EASL). Some days you’ll find me roaming the campus trying to post flyers on bulletin boards. I’m really into health and fitness so you can find me in a gym at least four times a week. I also love spending time with my girlfriend and our Boston terrier, Bubba.

Favorite class

My favorite class is probably Contracts with Professor Steverson. I really love how simple and straight forward the idea of a contract can be, but somehow I leave the classroom mentally exhausted. I love a challenge. Also, Professor Steverson sticks with a student until they get the right answer so we’re forced to learn on the spot.

Meaningful experience outside of class

I attended the fall Business Law Forum “Success & Failure in Professional Sports” where I met individuals with my dream job who told me the key to being a sports lawyer is to first become a great lawyer overall. It was a reminder that, as students, we so often want to focus on our potential area of interest that we forget about the basics.

Why law school?

I’ve always known I wanted to go to law school. For some strange reason, the idea of being faced with a random problem and only having a limited amount of time to help someone has always interested me.

Why Lewis & Clark?

I chose Lewis & Clark because I knew the faculty would actually care about us students. I come from a sports environment where you learn to look after the next person or collectively you won’t succeed. Law school can be competitive, but I didn’t want to go to a place where my classmates viewed me as an opponent and not a teammate. I know becoming a good attorney is a process and I wanted sincere individuals to guide me down the right path.

Advice to admitted students?

Go to the school where you can see yourself growing into a better overall person. Law school will probably make you smarter wherever you go, but try to find the school that will make you a better person as well. There are probably a lot of people giving you their input on pursuing a career in law, but ultimately you are the one who has to be happy about the decision.

Hardest thing about adjusting to law school

For me, the hardest thing about adjusting to law school has been not knowing when I’m going to get called on. I’m a person who loves to volunteer or take a challenge head on, but in some classes, I have no idea when it will be my turn to talk so the anticipation drives me crazy. There is a lot of reading, but I actually enjoy it more than undergraduate assignments. Professor Drummonds taught me to see each court case as a play or a movie filled with drama, and that makes it fun.