# Blake Strode > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Blake_Strode > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Blake_Strode.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake_Strode > Source revision: 1348168212 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Blake Strode** (born July 9, 1987 in [St. Louis](/source/St._Louis), Missouri) is an American [civil rights lawyer](/source/Civil_and_political_rights) serving as the executive director of [ArchCity Defenders](/source/ArchCity_Defenders) (ACD), and is a former professional [tennis](/source/Tennis) player. ## Early life and education Strode grew up in [Charlack](/source/Charlack,_Missouri), [Berkeley](/source/Berkeley,_Missouri), and [Bridgeton](/source/Bridgeton,_Missouri), in North [St. Louis County, Missouri](/source/St._Louis_County,_Missouri),[1] and graduated first in his class at [Pattonville High School](/source/Pattonville_High_School) in [Maryland Heights](/source/Maryland_Heights,_Missouri)[2] in 2005.[3] He earned degrees in [Spanish](/source/Spanish_Language) and [economics](/source/Economics) at the [University of Arkansas](/source/University_of_Arkansas),[2][1] where he was an All American tennis player for the [Razorbacks](/source/Arkansas_Razorbacks).[2] Strode was admitted into [Harvard Law School](/source/Harvard_Law_School) in 2009,[2] which he deferred for three years to pursue his career in tennis.[1] At Harvard, he participated in the student practice organization "Project No One Leaves," reaching out to recently-foreclosed homeowners and informing them of their legal rights. He interned at the [U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division](/source/United_States_Department_of_Justice_Civil_Rights_Division)'s voting section. He graduated in 2015, after several high-profile [police brutality](/source/Police_brutality) cases including the [shooting of Michael Brown](/source/Shooting_of_Michael_Brown) in [Ferguson, Missouri](/source/Ferguson,_Missouri).[4] ## Sports career Strode was a Missouri high school state champion in tennis.[5] He won the Missouri Class 2 singles tournament in 2005 and advanced to the semifinals of the [NCAA](/source/NCAA) singles championship in 2009, earning [NCAA All-American](/source/NCAA_All-American) status. He was awarded the [Intercollegiate Tennis Association](/source/Intercollegiate_Tennis_Association)'s [Arthur Ashe](/source/Arthur_Ashe) award for leadership and sportsmanship.[2] Strode qualified in the [2010 U.S. Open](/source/2010_US_Open_(tennis)) in [Atlanta](/source/Atlanta). Strode competed in the qualifying for the [2012 SAP Open](/source/2012_SAP_Open), where he defeated [Andre Begemann](/source/Andre_Begemann) and Clayton Almeida before losing to [Denis Kudla](/source/Denis_Kudla) in the final qualifying round. However, due to number one seed [Gaël Monfils](/source/Ga%C3%ABl_Monfils) withdrawing with a knee injury, Strode gained entry into the [main draw](/source/2012_SAP_Open_%E2%80%93_Singles) where he lost in the second round.[6] ## Advocacy career Strode joined the [nonprofit](/source/Nonprofit) [law firm](/source/Law_firm) ArchCity Defenders in 2015 as a [Skadden Fellow](/source/Skadden,_Arps,_Slate,_Meagher_%26_Flom#Skadden_Fellowship_Foundation) leading a two-year housing project at the firm. He was eventually elevated to lead the firm's [litigation](/source/Litigation) department. In January 2018. Strode was named the new [executive director](/source/Executive_director) of the firm at age 30. ## See also - [Rory Ellinger](/source/Rory_Ellinger) - [Frankie Muse Freeman](/source/Frankie_Muse_Freeman) ## References 1. Patrick, Robert (22 January 2018). ["New executive director at ArchCity Defenders says nonprofit St. Louis law firm will expand advocacy work"](http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/new-executive-director-at-archcity-defenders-says-nonprofit-st-louis/article_a3ebf265-144f-5ff6-9afe-7725542a0ed6.html). St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 10 March 2018. 1. Nelson, Kathleen (2 August 2010). ["Blake Strode weighs pro tennis vs. Harvard Law School"](http://www.stltoday.com/sports/other/article_d9226217-53d5-5d9b-93af-2d52af1aa730.htm). St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 10 March 2018. 1. Martin, Catherine (22 January 2018). ["Strode drawn home to head ArchCity Defenders"](http://molawyersmedia.com/2018/01/22/strode-drawn-home-to-head-archcity-defenders/). Missouri Lawyers Weekly. Retrieved 10 March 2018. 1. Rivas, Rebecca (4 June 2015). ["Blake Strode leaves Harvard Law for Arch City Defenders"](http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/blake-strode-leaves-harvard-law-for-arch-city-defenders/article_938e3a48-0a5b-11e5-9c29-a3b76ee8868a.html). The St. Louis American. Retrieved 10 March 2018. 1. ["Ticket Office Information"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130630105715/http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=6100). Arkansas Razorbacks. 2014-06-20. Archived from [the original](http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=6100&ATCLID=202474) on June 30, 2013. Retrieved 2016-05-21. 1. ["Stepanek ousted, Anderson advances in San Jose - Tennis - MiamiHerald.com"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120217191815/http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/16/2644207/roddick-survives-scare-in-san.html). *[Miami Herald](/source/Miami_Herald)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/16/2644207/roddick-survives-scare-in-san.html) on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2012. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Blake Strode](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake_Strode) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake_Strode?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.