Blake Strode

{{short description|American tennis player and civil rights lawyer}}

{{Infobox tennis biography

|name = Blake Strode

|image =

|image_size =

|alt =

|caption =

|fullname =

|country_represented = {{USA}}

|residence = Cary, North Carolina, USA

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|07|09}}

|birth_place = St. Louis, Missouri, USA

|height = 1.88m

|college = University of Arkansas Razorbacks

|turnedpro = 2009

|retired =

|plays = Right-handed

|careerprizemoney = $60,116

|website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20210620012117/https://bladestrodetennis.com/ bladestrodetennis.com]

|singlesrecord = 0–1

|singlestitles = 0

|highestsinglesranking = No. 311 (May 7, 2012)

|currentsinglesranking =

|AustralianOpenresult =

|FrenchOpenresult =

|Wimbledonresult =

|USOpenresult = Q2 (2010, 2011)

|doublesrecord = 0–0

|doublestitles = 0

|highestdoublesranking = No. 571 (July 16, 2012)

|currentdoublesranking =

|AustralianOpenDoublesresult =

|FrenchOpenDoublesresult =

|WimbledonDoublesresult =

|USOpenDoublesresult =

| updated = April 20, 2015

}}

Blake Strode (born July 9, 1987 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American civil rights lawyer serving as the executive director of ArchCity Defenders (ACD), and is a former professional tennis player.

Early life and education

Strode grew up in Charlack, Berkeley, and Bridgeton, in North St. Louis County, Missouri, and graduated first in his class at Pattonville High School in Maryland Heights in 2005.{{cite news|last1=Martin|first1=Catherine|title=Strode drawn home to head ArchCity Defenders|url=http://molawyersmedia.com/2018/01/22/strode-drawn-home-to-head-archcity-defenders/|accessdate=10 March 2018|publisher=Missouri Lawyers Weekly|date=22 January 2018}}

He earned degrees in Spanish and economics at the University of Arkansas,{{cite news|last1=Nelson|first1=Kathleen|title=Blake Strode weighs pro tennis vs. Harvard Law School|url=http://www.stltoday.com/sports/other/article_d9226217-53d5-5d9b-93af-2d52af1aa730.htm|accessdate=10 March 2018|publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|date=2 August 2010}}{{cite news|last1=Patrick|first1=Robert|title=New executive director at ArchCity Defenders says nonprofit St. Louis law firm will expand advocacy work|url=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|accessdate=10 March 2018|publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|date=22 January 2018}} where he was an All American tennis player for the Razorbacks.

Strode was admitted into Harvard Law School in 2009, which he deferred for three years to pursue his career in tennis. 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's voting section. He graduated in 2015, after several high-profile police brutality cases including the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.{{cite news|last1=Rivas|first1=Rebecca|title=Blake Strode leaves Harvard Law for Arch City Defenders|url=http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/blake-strode-leaves-harvard-law-for-arch-city-defenders/article_938e3a48-0a5b-11e5-9c29-a3b76ee8868a.html|accessdate=10 March 2018|publisher=The St. Louis American|date=4 June 2015}}

Sports career

Strode was a Missouri high school state champion in tennis.{{cite web |url=http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=6100&ATCLID=202474 |title=Ticket Office Information |publisher=Arkansas Razorbacks |date=2014-06-20 |accessdate=2016-05-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630105715/http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=6100 |archive-date=June 30, 2013 |url-status=dead }} He won the Missouri Class 2 singles tournament in 2005 and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA singles championship in 2009, earning NCAA All-American status. He was awarded the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Arthur Ashe award for leadership and sportsmanship.

Strode qualified in the 2010 U.S. Open in Atlanta. Strode competed in the qualifying for the 2012 SAP Open, where he defeated Andre Begemann and Clayton Almeida before losing to Denis Kudla in the final qualifying round. However, due to number one seed Gaël Monfils withdrawing with a knee injury, Strode gained entry into the main draw where he lost in the second round.{{cite web|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/16/2644207/roddick-survives-scare-in-san.html |title=Stepanek ousted, Anderson advances in San Jose - Tennis - MiamiHerald.com |website=Miami Herald |accessdate=17 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217191815/http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/16/2644207/roddick-survives-scare-in-san.html |archivedate=17 February 2012 }}

Advocacy career

Strode joined the nonprofit law firm ArchCity Defenders in 2015 as a Skadden Fellow leading a two-year housing project at the firm. He was eventually elevated to lead the firm's litigation department.

In January 2018 Strode was named the new executive director of the firm at age 30.