My path to law. Beating the Odds

• Author: Charla Claypool
• Pages: 15-15

PHOTO BY LEWIS RICE

Beating the Odds

By Charla Claypool

#MyPathToLaw is a guest column that c elebrates the

diversity of the legal p rofession through attorneys’ fi rst-

person storie s detailing their unique and inspir ing tra-

jectories. Re ad more #mypathtolaw stories on Twitter.

Looking at my past,

some might say the odds

were against me. I was

born in East St. L ouis,

Illinois, to a 19-yea r-old

single mother who died

shortly after my bir th.

Despite not having a tra-

ditional upbringing (I was

raised by my biological

grandparents and aunt), I

was determined t o succeed

and relied on my strong

work ethic, something that

was instille d in me by my

grandparents.

I remember making vis-

its to Fairmount Park, the

racetrack where my g reat-

grandfather worked, to

watch the horses. When

I was 14, I was given the

opportunity by some-

one who saw my passion

for horses to purchase an

older horse for $1. In order

to pay for my riding les-

sons and the horse’s board,

I cleaned stable stal ls and

taught riding lessons, al l

while going to school.

I was fortunate i n that

I excelled at academic s

and earned my accept ance

into Rosati-Kain, a c ol-

lege preparatory school

in St. Louis, and t hen

Northwestern University.

Because of my love for

horses, I enrolled with the

intention of becoming a

large anima l veterinarian,

but after an intern ship my

freshman yea r, I came to

realize that it wa s not the

career for me.

Instead, I tur ned to psy-

chology. During one of

those classes, I lea rned

something interesting:

The law can be found

everywhere w ithin litera-

ture. That was what fi rst

piqued my interest into

the profession, and after

graduating with a p sy-

chology degree in 2004, I

enrolled in law school at

Washington University in

St. Louis.

Today, I serve as an

attorney at Lew is Rice

in St. Louis. I help lead

the advertising law prac -

tice and counsel clients

on legal issues related to

endorsements, s ponsor-

ships, consumer promo-

tions and social media . I

fi nd my practice re ward-

ing because it gives me the

opportunity to work in a n

area of law that is rapidly

growing and const antly

evolving in order to adapt

to the latest technologie s

in consumer marketing

and social networki ng.

Another area that I fi nd

equally reward ing and

important is mentoring

and guiding our youth,

especially at-ri sk young

women. A few years ago, I

joined the board of trust-

ees of the Wyman Center ,

which empowers teens

from economically di sad-

vantaged circum stances to

lead successfu l lives and

build strong communi-

ties. It’s a mission I believe

in, and I feel I can make

an impact on these young

people’s lives.

When I’m not counsel-

ing clients or volunteer-

ing in the community,

I’m raising my 6-year old

daughter and tending

to my 12-acre propert y,

where I grow vegeta-

bles and care for a small

community of rabbits and

turkeys. Every year, I tr y

to do something extra to

make life on my property

more sustainable. By the

time I retire from my law

practice, I hope to be liv-

ing completely o the grid.

The road to get here

hasn’t always been easy,

but I’ve done it my way

and for myself. It has

taken courage, deter mina-

tion and hard work, and

that’s something I hope to

instill in my daughter a nd

the young people that I

ment or.

Charla Claypool is a member

of the litigation department

of Lewis Rice in St. Louis

and focuses her practice in the

areas of intellectual property

and advertising, promotions,

and social media law.

Advanced training in National Security Law for professors of law

and political science, government ocials, and practitioners.

The Most Recognized National Security Law Program of

its Kind in the Nation • Over Thirty National Security Law Topics &

Over Twenty Subject Matter Experts

“is Institute was a unique opportunity to

experience signicant academic growth.

Be assured that I will spread the word regarding what

you have very rightly called ‘the best program of its

kind in the United States.’”

— A U.S. participant

For information concerning the Institute and how to apply for the 2019 program,

visit the National Security Law Institute website:

The National Security Law

INSTITUTE

Center for National Security Law • University of Virginia School of Law

cnsl.virginia.edu/nslinstitute

June 2–14

2019

University of Virginia

School of Law

Charlottesville, VA

Opening Statements

APRIL 2019 ABA JOURNAL || 15

MY PATH TO LAW

Charla Claypool: “Some might

say the odds were against me.”