Mr Ralph J Blake III | Attorney

Ralph Blake is a third generation Arizonan, born and raised in Phoenix and the oldest of 11 children. Growing up in a big family taught him a lot of things, one of which was never to be the last person to sit down at the dinner table. The Blake family has lived in Arizona for more than a century dating back to the late 1800's. His father and grandfather both worked in the meatpacking industry, so it's not surprising that he along with his ten younger brothers and sisters worked there as well. That job plus student loans enabled Mr. Blake to pay his way through the University of Notre Dame and law school at Arizona State University. His parents required everyone to study hard in school, to work at after-school and summer jobs and to play sports.

Ralph Blake attended Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, receiving a partial college scholarship from the Rotary Club. He obtained a Business Management degree from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. It was there that he volunteered for A.C.T.I.O.N., a community based federal program for college students to tutor math, reading and writing skills to South Bend's poorest areas of inner city children. Mr. Blake was also a member of the entering class of college students, who took U.S. Army basic training at Ft. Knox, Kentucky for officer training. He paid off his college expenses by busing tables and cleaning dishes in the dining hall, doing research for the Sociology Department and taking out student loans. He also played on the Notre Dame baseball team.

After graduating from Notre Dame, Ralph Blake obtained his law degree from Arizona State University in Tempe, where he was selected for the Law Review, clerked for the Law Reform Unit of the Maricopa County legal Aid Society, worked at the Guadalupe Legal Services Program and was certified by the Arizona Supreme Court to represent clients as a student lawyer. Part of his work for the Law Reform Unit included legal research and negotiations with the Arizona Attorney General's Office on public interest matters, such as the unequal distribution of tax funds between Arizona's poorest and wealthiest school districts. Mr. Blake played on the football, softball and wrestling teams, helping the law school win the overall ASU intramural championship.

Ralph Blake has practiced as an attorney in Phoenix for 37 years, having been admitted to all Arizona federal and state courts, as well as the Supreme Court of the United States of America. He worked for the Maricopa County Legal Aid Society for two years, where he helped pass Arizona's Residential Landlord Tenant Act, legislation designed to protect the interests of tenants. He worked for 31 years as a founding partner at Solomon, Relihan & Blake, one of the most well known law firms in Arizona. Mr. Blake helped start a program called Student Legal Services, which provided free legal advice to college students at Phoenix College and Mesa Community College. Mr. Blake spearheaded efforts to obtain approval of the Community College District Board and the Arizona Attorney General's office so that these college programs could be implemented. Mr. Blake also helped form Family Legal Services, one of the largest group legal service programs in the country at that time, which provided legal assistance to credit union members throughout Arizona.

The last 25 years of Ralph Blake's practice have been limited to handling personal injury and accident cases for injured claimants. His career has been family oriented, representing individuals in wrongful death claims and in car, truck and motorcycle accidents, including claims against drunk drivers, uninsured motorists, trucking companies, businesses and government entities. The firm's typical clients are middle income, hard working individuals, some of whom do not have health insurance even though they work full time. Ralph Blake is recognized in the community as an effective and determined advocate for his clients, and his approach with clients is friendly and personable. Mr. Blake appreciates and understands the different backgrounds, cultures and experiences that comprise Arizona's citizens. Considering his family background, work history and community involvement, Mr. Blake believes that the diversity of Arizona's population is reflected by the wide cross section of clients he has represented over the years.

Regarding Ralph Blake's professional service, he wrote and edited the Arizona Credit Union League's Family Legal Services newsletter, which was published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in a book entitled Group Legal Service Plans: Organization, Operation & Management. He has lectured in conferences for newly admitted Legal Aid attorneys regarding client relations and introduction to law practice. Current memberships include the State Bar of Arizona and the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Blake served as a member and officer for the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Committee/Section of the State Bar of Arizona, to whose governing board he successfully argued that the ADR committee was entitled to enhanced recognition as a Section. Other pro bono work includes acting as a panel arbitrator for the Arizona State Bar Fee Arbitration Panal, providing legal services to community college students and the Yacqui Indian tribe, serving on the Board of Directors for the Maricopa County Legal Aid Society, lecturing at Career Day presentations to elementary school children, giving lectures on constitutional law to high school students, and serving as a panel member on ASU's moot court negotiation competition.

Mr. Blake's service in the community includes volunteering at St. Vincent de Paul Society, St. Mary's Food Bank and Andre House, coaching youth baseball and basketball, and serving as a church lector and member of the Social Justice Committee. His involvement in community projects also includes working in a soup kitchen at a downtown Phoenix homeless center and serving in various programs sponsored by his church. Ralph Blake has served innumerable times as a court appointed arbitrator in civil cases, often involving motor vehicle accidents. He has been an Arizona Superior Court Commissioner Pro Tem for 3 years and currently as a Judge Pro Tem for the past 18 years.

As part of his representation of a client, Ralph Blake assesses the liability aspects of the case regarding the accident details, hiring an investigator if necessary. Many clients do not have health insurance or are not getting the proper medical attention they need to address their injuries. Because of his expertise and long term involvement in the legal community, Mr. Blake is able to make referrals to doctors and therapists throughout the greater Phoenix area. For those who do not have health coverage, these medical providers will provide care on a lien basis, waiting for payment until the case resolves. Blake Law Firm works on a contingency fee basis, meaning that there are no attorney's fees if there is no recovery. This is a tremendous consumer benefit for clients, who are able to obtain legal services from an experienced attorney without having to worry about legal fees if the case does not work out.

Blake Law Firm handles all kinds of accident injury claims, such as cases involving major injury, wrongful death, drunk drivers, motorcycle accidents, and product liability accidents. Ralph Blake has recovered millions of dollars in damages for his clients. Since 1972, Mr. Blake has been a trusted attorney and advisor for thousands of clients regarding the problems that confront individuals and their families. His staff consists of experienced, skilled and dedicated professionals who put client service above all else. Blake Law Firm is built on the cornerstone tenet that every client deserves personal attention, respect, open communication and the best legal services possible.

Ralph Blake has represented thousands of clients during his many years of practice. Included among the settled cases are injury victims whose claims have been resolved for millions of dollars. Obviously, every case is different, but Blake Law Firm is dedicated to getting the best possible result on every case, large or small. The firm's staff is experienced, dedicated, professional and enjoyable to work with. Your case is handled by Mr. Blake, not a junior attorney. Mr. Blake and his staff love what they do and it shows.