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LEGAL NEWSLINE

Friday, March 29, 2024

Ten who played in college

Soccer's World Cup has begun, the NBA Finals are getting tight and baseball is hitting its summer months. It's a great time of year to be an athlete or sports fan, and Legal Newsline presents 10 of the most athletic state attorneys general and state supreme court justices. Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell played semi-professional baseball while still in high school, then chose to play football and run track at Tulane. He stayed at the school to earn his law degree and became the state's attorney general in 2008. Maryland loves lacrosse, and its state attorney general is no different. Doug Gansler played at Yale University, becoming a four-year starter while earning all-conference honors and all-region honors. He was drafted by a professional team, the Washington Wave, and still coaches youth lacrosse teams. Pennsylvania native Scott Harshbarger came to Massachusetts to attend Harvard University, where he played running back on the football team. He stayed in the state after graduation, eventually becoming its attorney general from 1991-1999. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist spent a couple of his collegiate years at Wake Forest University playing quarterback for the football team. Crist transferred to Florida State University and eventually became the state's attorney general. Video game-maker EA Sports even produced a likeness of Crist. Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch starred for the basketball team at Brown University, helping the Bears capture the 1986 Ivy League title. The title also gave Brown a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Lynch is now running for governor. Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page might strike more fear in attorneys than any other jurist. That's because his time as a defensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings led him to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Page played collegiately at Notre Dame and was drafted in the first round by Minnesota, so he earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota during his playing days. In 15 years, he made nine pro bowls and was the 1971 NFL Most Valuable Player. He was elected to the court in 1992. Harold Leon "Tom" Sebring juggled law school at the University of Florida with coaching its football team. As a player at Kansas State in the 1920s, Sebring was an All-Missouri Valley Conference performer and was eventually named to the school's all-time football team. Sebring later became a justice on the Florida Supreme Court from 1943-55, taking time off to preside over the Nuremburg Trials in 1946-47. Texas Supreme Court Justice David Medina attended Texas State University and earned his bachelor's degree in 1980 after competing on the school's baseball and karate teams. He still serves on the board of the Spring Klein Baseball Association. West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Menis Ketchum used to catch 'em as a baseball player at Ohio University, where he was a member of the school's Mid-American Conference championship team in 1964. After his time in Athens, he received his law degree from West Virginia University and became a justice in 2009. Ron Sheffield, a former baseball player at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, was recently named to the Arkansas Supreme Court. He received his political science degree from the school in 1972 and his law degree 17 years later.

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