The Courtroom Is Her Ballfield

Growing up, soccer was probably Danielle Ashcraft’s best sport, but softball is what stuck.

“It’s just where I built the closest relationships and had my favorite people,” says the family law attorney at Goldberg & Jones in Portland. “And it’s really cool to see everybody succeed in their own position.”

Ashcraft wound up playing Division I softball at Seattle University from 2011 to 2014, where she was a pitcher. “It’s a lot of weight on your shoulders,” she says. “You are the core focus of the game. You’re the one who touches the ball the most, who’s in control of the game the most. I liked the mental aspect of it. I liked being in control of the game, but always knowing I had my backups.”

If you’re sensing an analogy to the practice of law, you’re not wrong.

“Oh, 100%,” she says. “As an athlete, it’s all of the work leading up to that game, to that pitch, to that moment. And it’s the same in litigation. I always say ‘The courtroom’s my ballfield,’ because it’s all about the prep work that leads to the successful result. It’s all the practice, all the teamwork with you and your client, all the trust between you and your client.”

During law school, Ashcraft stopped playing softball, but she’s back at it—slow pitch this time, and left field/shortstop rather than pitcher.

“Ball has always been a staple in my life,” she adds. “It taught me about attitude, it taught me about friendships, it taught me about perseverance. And that’s reflected in how I practice law.”