About

About Wendell L. Belknap:

I earned my law degree and graduated cum laude from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College (Portland, OR) in 1985. I majored in Political Science and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oregon (Eugene, OR) in 1982, and graduated from Jesuit High School (Portland, OR) in 1978.

I worked for a mid-size Portland, Oregon, law firm immediately after graduating from law school and passing the bar exam in 1985. Ultimately I opened my own office in Clackamas County, Oregon, on October 1, 1988, where I have been since. My office is located in the historic McLoughlin Neighborhood of old Oregon City in a home built in 1920, which my wife and I remodeled to be accurate to that era. Out of the comfortable setting of that old home I strive to maintain a general practice which meets the diverse needs of my many clients, as I represent a broad clientele in many locations in the State of Oregon.

I have lived all my life in Oregon and am a sixth generation Oregonian whose great-great-great grandfather crossed the plains in a covered wagon in 1848, ultimately settling near Belfountain, Oregon, which was then known as the Belknap Settlement. I take great pride in my old Oregon roots and devote much of my spare time to genealogy work.

I have been married to my wife, Barbara, since 1985. We have two grown children, Jessica and Rebecca. We live on a farm between Wilsonville and Newberg with our menagerie of animals, which consists of horses, cats, and a dog.

Royce T. Graves: Secretary

Royce Graves has been my secretary since 1996. Before moving to Portland, Royce lived near Missoula, Montana, with her husband, Gary, and their two sons, Kenley and Kent. For most of her working years Royce worked for a paper mill in Montana. When she and Gary moved to Portland she started working for me with absolutely no training as a legal secretary, but people skills you could not begin to teach. While she learned the legal skills along the way, my clients and I have been the beneficiaries of her warm and friendly nature the entire time she has worked in my office. She has told me many times how important it is to her to make people feel welcome, as she could envision what she would be thinking and going through if she needed the services of a lawyer. This delightful lady will make you feel welcome from the moment you arrive. Countless numbers of clients have conveyed to me that she has done so for them. Royce is a vital member of our team.

Jesse A. Buss: Law Clerk

As my law clerk, Jesse helps me to conduct research on novel legal questions as well as to draft letters and court documents.

Jesse is a law student at Lewis & Clark Law School (Portland, OR), and will graduate in May 2012 with certificates in Business Law and Environmental & Natural Resources Law. In his first year of law school, Jesse was awarded a certificate of merit for "Outstanding Appellate Brief in the First Year Moot Court Program." Jesse plans to establish a general practice similar to mine, while incorporating his specialized areas of study. As such, his future practice areas may include Family Law, Real Estate Law, Personal Injury Law, Business Law, Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law, Intellectual Property Law, Wage Claims, and Estate Planning Law (including Wills & Trusts).

Jesse earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology, with honors, an emphasis certificate in Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology, and minors in Biochemistry and Business Administration from the Robert D. Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon (Eugene, OR) in June 2008. Jesse’s college thesis, entitled The Role of microRNAs-196 in Zebrafish Skeletal System Development, earned the mark of “Pass with Distinguishment,” the highest honor conferred for thesis projects. Jesse graduated as Valedictorian from Tualatin High School in June 2004, with a 4.0 GPA.

Jesse is a dedicated fly-fisherman and outdoorsman who enjoys spending time with his family.