In the last week, the media has called your attention to the murders of #BreonnaTaylor (EMT and a nursing student) killed in her home, #AhmaudArbery who was gunned down running in his neighborhood and just a few days ago #GeorgeFloyd a peace activist was suffocated with the knee of a police officer in custody. Even CNN show a black reporter #OmarJiminez being arrested on live TV during his coverage of the Minneapolis riots.
FREE LAWYERS
If you are a peaceful protestor that needs a free lawyer because you were wrongfully arrested and or charged, please click here to view our Pro Bono Directory.
VOTING
Register to vote for the preliminaries in your state>>> https://www.vote.org/register-to-vote/
We will be launching our "Get Out The Vote" Initiative soon that will also include specific pieces of legislation you should help to push to fight police brutality. STAY TUNED!
PETITIONS
Here are the five petitions to sign to make sure all officers in both Breonna and George cases are arrested (so far only 1 has been arrested):
AHMAUD ARBERY
BREONNA TAYLOR
https://action.justiceforbreonna.org/sign/BreonnaWasEssential/
GEORGE FLOYD
https://www.justiceforbigfloyd.com
ORGANIZATIONS TO DONATE MONEY
1. MONEY FOR FAMILIES
AHMAUD ARBERY FAMILY
https://www.gofundme.com/f/i-run-with-maud
GEORGE FLOYD FAMILY
https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd
2. MONEY FOR BAIL FOR PROTESTERS
CASH APP $UNTILFREEDOM (currently supporting the Minneapolis Bail Fund).
ACTION PAC
ACTION PAC Bail Funds click here. Their campaign money directly supports these funds:
3. MONEY FOR ORGANIZATION EFFORTS TO SUPPORT ARRESTS OF COPS IN BREONNA TAYLOR, AHMAUD ARBERY AND GEORGE FLOYD KILLINGS:
4. BUY A POLICE T-SHIRT
We created these shirts in order to donate 10% of the proceeds directly to the family of George Floyd and 10% of the proceeds to Until Freedom. To learn more about Until Freedom click here. Our goal is that as many people as possible will wear these shirts to protests in their area to show we are all unified. We also encourage everyone to change their profile picture to one with this shirt! Thank you for supporting this campaign! Click here to purchase.
VOLUNTEER
1. Join our Pro Bono Legal Directory.
Click here to view directory and sign into your gmail account. Then in header where it says “View only” mode click drop down menu to request edit access.
2. Become one of our Campaign Captains.
Click here to use our contact form to be considered. In the message box, mention your request to be a captain, your state and Instagram page handle. We will be selecting only 1 person per state & to qualify you must be a law student or lawyer and be willing to answer questions via phone & email about our campaign.
3. Become a Legal Observer in Minneapolis.
Grassroots Law Project
Stay tuned for more VOLUNTEER opportunities!
JOIN FACEBOOK GROUPS
Join the “Lawyers Against Police Brutality” Facebook Page Here.
OTHER RESOURCES
Join the "Black Lawyers Observe" if you are a Black Legal Observer for free training to observe and represent protesters in court. Click Here.
Need online training on how to become a Legal Observer, click Here.
Need training on how to represent a protester, click Here.
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#LawyerBae J. Carter aka #AskCarterLaw breaks down every legal thing you need to know about the Covid pandemic from martial law to celebrity jail releases to your stimulus check!
]]>The infamous George Zimmerman who was found not guilty under the “Stand Your Ground” law for killing the unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin has now said his life is unbearable because he has been defamed by the parties in the case. Specifically, Trayvon Martin’s parents, Attorney Benjamin Crump and Florida state officials.
Zimmerman filed the complaint in Polk County where he lives. The 36-page lawsuit first takes aim at Crump’s recently published book, “Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People.” The suit claims its publishing by HarperCollins perpetuates continued defamation of Zimmerman.
Then the complaint later goes on to name several former prosecutors, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the state of Florida as defendants. As it relates to those claims, Zimmerman claims there was a conspiracy involving a fake witness that led to his arrest and prosecution.
In Florida you must prove the following for a successful claim for defamation:
The common difficulty, however, is proving actual damages in support of a defamation claim. That is where defamation per se is a major factor which I predict Zimmerman will try to claim.
For Defamation Per Se:
Larry Klayman, Zimmerman’s attorney claims his client damages includes regularly faces death threats, gave up career aspirations, struggles to find work and suffers from PTSD in the fallout from the incident. In that vain, Zimmerman will mostly likely claim that based on the statements made in Attorney Crump book, any public statements by Government Officials and Trayvon Martin family all subjected him to hatred and disgust and also accused him of an infamous crime.
So what is the best defense for the parties involved against this controversial lawsuit? The TRUTH. Any written or oral statements by the parties if can be proven true even if they were damaging to Zimmerman is not defamatory.
Other defenses?
After essentially getting away with murder you would think he would live his life and move on from this tragic incident. But Zimmerman has in addition to this lawsuit has been arrested several times since his acquittal including violent acts against women. This appears to be another tactic to put himself back in the line light and paint himself as a victim while revictimizing the parents of someone who lost their teenage son. If he only walked away instead of approaching Trayvon who was unarmed we wouldn’t be where we are today. Zimmerman may very well be suffering from depression and anxiety and of course ridicule but I contend this is of his own making he should not be filing a lawsuit and opening old wounds.
What are your thoughts on the lawsuit? Do you think Zimmerman will prevail?
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Rocky, 30, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, as we reported last week by AskCarterlaw is accused of assaulting Mustafa Jafari, 19, on June 30 while the rapper was in the city to perform at a music festival. Rocky, along with his co-defendants, Bladimir Emilio Corniel and David Tyrone Rispers, all pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.
Two years in jail is a pretty long time for someone who was seen on camera defending himself about hecklers that got in his face and invaded his personal space making him fear for his safety hence is “push” response. Ironically, Asap Rocky could claim assault by the tourist but the prosecutors are allowing his heckler to claim self defense.
The case seems to be turning on also whether a bottle was used in the assault on the heckler. Asap Rocky took the stand today in his defense claiming he had a bottle a total one point but no bottle was used when he pushed the heckler away. Check out this audio testimony regarding the bottle courtesy of TMZ:
Additional testimony about the incident in full, courtesy of Associated Press:
What is your prediction? Will they find him guilty? I predict they will but will not give him the full 2 years.
Stay tuned…
]]>On the night of April 19, 1989, Trisha Meili, a white female jogger, was assaulted and raped in the North Woods of Manhattan’s Central Park and was left in a coma for 12 days. Five juvenile males—four African American and one Hispanic—were convicted for various crimes in connection with the incident, even though the FBI tested the DNA of the rape kit and found it did not match of any of the juveniles and there was no other physical evidence or witnesses connecting the minors to the crime. These juveniles became known as the Central Park Five.
According to The Daily Beast, When They See Us portrays Fairstein, “the retired New York sex-crimes prosecutor as a purveyor of injustice who racially profiled and railroaded the so-called Central Park Five three decades ago.” Further, it exposes the breakdown of the U.S. criminal justice system during the case, stemming from Fairstein’s actions, which include the malicious prosecution of minors, coercion and the questioning of some of the minors without their parents present. According to The Fader, the minors “long held that they were coerced and intimidated into confessing.” All five boys spent the rest of their childhoods in prison from 6-12 years. Ultimately, the minors were found to be wrongfully convicted based on the coerced video tapes that were used in evidence. However, in 2002, their sentences were vacated after an incarcerated rapist named Matias Reyes admitted to committing the crime alone. In the wake of the Netflix series, many are asking that Fairstein be criminally investigated for her role in the convictions of the Central Park Five, that her old cases be reopened, and her books be boycotted.
Our criminal justice system is already stacked against minorities. Fairstein’s actions amount to criminal offenses, as it is against the law to malicious prosecution, witness tampering and falsifying statements in the police report. Her actions should not only call for her disbarment based on bar ethics, but also for prison time. Further, it would be appropriate to reopen her old cases, as Fairstein may have engaged in similar behavior when prosecuting others and may have wrongfully convicted more individuals.
Do you think Linda should be disbarred? Sound off below.
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She is definitely following in her father’s footsteps, Rob Kardashian who was O.J. Simpson’s former attorney. She also last year, successfully petitioned President Donald Trump to commute the life sentence of Alice Johnson, a nonviolent drug offender. After Johnson was released, a major bipartisan piece of criminal justice–reform legislation, the FIRST STEP Act, was passed by Congress and signed into law by Trump in December.
With all this however, I am sure you are still asking how she can become a licensed attorney since she doesn’t have a college degree.
Kardashian West did go to undergrad, briefly attending Pierce College in Los Angeles, according to The Hollywood Reporter. But she never graduated.
But that won’t stop Kardashian since California is 1 out of 4 states (Virginia, Vermont and Washington are the others) that allow you to do a four year apprenticeship under a licensed attorney in order to take state bar exam without having to go to college or law school.
So far torts is the hardest and criminal law is the easiest class for her. The exam also want be that easy to pass for her since only 60 of 83,986 persons that took the bar last year and took this alternative route actually passed.
Good luck Kimmie!
Do you think persons should be able to skip law school?
]]>WHY they were dropped? First as you'll recall State's Attorney Kim Foxx recused herself from the case. She reportedly had asked cops to stand down at the behest of Tina Tchen -- Michelle Obama's former Chief of Staff and a friend of Jussie's family. The conflict forced Foxx to bow out of the case. Also as you know the Obamas are from Chicago!
The Cook County State's Attorney's Office went on the record to say that the decision to drop all charges against Jussie was made by Joseph Magats-- the First Assistant State's Attorney -- who took the place of Fox after her recusal, and NOT by Foxx for two reasons: 1) TMZ reported that the State's Attorney, Kim Foxx, told Chicago police she was dropping the case because Jussie would have only gotten community service if convicted and she said he has already performed community service so there is no point in prosecuting him. 2) Their case was falling apart- the $3500 check that was a key piece of evidence for payment of the attack in the case was admittedly for personal training services and the attackers confirmed this.
FULL VIDEO of Jussie Smollett statement to his fans and supporters:
The only criminal charges that potentially remain is if the FBI find proves that he sent threatening letter to studio prior to his attack which at this point FBI has not confirmed this. Jussie will also have to surrender his $10,000 bond.
Do you believe Jussie is innocent now that the charges have been dropped?
]]>In late January, Kanye sued EMI in Los Angeles Superior Court for violating California labor laws and requesting the ownership of his copyrights by returned to him beforehand the statutory 35 years.
The contract reads:
You (Mr. West) hereby represent and warrant that to [EMI] that You will, throughout the Term as extended by this Modification, remain actively involved in writing, recording and producing Compositions and Major Label Albums, as Your principle occupation. At no time during the Term will you seek to retire as a songwriter, recording artist or producer or take any extended hiatus during which you are not actively pursuing Your musical career in the same basic manner as You have pursued such career to date. (The preceding representation shall not be deemed to prevent You from taking a vacation of limited duration.)
Therefore, Kanye’s complaint is an attempt to “obtain his freedom,” citing California Labor Code section 2855, which mandates that personal services contracts have a maximum of seven years. Kanye, has surpassed this seven years and has been under this same contracts since 2003 when he recorded his debut album, College Dropout.
What is equally disturbing is how the contract defines the “term” or period of the contract. (Read full contract and complaint here ).
In 2003, Kanye signed his original term was 3 years plus an optional year. However, the contract year is defined as “longer of 12 months or how long it takes him to record min 3 full new compositions per year”. EMI defines “full new composition” as having to be studio released amongst other requirements and defines “full” as him having to be the sole writer on the composition.
What does this all mean? Kanye is never getting out of this contract under these terms! Not to mention that he agreed to five extra extensions from 2003-2017. Smh. Looks like he “chose” to be a slave under EMI.
Should the Court let Kanye out of this contract?
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21 Savage turned himself in Friday after he was charged in Liberty County, Georgia with theft by deception. Savage was accused of cheating a promoter out of $17K, claiming that 21 kept the $9,500 deposit as well as the $7,500 payment made to him for a show he canceled in 2016.
A warrant was issued for Savage back in 2016, but the authorities never followed through with the apprehension until the promoter brought it to the police's attention again after Savage was all over the news for his ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detention.
Savage was released on his own recognizance and is working directly with the promoter to resolve the issue. However, his offense with the concert promoter is considered a felony and will certainly impact his 2017 U-visa application pending in front of immigration board. On top of that Donald Trump's new immigration laws will mostly require Savage to return to UK while his application is processing and then return to U.S. when it is approved. Previously, most applicants were granted temporary green cards while their applications processed since applications can take 3-4 years to process.
Savage has been in this country illegally since he was 7 years old when he came from the U.K. with his parents. Savage applied for a U-visa application in 2017 since he was victim of crime just four years earlier. According to ICE, U-visa is available to those who have been the victims of a crime in the United States, have suffered physical or mental injury as a result of a crime and who are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in an investigation or criminal prosecution.
Stay tuned as this story develops!
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by Jessica Gill
I have been in London, UK for a whole term now and I can safely say I feel quite settled in. Whether you’re moving to a new town, new state or a whole new country, there is definitely an adjustment period that comes with it. As the last few months have gone by, I have figured out a few tips and tricks that helped me stay sane as I went through so many new experiences. Below are my top 5 tips for finding balance between school, a new place, and new people.
The documentary is full of accusations painting singer Robert Kelly aka R. Kelly as a manipulative sexual predator including physical, mental and sexual abuse of minors and adult women.
Since the fall out, Cook County in Chicago have received dozens of calls reporting abuse that they are currently vetting in their open investigation in addition to the ongoing investigation in Fulton County in Georgia where at least one victim and two families of victims have been contacted. However, these open investigations are not the same as charges. To date no new criminal charges have been filed against R. Kelly. His last charges (child pornography) were back in 2008, when he was acquitted after the infamous urination sex tape with the minor.
So what is preventing prosecutors from filing charges against Kelly? First and foremost, credible witnesses and victims have to first file a police report and report it as crime. Most of Kelly's alleged victims have either settled privately with him or are afraid to report him because he makes all the women he is involved with sign NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements) with heavy penalties. Second, most of his alleged victims are from years ago which means they will lack any physical evidence to corroborate their claims which makes it more of a "he said, she said" case which is difficult when going after a celebrity. Moreover, the timing of them coming forward will most likely play into a credibility issues since their reports will be on the heels on a well publicized scandal following the release of the recent documentary. Prosecutors in both states are working diligently to sort through all the reports to verify what appear to be substantive allegations. Last but not least (and the most troubling), all of his alleged victims consented and all went to him on their own free will making kidnapping and false imprisonment hard to prove (both require "unlawful taking") and so these victims will have to either press charges for physical assault and or rape (including statutory rape). Currently, one victim is suing for assault for him allegedly giving her a STD (herpes). Even as of last week, his Trump Tower's condo was visited by the police (since his Chicago studio that was shown in the film was vacated after unpaid rent), after a police call was made that two women were being held hostage there. However, when the police arrived both of women claimed they were not being held against their will.
So with that being said justice for R. Kelly victims will only come when prosecutors in both states have multiple credible victims, witnesses and hopefully some physical evidence. Victims should not worry about the NDA's they signed since at this point because number one it will generate a lot of negative publicity for him and two his victims most likely do not have the money so him pursuing damages will appear to be him just being vindictive.
What are your thoughts on the various legal angles of the R. Kelly case? Should R. Kelly pursue defamation against Lifetime or pursue violations to his NDAs? How should prosecutors go about finding viable allegations from victims to file formal charges?
Stay tuned as this story develops...
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A "morality clause" or what is better known as the “morals clause” is a provision in a contract which stipulates that certain actions or activities done in an individual’s “private life” can be grounds for termination of the contract. For entertainment lawyers, these sorts of clauses most often arise in TV actor or host contracts (where a producer, broadcaster or studio may want to end their association with an individual whose reputation has become toxic) and in celebrity endorsement contracts (where a manufacturer of a product or service provider no longer wants their product or service associated with an individual who has gained public infamy).
In addition to the Kevin Hart Oscar scandal, morals clauses have been relevant to a few different high-profile celebrity stories in the last few years: when Kevin Spacey was fired from the last season of House of Cards for his alleged sexual misconduct with a minor and his production staff, Matt Lauer who was fired from NBC for his sexual misconduct in the work place and even in NFL contracts where Buffalo Bills star LeSean McCoy was accused of hiring an assault and home invasion of his ex girlfriend Delicia Cordon.
As an example, here is what might be considered the most basic form of morals clause (some of these clauses are taken from Eric Goldman’s drafting exercise):
Performer shall not, either while rendering such services to the producer or in his private life, be charged with or convicted of an offense [involving moral turpitude] under federal, state or local laws or ordinances.
Here's another example:
If at any time while Artist is rendering or obligated to render on-camera services for the program hereunder, Artist is involved in any situation or occurrence which subjects Artist to public scandal, disrepute, widespread contempt, public ridicule, [or which is widely deemed by members of the general public, to embarrass, offend, insult or denigrate individuals or groups,] or that will tend to shock, insult or offend the community or public morals or decency or prejudice the Producer in general, then Producer shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to take any action it deems appropriate, including but not limited to terminating the production of the program.
This above clause is considered more of a “expansive” morals clause because it covers situations where the performer has made a comment (or participated in an activity) which is deemed by community standards to be insulting to an individual or group. In that latter category one could imagine situations where a performer makes comments which reflect on negative stereotypes of an ethnic, religious or racial or sexual orientation group such as in the Kevin Hart Oscar incident.
These sorts of “expansive” morals clauses become a bit more difficult to police or enforce since they become more subjective and open to interpretation, since it is not as straight forward like under the “basic morals" clause (i.e., was the person charged or convicted of a crime or not?), but a subjective assessment of whether a particular incident is “bad” enough that it triggers the termination right in the contract.
So the "moral of the story" (pun intended lol) is you or your clients have to be just as careful in your personal life or it will come to light and affect your professional one.
]]>As some of you may know I graduated law school in 2014 and I am currently pursuing my MBA degree (I finish in May 2019!!). A lot of people over the course of the years have asked me whether or not they should pursue a joint MBA degree. I decided to pursue the degrees consecutively instead of doing them at the same time. I attended Florida State College of Law so my response is based on the school I attended and what I have heard about other schools. At FSU the program lasts a full four years and requires one hundred and nine credit hours in order to graduate. One of the biggest issues with this program is that the joint degrees are confirmed concurrently, to that end you are not able to get one degree without earning both. Aside from that, you do not save time by doing the joint-degree as you could do them separately in the same four-year time frame. A benefit to doing them concurrently is that if you attend law school first you can start practicing law in three years instead of having to wait until your fourth year in order to work in the field. Also, if you work as an attorney upon graduation you may find yourself working in a position that covers your tuition one way or another. For me personally working for the State of Florida as a prosecutor my tuition was free during my time with the State. After leaving I have three classes remaining which will total around $4,500, which for me is rather cheap for an MBA. For you guys if you work in Florida for the government your tuition to state schools may be free for you. Additionally, I am able to work while earning my degree which allows me to earn a salary instead of using financial add to pay for my living expenses.
For me I do not personally see a real benefit of doing the joint program, unless perhaps you find a program that will at least finish a semester or two sooner. The only other way I think it would be a sensible idea is if a student had a financial package that included both degrees. If you are going to be paying full price for tuition and completing the degree in four years you may want to reconsider your plan. Always be sure to speak with the school counselor before making any decisions.
]]>So you just heard you or your client has been casted for a Reality Show! While this can be exciting news and cause for celebration (reality television because of its huge platform, has made more self made millionaires than any other industry in the last 5 years), this should also be a time for caution. The producers of the show are going to want you to sign a contract and overwhelmingly it will favor the network and the production company. So don't be so quick to sign whatever they put in front of you! You probably have more leverage to negotiate than you realize. The contract they give you is just their first offer and so you owe it to yourself to make sure you know what is in the contract and to negotiate for better treatment.
How Reality Show Contracts Work
Reality TV contracts typically have a jurisdictional provision that any disputes over the contract must be heard in a California court (other popular jurisdictions are Georgia since most reality shows are also filmed there). Unfortunately, California courts often side with the show and the producers when it comes to upholding the contract. You cannot count on the court to get you out of a bad deal.
Also music competition shows like "The Voice", "American Idol" etc. the Network will require your exclusive services for the duration of the series season in which you appear, plus "cliffhanger" period (a period of time following the conclusion of the series). You’ll be obligated not only to appear in the series but to also be available for promotional activities and sponsor-related commercials. In the case you or your client performs original musical material, they will likely be required to assign a portion of your publishing rights, and the Network, of course, owns all you performances and the rights to your master recordings produced on the show. However, the likelihood is that you will retain your rights to material you wrote before being selected for the show; material that you write for the show will typically belong to the Network, as a "work for hire" (you relinquish ownership of anything you create to the show like an employee).
On cast series shows like "Love and Hip Hop" (LHH), production companies and networks own a percentage of any business you promote using their show and for a “cliff hangover period” (a time period after the series is over ). So yes a cut of Rasheeda's "Pressed" store that is promoted on the Atlanta franchise of LHH is going to Mona Scott Young! (Unless she negotiated otherwise). Only if you negotiate to exclude this from your contract could you escape having to pay production companies and networks for a very long time a cut of your earnings from your business you worked so hard to build (I have a personal experience with this).
Lastly, in both a cast series or music competition series you will waive any recourse you may have for pretty much anything that happens to you while on the show, including the right to sue for damage to your reputation on account of how the Network presents you to the public. Something to seriously consider.
Contract Clauses to Watch Out For
Here are some clauses you should pay special attention to:
An entertainment lawyer can help breakdown your contract and help you negotiate a deal that better protects your future rights without jeopardizing your current television opportunity. So don't be afraid to hire one!]]>
by Jessica Gill
Instagram: @isthatjessicag
In the last year of my undergrad, I had the opportunity to spend one semester abroad in Istanbul, Turkey. During that time, I traveled to various countries in Europe and North Africa. I decided then and there that I would be continuing my education somewhere in Europe.
When I got back, I began researching what my options could be for going abroad, and still working toward my career goal of law. I quickly found that there is a popular option for Canadians to go to the United Kingdom to pursue their degree.
When I told my friends and family that I will be getting my law degree from the UK, it took a while for them to wrap their heads around how that would work for me. Of course, it would make sense to study law where you live and intend to practice, but I personally don’t know if practicing in Canada is my end goal yet.
It’s been a year since I made the decision to apply and attend a British law school. I have just moved into my place in London, UK and have had introductory classes for my courses for the year. My program is filled with many international bright minds that all plan to study here and go back home to practice. My current plan is to stay in the UK once I have completed my degree and not necessarily practice as a lawyer but use the knowledge towards helping/creating an NGO, at least at first.
A law degree can be obtained in different ways, and can take you to different places, literally and professionally. This is the start of an epic journey! Going to school abroad may be the change of scenery you need!
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FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT STARTED LAW SCHOOL
Let’s first start with my journey as a law school student. I took every contract class I could find and I also took tons of courses in intellectual property, an elective course in entertainment law and then some specialty courses focusing on niches found in entertainment law like music law, sports law etc. As a 2L, I took an internship at Classic Media (now Dreamworks) and worked with the in-house legal team and did mostly employment agreements, cease and desist letters and managed their PATTSY trademark database system. I suggest finding an internship in the exact niche of entertainment law you want to practice in. So for example, if you want to do fashion law work in-house for a fashion designer (My best friend from law school work in-house for Christian Louboutin! However, did not score not one free pair of red bottoms! lol). You can also just apply for a summer associate position for a firm that specializes in an array of entertainment law matters under their corporate law practice.
Which leads me to my next point about what people think entertainment lawyers are. Entertainment lawyers do not just practice one area of law. You can represent individual entertainers for their criminal matters (ex. Meek Mill, Chris Brown and Bill Cosby in their various legal matters) or represent them in family law matters (ex. Angelina Jolie divorce or Britney Spears in her custodial fight for her children from her ex-husband). On the corporate side, you can represent individuals or companies in their business formation and protection, contracts, intellectual property (copyright, trademark, patent etc.), licensing and employment law matters.
Post graduation, after exploring private practice in D.C. and teaching I made the move to Los Angeles to work for the business and legal affairs department for Universal Music Group (UMG). Which leads to my suggestion on where to live to best engage in this area of law. The top firms and entertainers you would work for are located in Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta. So if you really want to practice in this area, I strongly suggest you relocation. My experience at UMG outside of my experience representing individual artists, athletes and entertainers has given me the most rewarding entertainment law experience. Working at a record label you are put right in between the artist and the huge music companies and gain a valuable perspective on the rights and interests of each side.
In addition to still representing individuals and companies in various business, contractual and intellectual property matters, I have moved from just traditional law practice to being an entertainment law correspondent where I get to educate and entertain others on various aspects of the law through trending news stories. I call it "infotainment":)
Although my mom preferred me graduating from law school and settling for a corporate desk job at a firm, I knew it was never for me. She put me in the arts my whole life (singing, modeling, dancing, instruments etc.), so I'm not sure why she was shocked I would choose entertainment law (lol go figure?). Her only concern was that I would represent persons that were criminals and artists (I believe her exact words I don't want you representing Jay Z! lol). Well so far she has gotten her wish! Although I can not promise I will never represent Jay Z (he's married to Beyonce after all:)
Here's to your journey on becoming an amazing entertainment lawyer! See you on the red carpet:)
~Attorney J. Carter, Esq.
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People would ask me all the time “as a black woman how can you be a prosecutor.” I would take that question and make it a learning experience for the person who presented it. I would ask “if you commit a crime and you’re going to be prosecuted, who would you prefer to prosecute you, a person with a similar culture or someone who is a member of the majority?” When I posed my follow-up question and the back and forth that would tend to ensue the person asking the question would typically start to understand the importance of minority representation in positions of power. Many people do not realize how important their local State Attorney’s Office is. The prosecutor on a person’s case has so much broad latitude to do as she sees fit on a case. This could spell out dramatic differences for an accused depending on who is on the other side. I enjoyed my years working for the State but recently I decided to make the shift to private practice.
I always knew that one day I would shift from prosecution to the defense. Before doing so I wanted to get the experience as a litigator that comes easiest while working as a prosecutor. I have taken the plunge and switched to doing criminal defense as well as personal injury law. As far as criminal defense was concerned it was an easy transition as I already knew the laws and knowing the other side makes it even easier to anticipate their arguments. Doing personal injury was completely new for me and I had to get used to all of the medical terminology that is ever-present. Overall, I am very happy with the decisions regarding my career that I have made and I believe I made the best moves I could have made.
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When you’re in law school every person you cross will tell you how to pass the Bar and how you should be studying. I do not subscribe to this logic. Taking and passing the Bar for me was an intimate relationship much like that between a close friend or a love interest. Just as there is no one way to love there is no one-way to pass the Bar. Many get caught in the idea that in order to pass the Bar you can’t even breathe without also doing a multiple choice question while exhaling, or that you have to promptly get up at the crack of dawn, etc. I will let you in on a secret, I don't recall ever forcing myself to get up before 10am while I was studying for the Bar. While studying for the Bar I would wake up when I felt ready, put on different comfy pjs and either study from my couch or take a chair at my law school’s library. When I wanted to talk to my friends I would do flash cards while listening to their latest gossip. As a big sister who has many siblings I got used to multi-tasking and being able to get my work done with other things going on. I would take breaks periodically to watch my favorite show and end up getting in to bed somewhere around 2-3am. This plan just worked for me. It never felt too forced, just that there was always a lot to be done. The Bar to me was never a tricky endeavor, just one full of material to master.
So here's what I did....
I used Kaplan as I was a rep during my last year in law school, so I paid $0. The course was helpful even though there were various scriveners and actual substantive errors. The below were my numbers:
Me being sworn in for a little inspiration!
Lawyer Bae J.D. Coach Kit (real bar study guide including real MBE questions and more!):
https://thelawyerbae.com/collections/lawyer-bae-services/products/j-d-coach-kit
Sample Study schedule:
I timed myself starting mid-June to ensure I was studying enough overall hours. When I timed myself I only counted the time when I was doing direct studying, not when I stopped for any reasons. The below are my study times in hours.
Happy Studying!!
]]>The day was finally here. I wondered what it would be like. Would the play be silent or would it have all the words I was accustomed to as a child? Would I still like it as an adult? Would I have outgrown this childish memory? All these thoughts were put to rest as soon as the play started. Dazzling lights, background change after background change, makeup that would put the best IG girls to shame and so many other features made this play a homerun. I was filled with joy from watching it and felt nostalgia as many memories as a kid started to come over me. I felt myself smiling the entire play. It was what I expected if what I expected was on steroids and happy pills.
This play is pretty much perfect for anyone whether you’re an infant in arms, 20 something taking yourself on a date or if you’re there for your hundredth birthday. There was literally nothing that could have been done to make the play any better. I am so glad I got to experience it and I strongly recommend everyone to go while it is still playing. You will not be disappointed!
Click here to purchase your tickets!
]]>When I started to regain mobility my attorney promptly dropped me. He told me that the taxi company probably didn't have insurance. He didn't even try to verify this. Obviously a cab company would have insurance, I only believed this because my attorney told me this. When he dropped me I believed I had no case and decided not to seek another attorney. I continued to have back problems and I still have those problems to this day. In fact, my back issues have become worse over the years. Now, I am paying a chiropractor out of pocket for treatment.
Reflecting back on it I realize that the attorney most likely just did not want to bother with my case because since I wasn't as bad as we initially thought he may have only ended up with a few thousand for the case. He probably thought himself too big and important to waste his time helping me. I learned then the importance of having an attorney that cares about you and not just his bottom line. I love being a personal injury attorney where I can fight for people involved in accidents no matter how big or small their injuries!
Here's a pic of me with my boss at my new job!
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However, when I entered law school old habits had a way of dying hard. I continued to go out, sometimes as much as five or six times a week. I continued to hear that this was a terrible idea and that it would impact my chances of passing my classes. When the semester was over I finished with 2As and 2A-s. I was rather satisfied with my grades my first semester in law school. These were the grades I achieved even while maintaining my social life. I had a perfect schedule that just worked for me. I went to class M-Th from 9am-12pm. I came home and took a nap from 12:30pm-2pm. Then I studied from around 3pm-9:30pm. After my studying was over I would typically get dressed and head out to my favorite spots. I would tell myself not to think about going out until my studying was over and I would typically adhere to this rule.
Now, fast forward to 2018 I have to be dragged to the club kicking and screaming! I am still glad that I spent my early twenties both working hard at school and enjoying my life. I do not believe you have to give up one to have the other. As with anything in life it is important to maintain a balance that works for you. The balance I had the first year of law school just worked for me and I don't regret one party:)
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After a while on this beach we met a local who took us to another beach that was around 30 minutes down the road. This beach had almost no tourists, no cover and was a more relaxed vibe. Locals had set up a bar on a table and were selling other goods on this beach. We listened to music, drank coconut water and frolicked in the waves. We did this for a while until hunger took over us as we only had eaten $2 beef and veggie patties (which by the way were delicious) in the airport. Our next stop was The Pelican Grill. My food was tasty and they even had a vegetarian option for me (rice and peas and curried vegetables). After eating we were drained from the sun and full bellies so we went home to take a nap.
When we got up we went to the roof top pool of our AirBNB. We later went back to the Hip-Strip to find food. The only problem was that the many restaurants on the strip close for the most part at 10:30pm. The only food that remained was the street meat (I’m a vegetarian so that didn't work for me) and Burger King, so I lamentably had Burger King. We were just thirty minutes too late to have the type of food we craved. After that we decided to retire as we were pretty exhausted. There was a party going on at Margaritaville, which is just a regular bar with food in the daytime, but we were too tired to attend. The next day we got up and went to breakfast at the place next door. They served American style breakfast, the food was simply okay.
Overall, we had a great time in our short stay in Jamaica. I would definitely stay with my AirBNB host again. She can get you anything you need and with a smile. Next time I go my stay will be longer than a night!
Here are some tips and links to make for a perfect Jamaica stay!
Safety
During the day we had no issues dealing with our safety. I will point out that everyone you encounter for the most part will be trying to sell you something, whether it’s clothes or a cab ride. That got a bit overwhelming after a while. During the nighttime the place where we were staying had bars on the windows, a rope in front blocking cars from parking there, a gate and a security guard so we did not feel like our safety was compromised in our unit. However, when we initially decided to walk to get food (30 minutes away) three minutes in our walk we were confronted by a man asking for money that followed us for a bit, so we decided to go back and call a cab. The cab that was called took us to an area on the way to where we were going that seemed rather high crime and four large dogs that actually jumped at the car, which made us both very glad we decided against walking. I would not recommend walking around at night. Aside from the aforementioned, people drive on the opposite side of the street so you also have to be aware of the dangers of getting hit by a vehicle. All in all we felt safe during the day and you will likely be safe if you play it smart and don’t just wander around in the middle of the night.
Timing
Please keep in mind when going to Jamaica that things happen slowly here. The expression “on island time” is lived out here to the fullest. It can be relaxing, but if you are in a hurry please make sure to budget extra time for cabs, food, etc. to come.
The Matching Swimsuits
The AirBNB Ramparts Mansion:
Features: Around $110/nightly, rooftop pool with an ocean view, view of the ocean from the master bedroom and the living room, full kitchen, two bedrooms and two bathrooms, security guard at night, fast Wi-Fi & walking distance from the beach.
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