J.D. (Juris Doctor)
I graduated from Southwestern Law School’s accelerated 2-year J.D. program known as Southwestern’s Conceptual Approach to Legal Education (“S.C.A.L.E.”). On top of all of the American Bar Association (“ABA”) requirements, I was able to fit in electives in Transnational Law/Public International Law, Fashion Law, Copyright Law, and Trademark Law. I was also fortunate enough to study International Art Law and International Comparative Media Law while participating in the Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute’s summer abroad program at the University of London, in the United Kingdom.
I was a member of the 40th year graduation class from the SCALE program, and a member of the 100th year graduating class from Southwestern Law School.
LL.M. (Master of Laws)
I’m currently finishing an LL.M. (Master of Laws) in Entertainment and Media Law at Southwestern Law School’s Donald E. Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute. This post-graduate masters degree allows me to focus my knowledge and expertise on intellectual property law as it pertains to the arts and entertainment with classes in Advanced Copyright Law, Intellectual Property Licensing and Practice, Trademark Law, Music Industry Contracts, International Comparative Intellectual Property Law, Entertainment and the Arts Legal Clinic, Drafting Business Contracts, Entertainment Law, Television Production Law, and Entertainment Law Capstone.
Southwestern’s LL.M. degree in Entertainment and Media Law is the first ever established in the country. The program is designed to prepare effective and talented arts, entertainment, media and intellectual property lawyers. Southwestern is ideally located at the heart of the global entertainment industry. The law school has an outstanding entertainment and media-oriented faculty and many graduates occupy important positions within a broad range of entertainment and media companies and law firms specializing in the representation of entertainment clients.
Legal Work Experience
Legal Extern at the Entertainment and the Arts Legal Clinic
During the LL.M. at Southwestern I completed an externship with the Biederman Entertainment & Media Law Institute, Entertainment & the Arts Legal Clinic providing motion picture production Business & Legal Affairs. The clinic provides business & legal affairs in transactional representation of low-budget feature film, television, & other entertainment projects. I interfaced with clients to assess business & legal affairs needs; performed legal research; drafted clearance reports for feature length independent films; client memoranda providing information and guidance on legal issues; contracts including life rights agreement, photography release, model release, & composer agreements.
Legal Extern at Lauson & Tarver, LLP
As a student working on my J.D. at Southwestern I completed an externship at Lauson & Tarver, LLP in El Segundo, CA., an intellectual property, patent, trademark, and copyright firm. I provided legal services and support to the supervising attorney. I filed trademark applications and responses to office actions at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. I handled notice and takedown requests under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, successfully removing material infringing on clients copyrights from Alibaba.com. I drafted a client opinion letter on copyright law, drafted complaints and discovery requests for copyright and trademark litigation, and conducted extensive legal research.
Paralegal Independent Contractor at the Jr. H.H. Corporation
From early 2011 into 2013, I assisted a client through a divorce. I collaborated with his two attorneys in a “paralegal” capacity preparing correspondence, reviewing & summarizing court documents, and compiling reports from various analyses as needed. I also interfaced directly with financial experts and the forensic accountant in compiling data and running reports as necessary to prove clients “separate property” claims in the divorce. Using Microsoft Office applications, Word and Excel, I developed management databases for the client’s community property and separate property assets allowing for quick analysis and reporting. I also created a database in Excel to keep track of and manage the voluminous discovery requests and responses.