Before law school, I was a wildlife biologist. And after nearly a decade of counting birds and rodents, I was ready for a change. But I wasn’t sure what that change was.
At the time, I was showing my nature photography in galleries and I debated trying to go full time.
But law school had always been something that called to me. And after much thinking and discussion, I decided to take the leap.
My second year of law school, I had an internship at California Lawyers for the Arts. And every day, I listened to creatives explain their legal problems and questions.
I was just an intern, so I couldn’t answer their questions. But that didn’t stop me from figuring out how I would answer it if I could.
I tracked down the answers in books, blogs, and by talking to any lawyer who would tolerate my questions.
Working at California Lawyers for the Arts gave me the inkling of an idea.
What was that idea? That there could be ease in the legalese of running a creative business.
To me, it wasn’t a revolutionary idea. But for most of the lawyers and creatives I talked to, it was.
Which is why this idea drove me to open my own law firm. And a couple years later resulted in me starting this website, the artist’s J.D.
Because I couldn’t find a place I would whole-heartedly recommend to my creative friends.
I know haven’t created the perfect place for every creative business owner to add ease to the legalese.
But I do think I’ve created a great place if you are looking for:
- A creative business owner friend. But unlike an armchair lawyer, I passed the California bar exam and practice law every day so I can help you navigate the legal waters.
- A brainstorm partner. Because unlike most business coaches, I’m not going to try to convince you there’s only one answer or a one-size-fits-all solution, formula, or trend that will magically make you an “overnight” success. I’ll help you examine different options and let you pick the answer that’s best for your business.
- Legal templates, forms, resources, and courses. But instead of leaving you to the wolves, I’ll help you focus on legal tasks that will make a big impact rather than encouraging you to do busy work.
- An online community of creative business owners. And unlike all those free Facebook groups, I share trustworthy, legal information customized just for creative businesses like yours.
