SW Alum Andrew Carter
His music preference is dark, his sport of choice hails from Canada, and his humor is refreshingly self-deprecating. He formerly represented the death metal band Raging Speedhorn and worked at Terrorizer Magazine in the U.K. before flying back stateside to enter the ranks of jurisprudence. As successful as he is now, relaxing comfortably behind his mahogany desk as counsel for Sony Pictures Music Affairs, I can’t help but think that maybe his life was more interesting back before “Esquire” was added to the end of his name; back when he had a near-death accident, managed an ear-splitting metal band, and held his own with the London hardcore scene.
However, for those of you who find interest in the juicy tidbits of law school, Andrew Carter, SW alum ‘05, has a lot to say about getting through classes, interning, and becoming an attorney at one of the largest studios in the world.
During spring finals of his first year, appendicitis left Carter hospitalized and on academic probation. He recalls sitting in Con Law the next year fearful that another semester with a GPA below 2.0 would be the end of his legal career, to the detriment of both his time and his shrinking wallet. He ended up making it through by outworking other students, reading every single case of every class for all three years, and even managing to score an A+ in Remedies his third year.
Carter also emphasizes the importance of internships for SW students, because they offer students the opportunity to make contacts and prove they are hardworking and intelligent in spite of their grades or school ranking. During the summer of 2004, Carter interned at MGM Music under Jennifer Rick, who later helped him land his current position at Sony, where he conducts rights review on music in films for Sony and its subsidiaries and affiliates. His most recent project, for which he hired 13 SW entertainment law students, involves analyzing older music licenses for films to see if they have a future technology clause that allows Sony to distribute the films by means of video-on-demand.
Carter obviously enjoys what he does, because when asked where he sees himself in 10 years, he remarked “I’m likely to still be here. A lot of lawyers come here and stay here.” Unfortunately, such a remark doesn’t help the prospect of 3Ls about to enter the workforce, especially considering the impending depression, a possible four-year stint with the “Maverick” and his gun, and potential unemployment spikes. Propitiously, Carter (who prefers Tina Fey to Sarah Palin) sees potential in the film industry for Entertainment Law students during this time of economic turmoil. “Movies are a form of entertainment that traditionally has done well in tight economic times; with incredible sound systems and comfy chairs, theater-going is an evolving experience” that continually offers greater escapist possibilities; and home video is also expanding through plasma screens and video-on-demand, which could possibly move it to the forefront in terms of gross revenue potential. However, he did warn that putting too much credence on historical trends can return skewed results, considering that consumer dollars have been spread around due to the advent of video games and other forms of entertainment since the 1930s.
Altogether, it is a difficult time for new and soon-to-be graduates searching for jobs in the entertainment field. However, leaving on a positive note, Carter reminded the SW student body that the process of law school prepares the new attorney for any field of employment because it endows the student with “a sense of organization, time prioritization, order, and discipline, which are skills that an attorney can take anywhere.”
Written by Alexis Quinones, 3L
