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Courtney received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. She double majored in Law and Political Science with an emphasis in American Politics. Courtney was one of the first five students to graduate from the BA Law Program at University of Arizona. Courtney is a third-year student at California Western School of Law. She is very excited to be working with New Media Rights because she wants to help all different entrepreneurs, artists, and app developers get the help that is needed on their creations so everyone can enjoy these creations. Prior to joining New Media Rights, Courtney interned at the University of San Diego in the Athletic Compliance Department. It was from her experience in this position that Courtney gained more interest in intellectual property law and wanted to expand her experience in this field. In her free time, Courtney enjoys taking trips to Disneyland, baking lots of sweet treats, and playing with her Pug puppy named Nala.
Ryan was a firefighter before beginning his studies at the California Western School of Law. A published author himself, Ryan is dedicated to helping authors, content creators, and entrepreneurs understand their intellectual property rights. Ryan writes thrilling crime fiction for adults and hilariously educational adventure novels for young readers. His books, "The Emperor of Vegas" and "Snot Rocket and the Weapon of MATH Destruction", are available on Amazon. Ryan aims to be a strong resource for aspiring artists and "authorpreneurs" and who are passionate about bringing their work to market. His most recent work can be viewed at www.ryanstygar.com.
Benjamin is a born and raised Las Vegas native. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Music Industry Studies from Loyola University New Orleans. Post undergraduate work includes entertainment marketing management, event marketing management and hospitality management in Chicago, New York and Las Vegas. Benjamin is currently a second-year student at California Western School of Law. His studies at California Western include a focus in Intellectual Property law with interest to assist creators to protect their works while bringing them to market.
Kelsey received her Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University Monterey Bay. She majored in Human Communications with a concentration in Pre-Law. After finishing her undergrad, Kelsey moved to San Diego to attend California Western School of Law.
Kelsey is a third year law student at California Western School of Law. She is passionate about protecting the rights of others, especially those of vulnerable populations. Prior to joining New Media Rights, Kelsey participated in California Western's USPTO Trademark Clinic where she earned an Academic Excellence Award for her work in the clinic. In addition, Kelsey volunteered with California Western's Community Law Project, which provides legal advice to low-income and indigent members of the local San Diego community.
Kelsey is thrilled to be a part of New Media Rights. She is looking forward to helping artists, creators, and musicians protect their unique creations. Upon graduation, Kelsey hopes to practice intellectual property law.
In her free time, Kelsey enjoys playing the piano, creative writing, and taking her chiweenie, Cooper, to the OB dog beach.
Yvonne received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. She majored in Political Science with a concentration in Pre-Law. After graduating with Cum Laude honors, Yvonne moved to San Diego to follow her dreams of becoming an Entertainment lawyer.
Yvonne is a second year law student at California Western School of Law. She is passionate about providing legal services for creatives, particularly those in the music industry. Prior to joining New Media Rights, Yvonne worked as a tutor for first year law students struggling to handle their course-load. In addition, she is currently the Social Chair for her law school's Black Law Student Association, an organization that aims to provides academic resources to minority students. Yvonne has also received an Distinguished Advocate Award in oral arguments, as well as an Academic Excellence Award for her appellate brief while at California Western School of Law.
Yvonne is excited for the opportunity to help creatives in the entertainment industry while at New Media Rights. After graduation, she hopes to move to Los Angeles or back home to Atlanta where she can practice entertainment law.
Alexandra received her Bachelor of Arts degree from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She majored in Philosophy with particular emphasis on aesthetics and minored in criminal justice. Deciding to flee to the West Coast she spent a few years in Los Angeles before enrolling at California Western School of Law here in San Diego and is anxiously awaiting graduation in December of this year. She is very excited to continue working with New Media Rights because she enjoys assisting entrepreneurs, artists, and other creative individuals with realizing their dreams. Alexandra hopes to use the excellent experience she is getting with New Media Rights to realize her own dream of being a sports and entertainment lawyer specifically in the fields of movies, television, and music. In her free time, Alexandra enjoys reading, watching movies, and learning as much as she can about the fields of entertainment and sports.
Ahmed received his Bachelors Degree from Fresno State University in Fresno, California. He majored in Political Science while working under the Mayor for the City of Fresno and maintaining his own mobile app startup business. Ahmed has released mobile apps that have been featured on Apple’s Top 100 App Charts and has collectively received over 6 million downloads for his apps worldwide. Ahmed is a third-year student at California Western School of Law. He is very excited to be working with New Media Rights, because as an entrepreneur he is determined to help artists and other creative individuals alike achieve their ambitions for their businesses. Ahmed hopes to use this excellent experience he is obtaining from New Media Rights not only to pursue his longtime dream of becoming an intellectual property attorney but to use legal knowledge to help grow his startup businesses. In his free time, Ahmed enjoys playing guitar, graphic design, and creating more apps.
Stacey Zumo is a 2L at California Western. A Baton Rouge native, she received her Bachelor’s in International Studies, with minors in German and History, from Louisiana State University. She spent over 4 years in Germany and Austria, learning German, teaching English, taking Sociology courses, volunteering with refugees and low-income immigrants, and advising international students on study visas and work permits. In the U.S., she has 8 months of experience working at Catholic Charities’ legal immigration services department, 4 months at UCSD’s international faculty and scholar’s office, and 2 years as a business immigration legal assistant at Higgs, Fletcher & Mack. She is interested in the intersections of immigration law, international business law, and entertainment law.
Matthew D. Batista is a 3L at California Western School of Law. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honors in Environmental and Financial Economics, graduating Magna Cum Laude from California State University, Chico. He served in the United States Air Force for six years, earning the rank of Staff Sergeant and training with organizations such as the FBI. His legal experience consists of working for the Chico, CA based Community Legal Information Clinic in the Housing Department, for Chico, CA based civil litigation firm Griffith & Horn, LLP, and for the San Diego City Attorney's Office. Matthew is also a certified LEED Green Associate through the U.S. Green Building Council. He has a passion for sustainability, frequently writing for the California Western School of Law Commentary on environmental issues. Matthew has broad legal interests in environmental law, sports law, intellectual property law, real property law, international law, land use law, business law, and working with startups. When he is not studying, Matthew enjoys working out, running, watching sports, and browsing YouTube or reading at the end of the day.
Gracie Pollard is beginning her 2L year at California Western School of Law. She came from a small town and dirt road back in Minnesota. She first came to California to attend school at San Diego State University where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. After graduation, she worked in the finance department at The Hilton until she was able to take the LSAT. It has been a long time goal of hers to attend law school and become a lawyer. She chose to apply for New Media Rights to discover and understand areas of law in her interest including intellectual property and entertainment. She is also interested in helping creative people achieve their goals with their projects. She plans to use her time in law school to prepare herself to enter areas of entertainment or intellectual property once she graduates.
