Sports and entertainment are such buzzy industries with so many superstars. Jaia Thomas knows a thing or two about navigating a legal career in the sports and entertainment industries. 

Jaia Thomas is a Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment attorney. With over 10 years of experience on both coasts, Jaia has been quoted as a legal expert in publications, such as the New York Times and USA Today. She has served as a panelist for the Los Angeles County Bar Association and Beverly Hills Bar Association, and a speaker for several sports and entertainment law conferences throughout the country. She has several articles published in journals, including Pace I.P., Sports and Entertainment Law Journal, Journal of Sports Media and the American Bar Association. 

Jaia is currently an adjunct professor at UCLA where she teaches a course titled "Copyright Law and the Entertainment Industry" and all-day seminar titled "The Nuts and Bolts of Starting a Law Practice." Prior to her appointment at UCLA, she was an adjunct professor at American University in Washington, D.C. where she taught graduate students about the inner workings of production company formation. She has guest lectured at several colleges and universities, including Stanford Law School, and Georgetown Law School. Jaia is also a contributor to Forbes where she writes about the intersection of diversity and the entertainment industry.

Jaia recently launched Diverse Representation, a company aimed at increasing the exposure and hiring of Black agents, attorneys, managers and publicists in the sports and entertainment industries. In addition to providing the first ever comprehensive database of Black agents, attorneys, managers, and publicists in the sports and entertainment industries, Diverse Representation also hosts various events and programs. For more information, please visit www.diverse representation.com. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Jaia Thomas is a graduate of Colgate University and the George Washington University Law School. She also holds a certificate in Television, Film, and New Media Production from the University of California, Los Angeles.