Always Learning, Always Contributing: Reflections from Two Recent Speaking Engagements

One of the core values at Akiba Law is simple: Always Learning, Always Contributing. This principle guides how I serve clients, how I build community, and how I stay connected to the next generation of lawyers who will shape the art, fashion, luxury, and business landscapes I care so deeply about.

Over the past two weeks, I had the privilege of living out that value through two speaking engagements at Florida International University — one with future law students, and one with emerging business lawyers.

1. Speaking to FIU’s PLACES Program: Art, Entertainment, and the Path to Law

Earlier this month, I joined attorney Brenda Schamy on a panel hosted by FIU’s Pre-Law Advocates for Community Engagement and Service (PLACES), an organization dedicated to preparing undergraduates for meaningful legal careers.

Together, we spoke with pre-law students about:

• What it really means to be an art and entertainment lawyer
• How unexpected experiences — like working in an auction house — can shape your legal path
• Practical tips for surviving (and thriving in) law school
• The realities, rewards, and responsibilities that come with representing creatives and businesses

The conversation was energetic and honest, and it was inspiring to see so many undergraduate students eager to engage with the intersection of law, creativity, and culture. Moments like these remind me that the legal profession grows stronger when we invest our time and our stories in those coming next.

2. Business Law Society Panel at FIU Law: Preparing the Next Wave of Business Lawyers

Last week, I returned to FIU — this time to speak with the Business Law Society at the FIU College of Law.

In that discussion, we covered:

• The dual nature of business law: transactional strategy and litigation advocacy
• How business lawyers can add value beyond the four corners of a contract
• Skills that truly matter — clarity, judgment, communication, and curiosity
• How students can position themselves early for careers supporting entrepreneurs, brands, and companies

Speaking with FIU Law students felt full-circle. Not long ago, I was in their seats, trying to piece together how to build a career that aligned with my interests and my values.

Now, as I build Akiba Law, sharing that journey feels like another way to pay it forward.

Why These Conversations Matter

At Akiba Law, the work goes beyond legal services. I believe in contributing to the communities that shaped me — art communities, entrepreneurial communities, and academic communities, such as my alma mater, FIU Law. I also believe that the best lawyers never stop learning.

These two panels reinforced that idea:

• Learning from students’ questions, perspectives, and ambitions
• Contributing by sharing experience, guidance, and the reality of modern practice
• Connecting the next generation of lawyers to the creative and business worlds Akiba Law serves

I’m grateful to both PLACES and the FIU Business Law Society for the invitations and for creating spaces where meaningful dialogue can happen.

And I look forward to continuing this work — in the classroom, in the community, and in every corner of the industries that inspire Akiba Law.