Jennifer Justice: More Than a Pretty Face
Marie Claire talked with Justice about beating the odds.
Name: Jennifer Justice
Age: 30-something
Job: Music-industry lawyer
Location: New York City
Notable Quote: "Music crosses all borders. It is the ultimate inspiration."
The daughter of a single welfare mother, Jennifer Justice grew up in Washington state during the grunge craze. Today, she is the youngest partner at the entertainment law firm Carroll, Guido & Groffman, representing clients like Jay-Z and Method Man. How did she get from there to here? Marie Claire talked with Justice about beating the odds.
Q: So what exactly do you do?
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
A: My job is to know everything about the musicians we represent and what they want in life. I go to all the shows, become friends with them. In this business, you have to be able to do the smart-lawyer thing, but also be the person who can hang with Velvet Revolver and have that je ne sais quoi. You can't be intimidated and you can't be starstruck — or, the other way around, you can't think that these singers are a bunch of idiots. You have to be able to move between worlds effortlessly, and my background has helped me do that.
Q: Meaning?
A: I grew up as one of three kids to a teenage mom. My mother was so young when she had me that now I have friends her age. I knew that I never wanted to be like that — dependent on men and welfare to get by. So I did well in school, went to college, then got a scholarship to Cornell Law School.
Q: It's a big leap from welfare to where you are now.
A: Actually, a lot of my clients come from the same background as I do. There's a lot of insecurity in growing up poor. My clients want guidance. And they know that I'm here to look after their business assets.
Q: What's the coolest thing about being a music lawyer?
A: I don't need two separate outfits for my job and my life — we're not the corporate suit types! But seriously, I love that, as a music lawyer, I stand for someone's ideas; I'm representing an art form. As a corporate lawyer, you often don't stand for anything.[image id='747a0968-8c7f-4b1b-a1f4-5bfc18ce9edf' mediaId='88b46afe-b221-4898-ba84-4728a2b94412' loc='C'][/image]
Q: What made you choose this career?
A: Grunge music was big when I was at the University of Washington and working in the prosecutor's office in Seattle. I would go listen to the bands, and I loved it! There were always female lawyers at the shows who were representing the bands, and I thought that would be such a great job.
Q: When you're not at shows, what are you doing?
A: I'm at listening parties or in studios hearing samples. In Hollywood, it's the agent who gets the actor the gig. In music, lawyers play that role. I have a bunch of "baby bands," as we call them — groups starting out that I shop around, trying to get them a record deal.
Q: What's it like being in business with Jay-Z?
A: I remember when we were working on The Black Album. It was a high-stress environment — there was a time crunch, and I was dealing with some difficult personalities. It was Friday night, and I was exhausted, unwinding at dinner with a friend. Suddenly, I get a text message from Jay-Z. I'm like, Now what? He says, "I'm getting calls from people saying you're a real hard-ass to work with." And I was like, Uh-oh, I'm in trouble. Then he goes, "Ha! Ha! That's why I like you!" Because at the end of the day, I'm the hard-ass he pays to look out for him.
-
Sabrina Carpenter's Micro Shorts Are a Slice of Fashion History
She was brave to trot it out at the height of winter.
By Kelsey Stiegman Published
-
Tom Parker Bowles Says Stepfather King Charles Could be "Fantastic" at Another Job if He Wasn't Monarch
Just imagine.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Cartier Celebrates 100 Years of Trinity With a Miami Pop-Up
A look inside the Art Basel event.
By Michaela Bushkin Published
-
TWICE Shares What Music Shaped Them—And What's on Their Playlist Now
With their new mini-album 'STRATEGY' out, the K-pop girl group opens up about their musical preferences for the 'Marie Claire' series "Listen Up."
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Meet Gracie Lawrence, Who Plays Kacey in ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’ Season 3
The actress-slash-musician opens up about her new role in the Max comedy as the group's new suitemate.
By Sadie Bell Published
-
The 27 Best Biopics About Musicians of All Time
We're still stunned by these performances—many of which took home Oscars.
By Nicole Briese Published
-
Tate McRae Shares What Music Shaped Her—And What's on Her Playlist Now
With her new album 'So Close to What' out soon, the pop star opens up about her musical preferences for the 'Marie Claire' series "Listen Up."
By Sadie Bell Published
-
The Ascension of Sophie Thatcher
With ‘Heretic’ in theaters and her debut EP out now, the ‘Yellowjackets’ star is believing in herself and her art more than ever.
By Sadie Bell Published
-
Beyoncé Receives Her First Grammy Nominations in the Country Categories for 'Cowboy Carter'—As She Should Have
Queen Bey is also the most-nominated of an artist this year.
By Sadie Bell Published
-
2024 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show: Tyla Performs "PUSH 2 START" and "Water"
The South African hitmaker performed her new track "PUSH 2 START" and her breakout hit "Water."
By Sadie Bell Last updated
-
2024 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show: Cher Performs "Strong Enough" and "Believe"
The pop icon headlined the highly anticipated return of the live runway event.
By Sadie Bell Published